IN THE POULTRY YARD. 79 
times they will sit for one or two nights and then abandon the 
nest. But a hen that has occupied a nest for three consecutive 
nights has probably made up her mind to incubate, and may be de- 
pended upon. Such hens I transferred to one of the compart- 
ments in the hatching room, gave her a setting of eggs and shut 
her in. Over the compartment was tacked a card on which was 
written the date, when set, the kind of eggs, and the date when 
due. By pursuing this course, I very soon had every compartment 
filed with faithful sitters. 
At first, I let all the doors down every morning and waited until 
the hens returned. Some of them delayed coming off for some time, 
others came off at once. The same diversity appeared amongst them 
in their habits of returning. At this time of the year a few minutes 
did not make much difference to the eggs. With the thermometer 
at 80° even one or two hours did not signify, but during February, 
with the thermometer down to zero, it would have been fatal to the 
unhatched chicks. It is true that the hens would probably return 
sooner in very cold weather, but probabilities would not answer 
my purpose. Could I control this matter completely without too 
much labor? I determined to try. I therefore attended to this 
part of the work myself, so that I might learn all about it. ‘The 
hens were regularly let off at seven o’clock in the morning, and if 
any delayed to come off voluntarily they were lifted off. All were 
driven into the outer room, so that they might feed and defecate. 
All who have had anything to do with sitting hens know what a 
horridly offensive smell is emitted by the retained faeces of a sitting 
hen Therefore every précaution was taken to have this confined 
to the outer rooms, the floor of which was well covered with dry 
sandy earth. A hoe stood conveniently in one-corner and at once 
enabled me to put an end to any nusiance. The ventilation was of 
course ample. Food and water stood in convenient troughs and 
dishes, and the hens were never allowed to go outside. In this way 
no trouble in catching them was ever experienced. When they had 
been out half an hour, they were driven back tothe hatching 
‘room, and allowed to return to their nests. Many of them did 
this without guidance or assistance, and this was so much trouble 
