A HOUSE FOR SITTING HENS. 



A Southern Poultryman Hatches With Hens and Incubators, but Prefers Hens for Brooding the Chicks 



H6w the Hatchery Is Equipped. 



By F. E. WInge. 



DWILL give my way of hatching and plans of the kind of 

 hatching houses I use. On account of oil being so ex- 

 pensive in this locality, and for several other reasons, 

 I consider a kind of half artificial half natural mode 

 of conducting the hatching is the best way. Of course my 

 "better half" gives me a hand and I don't see how I could 

 manage without it, because hired help down here is, to say 

 the least, very unreliable. 



We have prepared for fertile eggs and vigorous chicks 

 by selecting our best birds, keeping them in good condition, 

 but not in any way forcing them for the sake of winter 



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P'-*~ ^"1 PLAN HO 3 



Plan ot House and Equipment tor the Use of Silting Hens Described by F. E. Wlage. 



eggs, and by keeping two males for each pen, placed therein 

 on alternate days. 



I aim to set six hens and to start a fifty egg incubator 

 at the same time, and as soon as the chicks are dry I divide 

 them among the hens, so each hen gets from twelve to sixi- 

 teen chicks to care for, depending on the season of year. If 

 there are too many chicks, some of the hens waiting for 

 eggs are made to brood them. 



We hatch during February, March and April, and in the 

 fall during September and October. 



Hatching houses are 20x20 feet. The sills are two feet 

 from the ground. The houses could be made any length, 

 but we use them for curing cow-pea hay in and this size has 

 been, found most convenient. They are made entirely of 2x4 

 scantling and 1x12 inch rough boards. Boards on walls are 

 left one-half inch apart and of course not battened so as to 

 admit air for the curing of the hay. 



Plan 1 shows the floor plan with ten pens. I place three 

 sitters in each pen, thus the house will accommodate thirty 

 sitters at one time. The letter N in plan 1 shows position of 

 nest boxes in hallv/ay; A shows feed and grit boxes; W, 

 water pans, and D, dust boxes. As may be understood, all 

 work in setting and caring for hens is done from the hallway. 



Plan 2 shows a section of nest boxes without bottom; 

 W is a wire used in closing front door; T top doors; P being 

 nail used for fastening the wire of the front doors. 



The pens having been cleaned out, water and feed boxes 

 filled, we begin letting out one hen in each pen at 4 p. m. 



She will as a rule be waiting for this and greatly enjoy a dust 

 bath, a good drink and a quantity of whole corn. Only one 

 nest door being open, there is no one to fight with and she 

 cannot make a mistake in nests, so no eggs will be broken 

 or chilled. After the expiration of twenty minutes, during 

 which time we are employed with something else, we again 

 visit the hatching house. When as a rule the hens ait liberty 

 will have resumed their duty. The second hen in each pen is 

 then liberated and after another twenty minutes the third 

 one. Thus we must be at hand for about one hour, but the 

 actual work in caring for all thirty hens will not take more 

 than ten minutes. The best of it is 

 that any one can be entrusted to do 

 the work now and again should it be 

 necessary. 



We place a couple of handfuls of 

 mint (which grows wild here) in nest 

 material and there is no trouble with 

 vermin. Above each nest Is a piece of 

 pasteboard tacked, w'ith number 'jf sit- 

 ting, number and kin'd of eggs, when 

 due, number of chicks and punch mark. 

 When hatch is over it is copied in the 

 hatching record book. It should be re- 

 membered that good accommodations 

 for the sitting hens, not only make the 

 work for caring for them easier, but 

 often are of considerable assistance in securing good 

 hatches. The poultrymen further north, who desire to set 

 hens very early, must protect them from the cold, or good 

 hatches cajnnot often be obtaineld. The hen w'ill generate 

 enough heat to keep the eggs at the required temperaiture 

 during very cold weather, if the building in which she sits 

 offers sufficient protection so that her comb will not be 

 touched by frost and if the nest is deep, warm and snug. 



In the south we have less of the, extreme cold to guard 

 ^against, but late in the season wa find it adlvlsable to see 

 to it that the sitting hens are afforded some protection from 

 the heat. A hen is not comfortable, and will not often 

 bring off a good hatch when she is confined in a hot-box. 

 Tho building should be sufficiently well ventilated to keep 

 it fairly cool and frequently cleaned anid disinfeicted to 

 make the air fit for the hens to breath. 



On poultry farms .Where She natural means of haltching 

 are employed and scores, or perhaps hundreds, of sitting 

 hens must be cared for, the time required to do this part 

 of the routine work is considerable and any plan that prom- 

 ises to decrease the time required, and consequently the ex- 

 pense, for "time is money," is wortliy of serious attention. 



It is not well to let off a group of 'hens in the same 

 apartment at one time, for they are almost sure to fight, 

 or cause trouble In some way. To take off each one sep- 

 arately requires too much time. The house and equipment 

 described enables the one in charge to care for the hens in 

 the best manner and the least time. F. E. WINGB. 



