The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-08-24
Sitting Hens.

AOaar v tAAtAAA tiltAl W. " 6lIlI-
ply from the fact that nature has a rest
during the period of incubation and the
nursing of the chicks afterward; a rest
from the drain ofan reproduction that
is actually necessary to the life of the
producer. When we remember the
number Of eggs that a really good dom
sitter will produce in a year, the amount
is wonderful. 1t is also astonishing
when we consider how small a creature,
and yet how large the increased She
doubles and redoubles her weight in a
year. The cycle oftwelve months finds
the balance heavier than her body by
considerable. The second year will
find her still canccling her bill of keep,
if proper care be extended. Laying
hens are rather delicate than otherwise,
and require care (the right kind of carey
and attention. Sudden rights or dis
turbance of their regular haunts upsets
their daily equilibrium more than one
not accustomed to the care of fowls can
readily conjecture. Their ways and
habits are second nature and they are
remarkably set in their ways concerning
their nests, although not developing any
tendency to broodiness.
Nature requires, and must have, some
relaxation from labor. Regular sitters
find it in the care of their chicks; a
change of labor, if it might be so termed,
that the non-sitter does not enjoy. The
query has often been put, will those
thus termed non-sitters, ever sit? There
have always been some among those so
styled which have manifested a DISPOSE
ton TO brood, but upon close inquiry
and examination the writer has ascer-
tanned that close-breeding-so close, in
deed, that the breed has advanced into
mongrelism--wil produce sitters among
non-sitting varieties. When the plum
age begins to sport it is high time to Sc
cure fresh blood in the yards from good
and reliable sources. Introduce this
fresh blood through the cocks, and Gull
and weed the hens closely. ANY dis
crepancy in the plumage, any departure
from the standard of their breeding is
an error, and one that should be correct
ed as speedily as possible. Well bred
Brown Leghorns are as nearly perpet-
ual layers as birds of any class OF breed
can be bought, and yet the very best
and most persistent of sitters can be
procured from this kind, even without
the introduction of foreign blood.
If a thorough examination be given q
specimen that persists in sitting, con-
tray to the characteristics of her breed,
there will be found many disqualified
tons in the important points. The
white feather denotes bad breeding as
well as the black one and yet a hen T.
all appearance thoroughly bred, and
displaying the marks or points required
by the standard, may produce chicks
that will run counter to all the charac-
teristics of her predecessors. The cock
in a great degree governs his offspring
more especially the pullets. If low.
combed hens are desired, choose a cock
with low comb, and the reverse fol
cocks. If fine cocks are desired, hens
with large combs, possessing the re.
quisitc number of points, should be sc.
lected. There is perhaps no breed moro
difficult to control than the Leghorl
class; the plumagc of both the white
and brown is so liable to sport. A trio
of very fine whites, as near correct to
outward appearances as need be, hay,
this summer thrown chicks with perfec
black feathers, and others with salmon
and brown, and yet there was not
black cock on the premises; neither ha
there been for nearly two years. More
over, there is none in the neighborhood
The hens reared from this trio no doub
5 will make sitters. The trio have bee
/ reared OH the premises where they nov
= are, from eggs procured at 1926 pc
dozen, and are but little over a year old.
3 Breeders indulge in many strang
: ideas, and account for mishaps and uuee
{ breeding in divers manners, but In
+ theory, to the writer's knowledge, Ina
2 never yet been advanced that the NAL
| with a female OF q different color O
: breed ever governed the purity of an
1 succeeding offspring of his. If so, III
discrepancy may easily be aceounte
s for in the case above mentioned. Their
was room for the White Leghorm coo
+ to mate with a Black Spanish hen, bu
s If the Black Spanish hen did not lay th
eggs, how could the cross be obtained
What business have the black feather
g in the back of a pure bred White Leg
a horn pullet? Her grandparents mui
p: have produced some black blood. Oh
O erwise how al this phenomenon of n,
O ture be accounted for? II behoovt
n beeders TO look well to ancestral trait
-lCOuntry Gent.