FEEDING AND CARE OF POULTRY 389 



the lamp and flues clean and the wick carefully trimmed so as to give 

 a rounded, flame. At hatching time the machine should be kept dark- 

 ened so the chicks will sleep. The chicks are better if kept confined to 

 the egg tray until dry or partially dry and then removed to the 

 brooder, rather than letting them drop down into the nursery of the 

 incubator. About 19 days are required for the incubation of eggs of 

 the light breeds and 21 for those of the meat breeds. 



Hatching eggs with hens. — When the eggs are hatched with hens, 

 clean, roomy nests at least 14 inches square should be prepared in some 

 building where the hens will not be disturbed while sitting. The nest 

 should be placed over a layer of 3 or 4 inches of soil or sod and then lit- 

 tered with soft straw, hay, or shavings, the corners being well packed 

 with litter. After placing 2 or 3 nest eggs in each nest, the hens are 

 moved to the nest just at dark. The next day they should be taken off 

 and given feed and water. If they do not return to the nests in 20 to 30 

 minutes they must be driven back or caught and fastened in the nest. 

 As soon as the hens settle down they should be given the eggs. Until 

 the eggs start to hatch, the hens should be taken off or allowed to 

 come off each day. They should be fed all the whole corn they will 

 eat, with an occasional allowance of mixed grain. Fresh water should 

 be supplied daily and in hot weather it is wise to place a cup of water 

 in each nest, as this saves much bowel trouble, which frequently spoils 

 many hatchings. The hens should be allowed to wallow in a dirt bath 

 and should be kept free from lice and mites by dusting with a good in- 

 sect powder as soon as they become accustomed to the nest and at the 

 end of the first and second weeks. In case mites are discovered move 

 the hen and eggs to a new nest and disinfect the infested nest. Where 

 possible, several hens should be set at one time. The infertile eggs 

 should be removed toward the end of the first week, and, if there are 

 many infertile ones, the fertile eggs can be given to a few of the hens 

 and the rest be given fresh eggs. 



Brooding chicks with hens. — In rearing chicks with hens, the essen- 

 tials are few. The hen, quiet and motherly, should be placed in a light, 

 portable coop which will allow the chicks free range but in which the 

 hen can be confined if desired. The coop should protect the hen and 

 the chicks from the weather and from enemies, and should be located 

 on a grassy, shady range. Early in the season it is usually best to have 

 board bottoms in the coop, but later in the season and in dry weather 

 this is not necessary. When bottoms are used they should be kept 

 clean and should be littered with chaff or fresh earth. When no bot- 

 toms are used the coop should be moved at least once every other day. 

 This will prevent killing the grass and will fertilize a larger area. 



As soon as the chicks are 10 days old, the mother hen may be turned 



