ACCESSORIES TO THE POULTRY-HOUSE. 



G7 



to the front, as represented in the figure at the 

 head of this chapter, nearly closing the entran- 

 ces, giving the hen an appearance of obscurity, 

 and an opportunity of gratifying her natural pro- 

 pensity. This arrangement seemed very satis- 

 factory to the hens, besides adding much to the 

 appearance of the house. Where evergreens 

 are not at hand, fine lattice-work will answer an 

 equal purpose. It is amusing too, when you 

 enter the house, to see how shy and cunning 

 they look in their cosy and, to them, private 

 nest. 



In large poultry -houses, when a great number 

 of fowls is confined, it would be well to have 

 sitting-nests so formed as to keep them secure 

 from the intrusions of the hens who have been 

 in the habit of depositing their eggs there. One 

 reason for adopting this system of apparent 

 but only apparent restraint, is principally to 

 prevent those friendly visits of other hens which 

 are always anxious to insure a numerous prog- 

 eny to their neighbor, by adding their own con- 

 tributions ; this, however, not being usually ap- 

 proved of by her ladyship in possession, a scuf- 

 lle is frequently the result at the expense of the 

 eggs, which are thus too commonly broken or 

 injured. 



We have found too, that the daily absence 

 of the sitting-hen for food and exercise has 

 been waited for by the other members of the 

 poultry-yard which are about to deposit their 

 eggs, and that they will avail themselves of 

 such absence to mount the place of honor and 

 prevent the return of the rightful owner. 



We have also had eggs rolled out of the nest 

 into those of the same level you may conject- 

 ure with what lamentable results ; we have, 

 therefore, arrived at the conclusion that the 

 old adage " safe bind, safe find," will apply in 

 this case as well as in most others, and that it 

 is upon the whole the best plan to secure the 

 lien in the undisturbed possession of her nest, 

 taking care, of course, to liberate her at a fixed 

 hour on each day, and to have food and water 

 at hand for her use. 



The confinement of the hen is effected either 

 by having a sliding board well perforated with 

 air-holes or wire-work, that may be drawn across 

 the entrance ; or where the front of the nest is 



open, a bar to let down, of sufficient width to 

 prevent either egress or ingress. 



As to the exact description of the nest which 

 would be most suitable for the hens while en- 

 gaged in sitting, almost every poultry-keeper 

 has some favorite arrangement of his own, and, 

 provided some two or three requisites are com- 

 plied with, no great harm is likely to result from 

 his indulging in it. The recess in the chimney- 

 corner, the unused manger, and the concealed 

 nook in the cart-shed have great attractions to 

 many hens, and, barring accident from the ex- 

 posed situation, as good a brood may be thence 

 expected as the most scientifically-constructed 

 nest can afford us. But as the eggs in the lat- 

 ter place often disappear, and the hen herself 

 is at times found wanting or defunct, few would 

 be willing thus to hazard the safety of any val- 

 uable bird. 



For hatching we prefer nests on the ground ; 

 for, in the first place, almost all poultry will 

 choose the earth as their resting-place, if cir- 

 cumstances will permit them to do so ; and we 

 are of the opinion that the small amount of 

 dampness to which the eggs are exposed in this 

 case, is any thing but undesirable or productive 

 of injury to the forthcoming brood ; and, second- 

 ly, the possibility of fracture arising from their 

 being thrown out of the nests is greatly lessened. 



But when we look at the places usually se- 

 lected by the hens themselves, damp, and many 

 other matters which we are often anxious sedu- 

 lously to guard against, are plainly by them 

 thought of little amount ; and yet, at the expi- 

 ration of the allotted time, the number of young 

 led forth often tally very nearly with the eggs 

 that had been there deposited. It seems, in- 

 deed, as if the self-willed hen was conscious 

 that, having acted so far on her own responsi- 

 bility, she could reckon on no other aid, and wai? 

 thus incited to greater diligence in the perform- 

 ance of her natural duties. The desire of all 

 animals in a state of nature to conceal the abode 

 of their young is thus partially adopted by the 

 hen who steals her nest, and takes every pre- 

 caution by limiting the period of her daily ab- 

 sence, and retiring, if possible, unobserved, that 

 a goodly brood may prove the wisdom of her 

 choice. 



