190 ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION. 



be set at the same time, if possible, so that in case of their not 

 being more than twelve or thirteen productive eggs under two 

 hens, on making the test, all may be put under one hen, 

 and the other broken up, as it is termed, from sitting. You 

 may allow your hens to sit a few days on wooden eggs, or 

 those that are addled, till two or more desire to sit, when all 

 may be provided with eggs at the same time. 



It is a practice with some breeders to remove the chicks 

 from hens when hatched, and to give them a new sitting of 

 eggs. This is done when they are desirous of raising some 

 valuable breed of chicks to as great an extent as possible, and 

 to get them out early. It is said that a hen will bear this 

 double duty in the spring, without injury, but I hope the prac- 

 tice will be quite limited, and never adopted in the summer, 

 when hens are debilitated and feverish. 



The next question of primary importance in connection with 

 incubation, is the method best adapted to " break up " a hen 

 from sitting, when we do not desire to have her sit. If some 

 inventive Yankee will make a discovery that shall do away 

 with the trouble we are now subject to in such cases, he will 

 be a public benefactor. There are many suggestions extant on 

 this subject, but nothing is effectual, and of general application, 

 but to confine the hens away from their nests for a few days. 

 I have found that three days confinement is sufficient ; and 

 where many fowls are kept, there should be three separate 

 yards, each provided with shelter, &c., and all hens desiring to 

 sit on a certain day, should be confined in one yard ; those 

 desiring to set the next day, in the next yard, and so on. 

 When the third yard receives its tenants, the first one may be 

 vacated. 



ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION. 



In arranging the matter for this work, I have deemed it 

 expedient to place all matter immediately connected with the 

 fowl-house or yard, in a continuous position, as much as possible, 

 without any regard to the arrangement of similar matter by 

 other authors on this subject ; and as Artificial Incubation is 

 one of the branches of my subject, requiring an illustration in 

 such connection, I subjoin the following interesting communi- 

 cation from Joseph S. Keen, Esq. : 



