May, 1909 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



117 



POULTRY DEPT. 



The season is now sufficiently advanced 

 to be able definitely to decide to what ex- 

 tent hatching operations shall take place. 

 Nothing will be gained by postponing the 

 decision. Good hatches should be obtained 

 without difficulty ; in fact, the best results 

 should be obtained now with the least 

 trouble. Conditions are perfect for every- 

 thing that makes for a high percentage of 

 fertility. The breeding stock are on the 

 grass runs, getting the necessary exercise 

 for laying eggs containing healthy, strong 

 germs which develop into vigorous chick- 

 ens. The most enthusiastic, but strictly 

 amateur beginner is the suburbanite who has 

 just moved into his summer home. He usu- 

 ally has the chicken fever and has it bad. 



It may be worth while to offer a few sug- 

 gestions as to the easiest way to begin the 

 foundation for a flock of poultry that will 

 not only be useful but ornamental. Of 

 course, the initial cost has to be consider- 

 ed. At the beginning, we will discard any 

 idea of keeping mongrels. No sensible per- 

 son will go to the expense of building a 

 beautiful summer home properly designed, 

 painted and with neat grounds and then, 

 for the difference of a few dollars, introduce 

 or install mongrel fowls in his poultry 

 quarters. So, we will discuss pure bred 

 fowls and how to obtain them. 



In the first place, there is the question 

 of breed and then which variety or color 

 of that breed. Every one has a preference 

 or leaning towards a certain breed, and if 

 so, by all means get it. Don't let any one 



dissuade you from getting whichever you 

 want unless the arguments advanced show 

 that you had through inexperience decided 

 to do something foolish, such as, to intend 

 to buy Black Spanish instead of Black 

 Minorca or something equally unwise. 



A beginning may be made, a simple one 

 it is true, by buying one setting of eggs 

 and a clucking hen. This may be done at 

 a nominal cost and a very good start made 

 for say $3 ; that is, $2 for the eggs and 

 $1 for the broody hen. The hen should be 

 procured, if possible, in the evening about 

 dusk. Make the nest in a box about nine 

 inches deep and about two feet square. Fill 

 the box with hay or straw nearly full and 

 round out the centre in nest shape and give 

 the hen one or two dummy eggs until sure 

 that she will sit in her new quarters. It is 

 better and necessary to shut the hen in 

 a closed pen or else next morning she will 

 likely have disappeared. If she is sitting 

 all right next day lift her off the nest and 

 give her food and water as close to the nest 

 box as convenient so that when she is 

 through feeding she can see the eggs. If 

 she goes back of her own accord she may 

 safely be given the eggs she is required to 

 hatch. 



If more than one hen is set in the same 

 room, treat each hen the same way. Give 

 the same number of eggs to each, judging 

 by the number the smallest hen will cover, 

 usually either eleven or thirteen ; then, it 

 doesn't matter if the hens exchange nests 

 at any time for good hatches have been ob- 

 tained from eggs that three different hens 

 had assisted to incubate. 



After the chicks are hatched the first 

 requisite is that they shall have, before 

 food, access to fine grit or coarse sand, us- 

 ually given by scattering on the floor of 

 the coop, or near to where the chicks are 

 having their first run. After the first dav 



feed a variety of food, such as oatmeal, 

 hard-boiled eggs, bread and milk and the 

 prepared chick foods. Alawys feed as great 

 a variety as possible, but best of all let the 

 hen have full range in fine weather and no 

 difficulty will be experienced in raising 

 healthy fowl. 



It must not be forgotten that the hen re- 



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