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DURATION OF THE MALE INFLUENCE. 



There is no definite rule as to the exa*ct time it takes for the male 

 bird's influence to affect the eggs laid, but it may be fairly accepted 

 that eggs can be pretty safely depended upon to be fertile after a vigorous 

 rooster has been with the hens seven days, and the eggs will continue to 

 be fertile for the same period after his removal, always provided, of 

 course, that the number of hens is not excessive. 



PACKING EGGS FOR HATCHING. 



Never nail the lid on to the box; use screws; hammering will destroj 

 the germ. 



Never put damp hay, straw, or sawdust against eggs. Never pack 

 them, especially for a long journey, so that air is entirely excluded. 



Never turn the large end down in packing, as the weight of the yolk 

 i apt to break the air-bubble by being jarred in transit. 



If you receive eggs for hatching from a distance, give them twenty- 

 four hours' rest before putting them underneath the sitting-hen or in 

 the incubator. 



These are little precautions worth remembering. 



MANAGEMENT OF SITTING-HENS. 



The greatest attention should be paid to sitting-hens. In the first 

 place, half-fill the nest-box the hen is to sit in with moist earth; beat it 

 down pretty firmly with your hands, and make the nest so that the egga 

 will have a tendency to roll to the centre, or, in other words, saucer- 

 shaped; then sprinkle a little lime over the earth, and a thin layer of 

 hay, straw, or pine-needles. 



Sprinkle the hen with carbolic powder or flour of sulphur, and see 

 that the powder reaches the skin; this is to destroy the vermin that the 

 bird is almost sure to be infested with. 



In the evening place her on a few dummy eggs until satisfied she will 

 sit steadily : she is more likely to do so if the nest is slightly darkened. 



Sitting-hens should be kept away from the general flock, and should 

 have ample hard corn, meat, bread, and hemp-seed put in a convenient 

 place, so that they can obtain what they want on leaving the nest. Hard, 

 sharp grit must be supplied, and plenty of fresh water should be kept in 

 the shade ready for their use. Have a dust-bath available in a dry place 

 where the sun can get at it. 



The number of eggs to put under a hen depends upon her size, but it is 

 better to put too few than too many; twelve eggs are enough for most 

 hens. 



Mark the large end of the eggs with the date they are placed under 

 the hen ; if marked in any other place it will interfere with the testing 

 of the eggs. 



When a hen is set in a dry place, the skin of the egg just underneath 

 the shell becomes so dry and tough that the chick cannot cut through it, 

 and consequently dies in the shell. Should a hen insist on sitting in a 

 dry place, it will be necessary to moisten the eggs slightly with warm 

 water; the best plan is to dip them and let them remain in the water for 

 about two or three seconds. This should be done once a day during the 

 last week of incubation. 



Care must be taken when lifting the hen off the nest each morning that 

 there are no eggs under her wings. Should an egg get broken, remove 

 it immediately; and if any portion of the broken egg is on the others, 

 wash it off with warm water at once, as when it dries it stops the pores 

 of the shell and prevents the air passing to the chick. 



