ISUKAKINH lSI:iil)I>v IIKNs .j.) 



water, and freedom from lice, will generally product' sufficient broodiness 

 for iill requirement-. 



To prevent broodines.-. a course in some respects opposite to 1 lie other 

 is indicated. The bird.- should l>e well fed and kept comfortable, but 

 they musi be compelled lo exercise ami their eggs should be collected as 

 soon as convenient after they are laid. No nest eggs should be allowed 

 in the pen. Keep the birds moving. 



Kven under these conditions hens with strong hereditary brooding 

 tendencies in their make-up are likely to become more or less broody 

 occasionally. It then sometimes suits our purpose to ''break them up.'' 



BREAKING BROODY HENS. 



The spirit in which untimely broodiness is commonly approached by 

 the ignorant and thoughtless is thus humorously described in verse 

 by Mr, Hotmail Day: 



"When a hen is bound to set, seems as though 'taint etiket 



Dowsin' her iu water till she's connected with a chill. 



Seems as though 'twas scarcely right, Givin' her a dreadful fright, 



Tying' rags around her tail, poundin' on an old tin pail, 



Chasin' her around the yard. Seems as though it was kind of hard 



Bein' kicked and slammed and shoo'ed 'cause she wants to raise a brood; 



I sh'd say it's gettin' gay, just 'cause Natur wants its way. 



'While' ago my neighbor, Penn, started bustin' up a hen; 



Went to yank her off the nest, hen, though, made a 'peck' and jest 



Grabbed his thumb-nail good and stout, (like to yank the darn thing out.) 



Penn he twitched away and then tried again to grab that hen; 



But, by ginger, she had spunk, 'cause she took and snipped a chunk 



Big as a bean right out his palm, swallered it, and cool and calm 



Hi'sted up and yelled, "Cah-cah" — Sounded like she said "Hoo-rah!" 



Well, sir, when that hen did that, Penn he bowed, took off his hat — 



Spunk just suits him, you can bet. "Set," says he, "goll darn ye, set." 



Along with other senseless methods the irrational anil cruel expedients 

 for breaking broody hens are passing. Broodiness is a mental as well 

 as a physical condition — rather more mental than physical. 



(L mav be criticized for assuming (hat a hen has a mind, but 1 believe 

 that we can understand and handle her better from such a standpoint 

 even if it does require sonic imagination.) 



When the bird begins to remain for longer and longer periods upon 

 the nest her physical condition will naturally begin to change. Less 

 exercise being taken, more fat may be stored for use during her long 

 confinement. The fat does not cause the broody condition, but the 

 broody condition tends to promote the formation of fat. It is 

 often claimed that broody hens are generally fat hens, but nine-tenths of 

 mv most persistent sitters have been thinner than the proverbial rail. 



