68 



CHAPTER VI. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF CHICKENS. 



Chickens should have no food whatever for at least twelve hours after hatchhig ; they not only 

 derive no benefit from it, but we are more and more satisfied are actually the worse. We saw in 

 Chapter IV. that at their entrance into the world they are provided by nature with the yolk of the 

 egg, almost entire, for their immediate sustenance, and this is the only food they cither need or 

 ought to have. Even twenty-four hours' abstinence will not have the slightest prejudicial effect, but 

 any time between which occurs conveniently may be chosen for the first meal, and till that time 

 arrives it is best if they can be left with the hen entirely undisturbed. Many persons take away 

 those first hatched and put them in flannel by the fire, restoring them to the hen when all are out; 

 and if the eggs have varied much in age this procedure becomes a necessity, as the staler eggs not 

 hatching till hours after the others, the hen would become too restless to remain with them were the 

 earlier chicks left with her. But it is better, If it can be done, to leave the chicks with their mother; 

 the heat of the living body appears to have an actually nourishing or vital power which no 

 artificial warmth can possess, and when the little creatures have been under a hen, they never seem 

 so happy and contented away from her. It is however necessary to visit the nest now and then, 

 and to take away all the empty egg-shells, which otherwise cause great discomfort to the chickens. 

 Dead eggs there should be none, all in which vitality has perished having previously been removed 

 as directed in Chapter IV. 



Perhaps as good a plan as any, with regard to convenience of attending to the chickens when 

 hatched, is to set the hen at night, when the chicks should be due about the same time, or in 

 favourable circumstances during the afternoon. Then at night the nest can be examined, shells 

 removed, and the hen fed upon her nest, after which she Is sure to remain quiet the whole night, 

 and may be shut in until the morning. Any eggs not hatched then may be suspected ; and in the 

 great majority of cases all the chicks will be strong and lively, quite ready for their first meal. If 

 only one or two eggs be still overdue we should not ourselves wait longer for them, as such very 

 rarely thrive, and it Is a great pity to run any risk with the healthy portion of a brood for the sake 

 of a few weakly ones which may probably die after all. We speak from experience when we say 

 that such is literally " throwing good chickens after bad." If an incubator or another sitting hen be 

 available, it is of course easy to provide for the remaining eggs In this way ; if not, and the brood 

 was a fair average, we would sacrifice one or two rather than endanger the rest. 



The first food of young chicks should consist of eggs boiled hard and chopped up, mixed 

 with double its bulk of bread-crumbs, and the whole slightly moistened with milk. The hen also 

 should be allowed to partake of this, giving her first, however, as much barley and water as she 

 chooses to partake of Hens are generally ravenous when the long period of seclusion is over, and 

 to fully satisfy them with good grain at the outset saves both food and much restlessness after- 

 wards ; for wc never like to see a hen debarred the delicacies her chickens partake of during the 

 first week or two — she needs them neariy as much as they do, being In very poor condition in 

 almost every case. After a week or two, on the contrary, it is better to put the food for the young 



