224 AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURE. 



eggs. In setting hens, nests on the ground made of dry 

 sandy or loamy soil answer well, with a sprinkling of 



broken down gum 

 leaves. The nests are 

 healthy, and are easily 

 kept clean and free 

 from vermin ; or the 

 nests may be in boxes 

 or barrels. They 

 should be where the 

 Coop for a sitting Hen. sitters cannot be mo- 



lested. The hen 



should be roused from the nest every day after the 

 second day of sitting, and induced to drink and 

 feed freely and dust herself. These are the best 

 precautions against vermin. A sitting hen requires 

 steady nourishment, to keep up her courage and 

 natural heat. When the weather is very dry, it is a good 

 plan to sprinkle both eggs and nest with warm water 

 every day when the hen leaves it. On the 19th or 20th 

 day, unless the hen comes off of her own accord, lift her off 

 and look over her eggs. But be careful not to drag the 

 mother bird while moving her, for eggs may be broken 

 unless great care is used. Place one hand under each 

 wing and then quietly lift her up, taking care that she 

 carries no eggs in her feathers. Some, if not all, of the 

 eggs may be cracked and chipped where the young ones 

 are struggling to get through. Take away any shells of 

 chicks that have hatched out. On the 2 1st day take the 

 sitter off her place again. By this time all the chickens 

 should be hatched out, and if the mother has not pushed 

 all the empty shells out of the nest, it is advisable to clear 

 up all litter and put mother and brood on clean dry earth 

 in a coop or otherwise. 



Incubators. Self-regulating machines are best, and 

 possibly the best results are got from those in which the 

 eggs are placed in sand. The temperature must be very 

 steady, ranging between 101 and 105 degrees. An 

 occasional cooling for half an hour or so does no harm, and 

 by some experienced operators is believed to be necessary. 



