AMERICAN POULTRY CULTURE 



As soon as a hen shows inclination to sit, she 

 should be thoroughly dusted with a reliable brand 

 of insect powder, and this operation may profitably 

 be repeated once or twice during the hatch. Pro- 

 vide dust baths in which the hens may wallow when 

 they come off to feed ; this breaks the monotony of 

 sitting life by providing the hen with enjoyable 

 exercise, as well as smothering many of the vermin 

 in the dust. Neither lard nor grease of any kind 

 should ever be applied to the body of a hen while 

 she is sitting, as it would be fatal to the embryo 

 chicks. 



As many hens as possible should be set at one 

 time, for in this way the infertile eggs may be 

 tested out at the end of the first week and the re- 

 maining good eggs divided up among the number 

 of hens necessary to cover them, sending the other 

 hens back to laying again or resetting them. The 

 use of this same plan after the chicks are hatched 

 also simplifies matters then, because a hen usually 

 is capable of looking after a greater number of 

 chicks than she herself can hatch; that is, three 

 hens can brood as many chicks as four or five can 

 hatch. 



The three great things, so far as location and 

 environment are concerned, for comfort among 

 sitting hens, are quiet, warmth, and subdued light. 

 The nests should be large enough to allow the hens 

 plenty of room to change their positions, but over- 



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