Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-04-11
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49,.
EGG PRODUCTION.

A writer in late agricultural iourn-
al has tor 4 ont the secret of making
hens Law j. tie winter. He bought a
lot Of corn that had been damaged bv
fire and icd it TO his hens. lie found
that they laid wonderfully well all win
ter. l pom this hint lie las since acted
and has 70 und no difficulty in securing
plenty cf eggs in winter, keeping his
fowls in good warm quarters and feed
ing tn cru largely with roasted or parch-
ed grain. principally corn. This is Az
easy aud simple recipe which every
fowl keeper can follow. When eggs
have risen from twenty to forty cents
per dozen, it seems worth while to
make considerable effort TO have few
dozen egg, to put on the market. Il
comes no more to keep fowls when
their eggs sell Tor forty cents "a dozen
than when they sold for eightee:. and
we can all see that al this point the pro-
lit come>in Whatever Is done at all
j. worth doing well, whether it be in
producing thoroughbred stock, Clausou
wheat. fruit or eggs.
MANAGEMENT or SETTING HENS
Perhaps there are no settlers that eX-
Gel the light Brahmas, both for The pur-
pose of incubation, and afterwards a.
mothers. The brahmas are persistent
settlers. and when once thoroughly set
lied down TO the business. can bc re-
moved to any place or position desired.
To accomplish the best results, the reg
ular settlers should be allowed separ-
ate apartment. \ grave mistake i Of
ten made in allowing hens TO set where
others may lay into their nests. The
setter is always obstinate in retaining
the nests. and the layer i, determined
to deposit he- egg therein. and IN the
dispute ofieutimes the eggs are broken.
Otherwise eggs are freqently broken in
the nest BY heavy bodied fowls, and
vet ii is,expedient to employ such in the
rearing OF very carly chickens. Their
animal heat is greater, and young birds
must have this, and at the natural lem
peraturc. Whenever an egg i broken
in a settlers nest, which often occurs by
a mistake or accident of the hen in 90
ing of or on the nest, all the solid
eggs should be removed and washed in
luke.warn water. Where choice eggs
are TO be incubated, il is better to re-
move the setter to some quiet. retired
place, with a subdued light, where she
will be free from annoyance. and be
uudisturbed by the other hens. Con
fine her for a day or two with inditier-
ent or valueless eggs. until she becomes
entirely accustomed TO the new situat-
ion, which sac viii in a few DAYS. \
little watching is necessary when re-
turning to the nest, that she finds the
right place.
The Brabmas are tractablc ia regard
TO this .nange, and. a. a general thing,
are to be preferred above all others.
When settled down to business, re
move the poor eggs aud give her the
good ones. The hen should be gentle,
that she NAV be handled Pat the eggs
under the hen one BIZ one as she sets.
and give them to her management.
They NAV cost five dollars per dozen,
but she viii handle them a though
they were worth but eighteen cents. II
you have valuable eggs be assured be
forehand that yon have a good hen-one
that understands her business. After
the third day with eggs of the black
breeds), the eggs nav be handled with
eut injury. if handled carefully, and the
non-impreg.ated ones selected. With
the light varieties, little longer time
is req iired. II the eggs look dark they
are fortified. II is better to remove
all the clear eggs from the nest as soon
as You are certain, that it may not be-
crowded.
Eggs may be fortified and lool
dark, and yet only small percen tag,
may hatch. The chicks often die wher
fully formed, without breaking thu
shell. 1t often occurs also that th,
chick will peep in the shell before it il
broken. With a nervous, restless hen
this is destructive of young life, for il
her movements to give relief she often
brushes the shell and kills the chick. A
m6her that is hardened at this time
against all such cries is to be desired
for if left alone, the chick will general,
need no assistance but a persistent
~ setting mother.