326 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 21, 1881. 
for exhaustion from cold and the long nights ; when warm 
weather comes and the broods are running over grass for twelve 
hours a day even the youngest will do four or five feeds a day. It 
is better for them to have to hunt for some of their provender, 
and constant exercise prevents them outgrowing the strength of 
their legs. When chickens are ten days old they may begin to 
have a last feed in the evening of groats or small Wheat ; these 
digest slowly, and give warmth through the night; they must, 
however, be distributed with judgment—far better not at all than 
in indiscriminate quantity. Careless people often give chickens 
enough to gorge themselves, at the same time leaving their drink¬ 
ing pans empty ; the result is too often that their crops are 
strained by the mass of hard swelling food and burst, or become 
permanently loose. Up to three months old all young birds, 
whether intended for the table or for exhibition or breeding stock, 
should be fed regularly four times a day. Henceforth three good 
feeds will suffice. It should be remembered that when the bird is 
destined for the spit as soon as ever ready no harm will be done 
by forcing it a little— i.e., it may be more frequently fed, and 
some of the many stimulating foods now sold may be mixed with 
the oatmeal. Where, however, the strength of constitution and 
eventual size is desired, then the system we have described will be 
found effectual.—C. 
NOTES ON HATCHING. 
This is a subject in which every poultry-keeper is interested at 
the present time. Since incubators have been so much written 
about, it is very seldom we see anything upon the old-fashioned 
way of hatching with hens; but this is still by far the most 
common way of securing young chicks, and is likely to remain so 
until incubators become much more reasonable in price than they 
are at present. Unless it is a second-handed machine that may 
sometimes be advertised cheap, incubators alone cannot be bought 
for less than £5, and apart from this there come the necessary 
additions in the way of drying nests, indoor rearers, outdoor 
rearers, thermometers, &c., which cannot be obtained for much 
less than £10. Those who keep poultry solely for pleasure may 
not object to expenditure of this kind, but those who study the 
profit question—and the great majority do this—will, I am sure, 
continue to utilise their broody hens for hatching. It is certainly 
the most profitable purpose to which fowls in that state can be 
applied, and they are always safe and little trouble. 
Early layers are always early sitters, and those who want 
broody hens in January and February can generally manage it 
by hatching early, feeding well in the autumn, and keeping them 
in warmish quarters to induce them to lay. A quiet nest with a 
few dummy eggs in it are useful in such cases. There is no 
difficulty in having broody hens from the end of January onwards. 
It is always best to allow old hens to sit and settle a few days 
before putting the eggs under them. From the first they should 
be in the nest they are going to sit in. Baskets, boxes, or places 
made for the purpose will do. Too much space should not be 
given, enough for the hen to sit comfortably is all that is wanted. 
If the entrance to the nest can be closed so much the better. 
Some advocate having the nest on the ground, others some distance 
from it, but I have had as fine hatches from the box nests 4 feet 
from the ground as from the level. The place should be cool, not 
over-draughty, and the ground should always be moist. I do not 
approve of trusting valuable eggs in woods or outside confined 
quarters, as foxes are always prowling about. 
It is often asked, At what age are eggs too old for hatching ? 
Not older than ten days, many will say ; but I do not agree with 
this altogether. I have had old hens which laid away in the woods 
return with as many as sixteen chicks, proving, I think, that the 
oldest of the eggs must have been at least upwards of three weeks 
old. The game-keeper here, who hatches out annually about 
1500 Pheasants with hens, tells me that sometimes they sit eggs a 
month old, and they appear to be little or no way inferior to the 
freshest. Providing they have been kept in a cool place, I think 
eggs would be quite fertile at the end of twenty days. When 
eggs are fresh and hens ready, there is no reason why they should 
be kept so long. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to keep 
them for want of hens, and it may be convenient to know how 
long they will remain good. The fresher the eggs are, the sooner 
do they hatch. Sometimes when I have put a dozen under a hen, 
some of them being ten days old, and others hardly cold after 
being laid, I have found the latter hatch out at the end of the 
nineteenth and twentieth days, while the old ones barely came 
out on the twenty-first day ; and this is not desirable, as much 
difference often leads to the loss of the last chicks. No brood is 
ever better than when all the chicks come out within an hour or 
so of each other, and this can easily be secured by paying attention 
to having the eggs all as near the same age as possible. 
With young beginners broody hens are often liable to be over¬ 
attended during the time they are sitting. The less they are 
disturbed the better. Once a day ours are fed and watered, and 
after that they are never looked at again until the following 
morniDg. They are fed on grain only. In connection with this 
there is another question which often leads to much doubt, and 
this is as to what time the hen should remain off the nest. 
