630 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



stomach receives. The second idea is that the hard, horny substance 

 found on the beak, provided to enable the chick to break its way through 

 the shell, should be taken off by the nail and the bird made to swallow 

 it. Only a foolish superstition could have originated such a practice ; 

 and if patience is exercised this scale conies off naturally in a few days. 

 As has been already mentioned, neither the hen nor the chicks should 

 be disturbed for at least twenty-four hours after hatching except to give 

 the former a feed, but the chicks will be all the better if they have 

 nothing to eat for thirty-six hours, by which time a coop should be 

 prepared for the hen and her brood. A great mistake is made by 

 poultry-keepers in removing the chickens from the place of hatching, 

 whether that be by means of a hen or an incubator, until they have got 



Fig. 183. Chicken Coop. 



well upon their feet. This makes a great deal of difference to their after 

 success, and in some cases it has been found that forty-eight to sixty 

 hours is all the better to leave them undisturbed. Coops of all kinds, 

 shapes, and sizes are now sold by the various appliance makers, and 

 they can be made from almost anything. Boxes or barrels are capable 

 of being used as coops with very little alteration, and a very cheap form 

 is a Tate's sugar box altered so that it is comfortable and protects the 

 inmates. In front there should be bars or laths to permit the egress of 

 the chickens, but not of the hen, and almost any one who has a slight 

 knowledge of joinery can make a very good coop in this way. The best 

 sixe is from 18 to 24 in. square, and about the same in height. It is a 

 desirable plan to have a small run in front so that during the first few 

 days when the chickens come out they cannot wander far, but that need 

 not be used beyond the first week or ten days. A very useful form of 



