1 66 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



mothers, and are very good all-round fowls. Often, however, 

 other hens have to be obtained, and, when sitters are scarce, 

 they must be taken. Tbe plan we are about to suggest will 

 generally be found to answer for all, except, it may be, very 

 wild ones. 



Where it is only necessary to hatch one or two settings 

 each year, there need be no difficulty in setting the hens, as 

 they can be put separately in outhouses, empty runs, or any 

 other places of that kind, but, where a number of hens have 

 to be kept at work at one time, then some other system must 

 be adopted. If the farm or ground space available is very 

 large, the hens may be distributed in various parts, under 

 charge of the cottagers, but, as a rule, we prefer to keep them 

 near home, where they can be looked after by one person, 

 whose sole care they will be. And, for this purpose, it is best 

 to devote a good, large, comfortable room, such as an empty 

 stable, an unused coach-house, a loft above a stable, a cool 

 conservatory, or, even a large empty room in the house itself, 

 and, during the early part of the season, the chicken-house, 

 if one has been made, may also be used. But, when the 

 chickens begin to appear, it will be much better to put the 

 sitting hens elsewhere, as they are very apt to get fidgety and 

 restless, hearing the " cluck, cluck " of the mothers and the 

 " peep, peep " of the chickens. 



Whatever is the place selected, it should be warm, com- 

 fortable, well ventilated, free from draughts, and as even in 

 temperature as possible, but, except in very severe weather, 

 it is not necessary to keep a fire in it, for, if well built, it will 

 be warm enough, though if adjoining a stable or green-house 

 it will be all the better. In very cold weather some arti- 

 ficial warmth is necessary, or the hens will be most likely to 

 desert their nests. The room selected need not be well 

 lighted, and, in fact, a somewhat dim place is the best, for 

 the birds sit quieter in the dark. The same room can be 



