34 FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL AND; POULTRY EXCHANGE. 


should see that they have a plentiful supply of green food of 
some kind. 
There is among the refuse garbage of almost every family 
cabbage leaves, celery tops, potato parings, &c., enough to 
furnish a supply for a few fowls. But if you have many, 
there will also be a demand for potatoes and turnips, or any 
other vegetables, chopped fine, as excellent substitutes for 
grass and herbs at this season of the year, all of which will 
be highly relished, and contribute to the health and profits 
of the poultry-yard inhabitants. Wo. E. Flowers. 
Norr.—See article ‘‘ Hay for Fowls in Winter.” 

— aoe 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
HAY FOR FOWLS IN WINTER. 
Many years ago, when a young fancier, I often noticed 
that after making new nests, in pens where the fowls were 
confined in winter, that they would gradually disappear. It 
was sometime before I discovered what became of them, the 
fact was they were eaten by the fowls. Since then, when 
vegetable food was scarce, I have always kept good sweet 
hay within their reach. It should’ be kept in a rack or tied 
in a bundle and hung up. It must not be allowed to get in 
the dirt and trampled on. I do not think it any advantage 
to cut the hay fine. 

4+ —mpem + - 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
SCIENTIFIC BREEDING OF LIGHT BRAHMAS 
FOR EXHIBITION. 
ARTICLE III. 
CARE AND SELECTION OF EGGS, MANAGEMENT OF SETTING 
HENS, ETC. 
To some the question may arise, How shall I keep my 
eggs fresh if I keep each hen’s eggs separate until she has 
laid enough for a setting? After trying various methods, 
experience has satisfied me that eggs can be kept fresh and 
fertile for two or three weeks by simply placing them, butt 
end down, in a shallow dish filled with oats-or bran. They 
should be kept in a moderately cold moist place; I usually 
keep minein thecellar. With regard to selecting eggs, I will 
quote a few words from Wright, 6n page 110, Chapter IV, 
of ‘‘The Brahma Fowl.”’ He says: ‘“‘So many follies have 
been uttered concerning this matter that we almost fear to 
hazard a fresh assertion. But in our own experience we have 
generally found that the best shaped Brahma chickens were 
hatched from eggs rather short and round; whilst very long 
eggs, especially if much pointed at the small end, almost 
always bred birds with some awkwardness in style or car- 
riage—probably from the chick being incased in the shell. 

We had one hen which always laid such eggs, and although 
she and her sultan were free from the fault, all her chicks 
had backs drooping to the tail. It may be different with 
others; we give the hint for what it is worth. It is, how- 
ever, certain that smooth-shelled eggs alone are proper for 
hatching in this variety, rough shells, generally showing 
some derangement of the organs, and being often sterile. 
The color is of little importance; we prefer a rather dark 
gg, but the best hen we ever possessed for breeding laid eggs 
perfectly white. Eggs should be chosen of the fair average 
size usually laid by the hen they are from, any unsually 
large or small being rejected. The absolute size is of little 
importance, some hens laying immense eggs and others small 
eco 
ones.”’ 
In regard to the management of setting hens, I think the 
best results will be obtained by using small pens, similar to 
the breeding pens, in which to set the hens; by pursuing 
this plan each hen will have undisturbed possession of her 
own nest, besides having a small yard for exercise, dust-bath, 
&c. The perch of course will be removed. The nest-box 
should be about fourteen inches square, and eight inches 
deep. Now fill it two-thirds full of damp earth, pick out 
all the hard lumps and stones, scoop out enough to make it 
hollow in the centre, sufficiently large for the eggs, but not 
deep enough to cause the eggs to roll on top of each other. 
Now cut a sod the size of the box, shave it down thin, and 
fit it in the box, grass side up, and your nest is made. There 
is no difficulty in making a hen set just where you want her 
to; a little patience and tact is all that is required. Be sure 
that your hen wants to set. This fact being ascertained, go 
to her at night, lift her gently and quietly from her nest and 
carry her to the nest you have prepared for her. Carefully 
place her upon it, first putting three or four porcelain nest- 
eggs under her, then cover her over with a box, and let her 
remain until the afternoon of the following day, then quietly 
remove the cover. If she does not come off the nest herself, 
lift her off as gently as possible. Place food and water be- 
fore her, and leave her alone for twenty minutes or half an 
hour; in nine cases out of ten she will go back to the nest 
of her own accord. If she does not seem inclined to do so 
at the expiration of half an hour, place her on the nest, and 
cover her up as before, which labor will seldom have to be 
repeated more than twice. As soon as she takes rightly to 
the nest, put your choice eggs under her, eleven of which are 
sufficient for an ordinary sized hen. After the hen has set 
upon her eggs ten or twelve days, go to her at night with a 
lamp, and examine the eggs by holding them up before a 
strong light between -the thumb and forefinger of the one 
hand, and shading the eyes with the other. The unfertile 
eggs can easily be detected; those having chicks in them 
will be dark, except a small portion near the butt end of the 
egg. The sterile ones will be quite transparent, the light 
showing through them quite plainly. If any of the unfer- 
tile ones are allowed to remain in the nest they frequently 
get broken, and their contents smeared over the other eggs, 
closing up the pores of the shells, and smothering the embryo 
chick. After the hen has set fourteen days, visit her again 
in the evening, gently lift her off, and sprinkle the eggs and 
nest thoroughly with tepid water; repeat this operation again 
on the eighteenth day, and the night before they are to hatch, 
I do not think it advisable to remove any of the chicks while 
the hen is hatching. Let them remain with the hen on the 
nest until they are twenty-four hours old, then remove the 
hen and her brood to a warm and dry coop. 
W. &E. Frowrr. 
SHOEMAKERTOWN, December 24th, 1873, 
