54 The Hen at Work 



many who have small flocks in small yards, this is 

 the very best plan of all. 



It is ilot convenient to ke^ a cock all through 

 the year. He costs, money for feed, reduces the 

 table value and keeping qualities of the eggs, and 

 is likely to make himself unpopular with neighbors 

 who do not care to rise before the dawn. 



The difference in cost between buying eggs for 

 hatching and buying chicks is very small. If we 

 consider the cost of the incubator, the expense is 

 frequently in favor of the day-old chicks. If we 

 pay one dollar a setting for eggs we are getting 

 them at a low figure. A hatch of sixty per cent, is 

 all we should reasonably expect, though we will^ 

 frequently get more than that. This would make 

 the cost of chicks finally hatched at least ten or 

 eleven cents each, and I have never paid over 

 fifteen dollars a hundred for standard chicks, 

 getting most of them for twelve. 



There is little danger of losing many chicks 

 sent by express. I have had them serit a hun- 

 dred miles with perfect -success and others have 

 found a thousand miles not too much, if rail- 

 roads make good connections. White Leghorn 

 chicks seem to stand these journeys especially 



