POINTERS ON HEN HATCHING 87 
time, even after they have been setting for 
several days, often during the last week. So 
it is advisable to have another broody hen 
ready to take the place of such a quitter, 
otherwise your eggs will be lost. Do not 
set any Leghorn hens, because as a general 
proposition they are poor setters, having a 
nervous disposition, which cannot be count- 
ed upon to keep them on the nest three weeks. 
Occasionally a Leghorn will lay a clutch of 
eggs in a stolen nest where, free from dis- 
turbance, she will bring off a brood, but if 
you wish to have good success, select a 
naturally broody breed rather than the Leg- 
horns to set. 
I will now ask a question that I cannot 
answer, but will bring forcibly to your mind 
the workings of Nature. I have stated here 
and all others say the same thing, viz., use 
fresh eggs for hatching for fresh eggs will 
hatch better and sooner than older eggs. 
How then does a hen which steals a nest lay 
a clutch of say 15 eggs, the first one perhaps 
20 days older than the last one, and each one 
from the first to the last having been set on 
say half an hour a day for 1 to 19 days, while 
she has been laying each succeeding egg and 
some of which we would not call fresh— 
