THE MOTHER HEN 115 



one on top of the other, and place only as many in one nest 

 as the hen can completely cover. When the hen is placed 

 on the eggs, hold her firmly, with both hands, and place her 

 gently down upon them. She immediately feels the eggs 

 beneath her, and settles down upon them without commotion. 

 Management of the Sitters. — For the first two or three 

 days on the nest, the sitter should be very closely confined. 

 After this time she should be confined to the nest most of 

 the time except when let off for feed. A good plan is to let 



Fig. 64. — A barrel and a box neat. The young man is carefully shaping the nest 

 and placing the eggs. 



a broody hen off twice a day, morning and night. Each 

 hatching nest should have attached to it a small, slatted 

 coop, where water and feed can be kept, and the hen allowed 

 to enter and leave the nest as she sees fit. Feed for the sitting 

 hen should be clean cracked com and wheat, in equal parts. 

 Clean fresh water should be kept before her all the time, and 

 a little green feed given her once a day. If a number of 

 sitting hens are placed side by side, they can all be let out 

 at the same time for feeding. The attendant should, how- 

 ever, make sure that the hens go back singly to the nest. If 

 they are not watched, two hens may go back to one nest, 



