MANAGEMENT OF SITTING-HENS. 233 



chickens. Her feathers are also in disorder, her wings 

 hang down, and her body becomes greatly heated. She 

 seems possessed with a kind of feverish anxiety, searches 

 everywhere for eggs, and if she finds any, whether of 

 her own laying or others, she immediately settles down 

 upon them. Eleven or thirteen fresh eggs are generally 

 placed under one hen ; the former number being the 

 more likely to succeed. One or two old eggs are put 

 first, to coax the hen to the spot, and food and water 

 are placed close by the nest. When she has taken to 

 the nest, and warmed it, the old eggs are taken away, 

 and the eleven fresh ones substituted. These she will 

 arrange in her own way, with bill and body, until she 

 can cover them all completely. The evening twilight 

 is the best time for this, the hen being then naturally 

 disposed to remain quiet, whereas by setting her in the 

 morning, there is a risk of her being disturbed or 

 alarmed, and forsaking the nest. A hatching-house 

 should be supplied with proper nests for the sitting- 

 hens. These may be either boxes or baskets ; but the 

 corners and openings, as well as the bottom, must be 

 well stuffed with straw, that neither eggs nor chickens 

 may fall through and be lost. Short, soft straw is the 

 best lining for the nests. Hay is too heating in its 

 nature, and has been known, by fermenting, to spoil the 

 whole batch of eggs. Notice should be taken every 

 morning, whether any of the eggs are broken, and if so, 

 the straw as well as the broken eggs must be taken 

 away, and fresh clean straw put in its place. Fresh 

 food and water must be given to sitting-hens every day, 

 and the place kept clean and dry. In about three 

 weeks' time the chickens will begin to appear. It is 

 frequently recommended to watch the opening of the 

 eggs, and to chip away the shell, if any difficulty occurs ; 

 but this requires the greatest caution, and, generally 

 speaking, it is the safer plan to leave the whole operation 

 to nature. In very many cases all the eggs will be 

 hatched ; and where one or two fail, it is not a matter 



