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may take food and water and to see that they return to their nests. 

 One of the principal disadvantages connected with hatching under 

 hens is the fact that the chickens often suffer from vermin. Of 

 course, under the best management the fowls are kept as free as pos- 

 sible from their insect parasites. Under these circumstances, if a 

 good insect powder, is dusted through the feathers at the time the 

 hen is set and again two or three days previous to the date of hatch- 

 ing, there should be little or no trouble. The nests used must, of 

 course, be clean. 



Whole corn is probably as good a feed as can be used for the 

 sitting hen and when removed from the nest she should have access 

 to grit, shells and pure water. She should also be allowed to enjoy 

 a dust bath and may safely be absent from the nest from 15 to 30 

 minutes according to the prevailing temperature. 



The number of eggs which a single hen can satisfactorily cover 

 will depend upon the size both of the eggs and of the hen. It is a 

 mistake to attempt to hatch too large a number. Thirteen eggs are 

 in most cases as many as can be satisfactorily brooded. 



While chickens hatched in incubators are often 

 Incubator Hatching inferior in vitality and suffer a higher mortality 

 Essential for than those hatched under hens, it is the judg- 

 Large Numbers. ment of almost all poultrymen that incubators 

 are essential where large numbers of chickens 

 are to be hatched. The management of an incubator requires less 

 time and labor than caring for a large number of sitting hens. The 

 use of the incubator, moreover, makes it possible to hatch whenever 

 desired, whereas if dependence be placed upon broody hens it not 

 infrequently happens that they are not available in sufhcient num- 

 bers when needed. A good incubator well managed will give 

 hatches of strong and healthy chicks provided the eggs are from 

 vigorous and healthy stock properly mated. 



The Station has not made such tests as justify a report as to the 

 relative merits of different incubators. Cyphers incubators have 

 been most largely used in the Station work and they have given fairly 

 satisfactory results. There is probably no doubt that there are other 

 machines which are capable of giving similar results. The placing 

 of the incubator is a matter of some importance. It will be most 

 easily and surely regulated if it stands in a room with equable mod- 

 erate temperature and hatches will usually be best if the air is not 



