Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-04-23
Raising Early Chickens.

]
Those who have an old kitchen. or
other room which can be spared for the
purpose, where a fire can be made, if
necessary, will find the raising of a few
dozin chickens, to be ready for the mar
ket curing the months of April or May,
quite as profitable, considering the time
aud expense required, as they could de-
sire. Let the coop be FIVE feet long. in
the form Of a she'd. with perfectly tight
roof, back, and ends. nailed to four square
upright joists in the corners. A width
Of two feet, anil heigh; of eighteen
inches IN the rear. will be sufficient to
give the roof good slope from the front
which may be from three to three and a
hall feet high. to suit such sash as you
eau procure. Nail to the joists in from.
u strips Of plank, Of the same thickness
OF your sash, one at the bottom and the
other at tac top, on which to nail the
boards Of your roof, and let the ends Of
ihes, boards project about SIX inches over
the rear and the front. Nail some thin
Stats along on the inside and outside of
both your horik1ntal strips in front, to
firm groove for your sash to slide in !;
then run in your sash at the righ, hand
side, and close up the remainder Of the
front securely with boards nailed pcrpen-
dicularly to the front strips. letting them
overlap the sash an irch or two. The
Stats which are nailed on the inside.
should extend the whole length of the
coop. thus allowing tho sash to run en-
tirely inside of the boarded half. so as to
be out of the way when necessary. This
coop must have no bottom, but rest even
Is BY its own weight on the ground, with
loose floor of plank of abou, two feet
square. fitted neatly into the boarded
end. When you have hen to set,
make a nest FOR her on this floor with an
mllei egg or two il il, and shat her up
in the coop, ami if she is a hen Of the
right kind she viii soon take to the nest,
when she can be supplied with her eggs.
She may remain in this coop, supplied
with water and food, including little
meat, AMI with ashes in which to dust
herself. without danger of wandering
away to places where she has previously
laid. or of being intruicd upon by other
hens. Her coop can be cleaned without
disturbing her. or she can be sometimes
permitted to 20 out of it; aud when her
chick cr 5 are hatched, the nest should be
removed. the tl9or cleaned and replaced,
ard perhaps the coop itself shifted to
new spot.
1t is a great mistake to set a hen in
cod weather on more than nine or eleven
eggs. no matter how large she may be.
for though mere chickens may be hatehcd
tn will be puny things, not having re-
ceived sufficient vital warmth. ard not
worth the trouble Of raising. /, is also
much better as 4 general rule that n setting
hen should Wal. for her eggs 10 be laid
than that eggs already laid should wait
for hen. Two or three days are almost
always enough To procure setting of
fresh laid eggs; b1t when you wish to
SO. hen on her own eggs. or those of
some other one, they should bc obtained as
soon as possible after being laid. and kept
where they will no, be sub c:ed to damp
ness or great extremes of heat or cold
After the eggs are under the hen, orr aa-
vice to let them alone-to take care Of
her. and let her take care Of the eggs.
Do not. except in extraordinary ctscs.
attempt to release chicks from their shells
those that want 20 be helped out, will
probably always need helping.
You should discover by the pale sick
ly or restless appcarsnc. OF hen while
setting tha. she is troubled with lice
Do not grease her rs that wpull grease
the eggs. AMI destroy all hopes OF chick
ems. BY stopping the air holes in their
shells; but dust her we'll with -four Of
sulphur aud powdered rosin mixed TO
cethcr, and remove the eg carefully 10
clean nest. And if after the chicks are
few days old, you shou make the
same unpleasant discovery. vou can then
thoroughly grease her with lamp.o'l.
slightly favored with turpen,ine, and pm,
some Of the sane mixture on the head,
ramp ard unler the wings Of the chick
ems; but too much turpcn'ine in the
grease will finish the chicks rs oircc,u1llv
as it docs cockroaches. as we have learned
by experience ii Ellicott'. Mills. Nd
Country Gentleman. March 1.