CARE OF HEN AND CHICKS 



279 



watering. Closing the nest box prevents other hens from 

 disturbing the sitter or rats from stealing the eggs. 



Care of the Sitting Hens. — Best results are obtained 

 when the sitting hens are fed only corn in addition to water 

 and grit. Many poultry men provide a dust bath in the 

 room so that the hen can dust when she is off for feeding, 

 but this purpose can better be accomplished by thoroughly 

 dusting the hen with insect powder before setting her and 

 once or twice during the period of incubation. 



Care of Young Chicks. — When the chicks are hatched 

 it is best to raise them artificially, after the third or fourth 

 day. If it is desired to use the hen as a brooder, she should 

 be confined in a slatted coop so that the chicks can wander 

 about and return to the hen for warmth and at night. 

 Chicks do not do so well if allowed to run with the hen. The 

 general care and feeding of the chicks hatched with hens 

 should be the same as for brooder chicks, described later. 



Beginners' Mistakes. — It is common for beginners to 

 expect too many chicks from a setting of eggs. A hatch of 

 50 per cent of the eggs is good and 75 per cent is very good 

 indeed. 



A point that beginners do not always understand is that 



Fig. 102. — Old-fashioned coop that has many advantages. 



