COCKER S MANUAL. ^.f 



SETTING HENS. 



In setting hens only the largest eggs should be selected, and in nO' 

 instance should a misformed egg be used for this purpose. The hen 

 should be set in a clean dry place, so situated that other fowls cannot 

 disturb her. She should come off regularly for food and water, both 

 of which there should be a plentiful supply within reach. Thirteen 

 eggs is the average setting ; frequently more than this number are set, 

 but the study of the fancier should be rather as to the number of 

 chicks the hen can cover than the number of eggs. During the time 

 of setting the eggs should not be molested but nature should be al- 

 lowed to take its course. The time required for hatching, as a gene- 

 ral rule, is twenty-one days, but with good and continual setting the 

 chicks will come out in twenty days. If the eggs used are fresh they 

 will hatch within a few hours of each other ; if not fresh they require 

 at least twenty-three days and should not be destroyed before the ex- 

 piration of that time. Marking the eggs is conducive to convenience 

 and certainty as it forms the means for knowing whether any have 

 been laid since the day of setting. It is also well, though not of 

 course necessary, to mark the day of the month. The state of the 

 weather should be taken into consideration, as we find that a hen ca- 

 pable of setting and hatching a certain number of eggs in the warmer 

 months, cannot give an equal share of heat to more than two-thirds 

 the number in the early part of the season. 



Another consideration worthy of notice is sprinkling the eggs with 

 water. This process undoubtedly assists the hatching, from the fact 

 that the chicks receive an increased supply of fresh air, and in the 

 summer season prevents, to a great extent, the inner membrane of the 

 egg from becoming hardened and contracted. So in moderately cold 

 weather, as in the spring of the year, by a careful sprinkling the egg 

 is in a great measure prevented from chilling. Setting hens occa- 

 sionally desert their nests. The causes of such desertion are quite 

 numerous, principal among which could be mentioned the irritating 

 effect produced by lice. When these are found the eggs should be 

 carefully removed, the nest' thoroughly cleaned, and fresh straw 

 sprinkled with sulphur and ashes placed therein, after which carefully 

 replace the eggs sprinkled with sulphur. The hen also should be 

 sprinkled with sulphur, though sparingly. We know of many cases 