Young pullets will often rush back to it after being only a few 
minutes off, others will stay away for half an hour or more. In 
the one case are the eggs over-hatched, or in the other are they 
sufficiently so ? To the first question we answer No, to the second 
Yes. So long as they do not remain off more than half an hour 
we never feel alarmed, and if they do go back at the end of the 
first five minutes it is just the same. Some little difference this 
may probably make, but I can say it is neither seen or felt in 
practice. As a rule our hens remain off their nests about fifteen 
minutes. 
If those who have many unfertile eggs would look to the 
condition of their male birds an alteration might be effected. 
During the time hatching is taking place I never remove the hen 
or allow her to leave the nest, although it is seldom they wish to 
do so at such a time. The chicks should be left under the hen to 
become dry for some hours before removing them. The very best 
start young chickens can receive in life is to be thoroughly dried 
under the ben. I have seen many young chicks die before they 
were many days old through disturbing them and the hen too 
soon. Healthy chicks will soon let anyone know when it is time 
to bring them food, as they quickly show their little heads from 
under the breast of the hen when they are able to bear exposure. 
When removed from the nest altogether they should have dry 
ashes or sand placed in their run, and for the first fortnight or 
more they cannot be kept too much before the sun or too much 
away from cold winds. Lately I have had some young chicks 
doing remarkably well in Cucumber frames.—M. M. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Pheasants not Hatching (A Poultry Fancier). —Pheasants’ eggs hatch 
badly for the same reason that hens’ eggs do so—viz., the extreme dryness of the 
atmosphere and parching winds. They should, if possible, be set in a damp 
place ; a week before they are due to hatch be put for twenty minutes into warm 
water, and again two days before they are due. The nest may also during the 
last week be daily sprinkled through a rose. 
Coloured Dorkings. —A correspondent wishes to purchase fertile eggs of 
a good strain of this breed. Those who have eggs for disposal should advertise 
them. 
Chickens not Hatching (F. Jones ).—It is not uncommon at this time of 
year, especially after such cold dry winds as we have had, for eggs to hatch 
two or three days after their time. This is often the case, too, if they have had a 
chill from the hen remaining off too long. We think you certainly did wrong 
in cracking the eggs. If they had been left alone they would probably have 
hatched properly, and the chickens have been stronger. As to their being unable 
to stand, no chicken can stand the moment it has left the egg. Black Spanish 
always hatch with white breasts and white in the wings as you describe. 
Thousand-Headed Kale (North Wilts ).—It is very productive and hardy. 
The seed should be sown now, and the plants when large enough planted 2 feet 
apart in rows 3 feet asunder. It is valuable for ewes and lambs, as many 
shepherds have found who have been fortunate enough to have a supply of it 
during the present inclem.ent spring. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE,LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long.0°8'0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain. 
1881. 
April. 
Barome- 
! ter at 32° 
i and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 10 
30.017 
46.8 
4?.9 
N.E. 
43.8 
59.5 
35.2 
94.1 
29.4 
_ 
Mon. 11 
29.823 
52.6 
50.0 
N.E. 
44.7 
60.5 
38.4 
95.4 
34 6 
0.208 
Tues. 12 
29.890 
51.0 
50.2 
S.E. 
45. 
58.7 
46.6 
99.5 
43.2 
0.030 
Wed. 13 
29.916 
55.7 
62.3 
N. 
48.5 
64.7 
47.1 
110.6 
44.4 
0.010 
Thurs. 14 
29.8 '5 
526 
50.7 
N.E. 
47 
63.0 
46:3 
97.4 
42.2 
_ 
Friday 15 
29.911 
49.8 
47.7 
N. 
47 3 
63.0 
45.2 
97.0 
44.0 
0.015 
Satur. 16 
29.989 
49.7 
47.2 
N.E. 
4 0 
69.4 
39.9 
86.8 
34.4 
— 
Means. 
29.907 
51.2 
48.7 
6.2 
61.3 
42.7 
97.3 
38.9 
0.263 
REMARKS. 
10th.—Not so bright as previous day; nt less wind and warmer. 
11th.—Overcast and slight rain in forenoon ; afternoon bright. 
12th.—Cloudy, with sunshine and slight showers at intervals. 
13th.—Very fine, bright, and warm. 
14th.—Mild, slight showers ; foggy at first. 
15th.—Hazy early, afterwards fine and bright; few drops of rain 5.30 P.M. 
16th.—Fair, but not very bright. 
Nearly 10° warmer than last week, and considerably above the average; 
barometer steady, and rain slight.—G. J. SYMONS. 
