430 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



mother prevented the chickens using it after reaching a certain size, but they were still allowed 

 access to one unwarmed, almost precisely similar to that figured by us at page 75. 



The few difficulties found at starting had been easily overcome. The two essentials were : 

 first, that the chicks were immediately taken from the hen, so as never to miss and fret after her ; 

 and, secondly, that for about two days they needed keeping in a box floored with dry earth, 

 with a small mother at one end, so that they could not wander away from it. This was " the pre- 

 paratory school iox young gentlemen," its sole object being to teach them to knoiv the apparatus and 

 how to go under it. As soon as they were perfect in this lesson they were turned down with the 

 others, the whole being treated as one large brood, and agreeing perfectly. Mrs. Cheshire's small 

 mother consisted of an ordinary india-rubber foot-bottle filled with boiling water, and placed over 

 canvas about ten inches square, stretched on a frame, and furnished with flannel strips as in the 

 case of the larger one. This occupied half of a common wooden box, the chicks having the other 

 half to run out in. If a few thicknesses of flannel are placed over the bottle, it will keep it 

 warm enough for a whole night ; and even when boiling will not be too hot for the chicks, the 

 india-rubber and mother under being bad conductors of heat. Should such a separate infant 

 nursery be thought troublesome, Mrs. Cheshire suggests that a small portion of the larger mother 

 may be penned off and furnished with a small enclosed run in front, so that the chicks cannot 

 wander away till they have learnt to know it, which is the sole object desired. 



Both plans of rearing having been fairly tried by the lady from whom we have obtained these 

 interesting particulars, the comparative results are stated by her as follows : — " The advantages of 

 the artificial plan seem to be — i. Great economy of hens if they are needed for laying. If a hen be 

 kept cooped with chicks for three weeks [and we should say five weeks is nearer the mark], she has 

 been si.x weeks out of the breeding-pen ; and after she is returned to it her first four or five eggs 

 will not be fertile. 2. Economy in food ; as all eggs, grits, and other dainty food go to the chicks. 

 Special dainties for very young ones are easily given in a feeding-coop, through which the larger 

 ones cannot pass. 3. Economy in labour of feeding and cleaning. This is very great, while there 

 is always capital dry accommodation for the chicks on wet days. 4. The extreme tamcness of the 

 chicks. A hen often prevents her brood feeding till the attendant has gone ; but under this system 

 little chirpers of three or four days old will run and flutter up to whoever has the charge of them ; 

 and they never seem to fight or quarrel. 5. The impossibility of losing chickens by trampling. 

 6. The greatly increased cleanliness of the chickens, which retain the utmost purity of their beautiful 

 down until its loss. Our experience also proves that they feather more quickly. And, lastly, 

 increased size ; we find that we get the same weights on this plan at ten weeks old whick we 

 formerly got at twelve weeks. I might add the possibility of raising fine chicks early in the year ; 

 since if cold weather comes on they can nestle even at eight or ten weeks old if they will." 



We ought to add that we were thoroughly convinced by actual inspection of the great 

 superiority in every way of this plan of rearing, and that Mr. Halsted's enthusiastic praise of it 

 was fully borne out. The principal reason of the success is, in our opinion, that every chick can 

 have as much brooding as it likes, whereas, when with the hen, weakly ones may often be seen and 

 heard entreating warmth and shelter which the vigorous ones do not need, and which the hen will 

 not give. These chicks die ofi", while with the artificial mother they are nourished into strong 

 birds. The only difficulty is to tell the different strains, which to the fancier is important. Mrs. 

 Cheshire effected this by dyeing them on the back. By the time this disappears the memory can 

 often be trusted ; and if not they can then be marked in other ways. 



The subject is so important to many, that we have thought it well to give this further 

 information upon it while treating of the last of the more useful non-sitting breeds of poultry. 



