The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-31
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
AInnageneut OF Chickens.

FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
MANAGEMENT Of Chickens.
Many complain of breakage in eggs by
hens While under the process of incuba.
ton. This is owing partly to the thin.
ness of the shells and partly to the care.
lessness of the hen. OF all sitters, the
Brahmas are the most tractable. They
are persistent, and when once their ir
clination is directed toward this point,
they are easily removed to some more
convenient place. A nest for q sitter
should be constructed for that purpose,
and be on q different plan from that fol
the layers. Generally, when a layer il
seeking a nest, she manifests a desire to
look up. Her ideas are high. She looks
at the wood pile, and views well all the
localities about the buildings. Many
of the smaller breeds, especially the
sitting varieties, have this mania for nest
hunting, particularly when running at
large. Nests intended for sitters alone
should be made on the ground, that the
hen may walk off and on. A small
dry goods box placed on the side is good
for this purpose. The hen should be
fastened thereon until she is entirely
accustomed to the change. When allow.
ed to come off for the first time or two,
she should be watched, that she may
return after a reasonable length Of time.
frequently she will go back to the old
nest where first commencing to sit. In
that case she must be removed. With
a little patience, after q time ortwo, she
will become entirely reconciled, and in
this manner, taking the p~recaution Of
breaking her on eggs that are of small
value, there will be found less breakage
of good eggs. She should be protected
from the annoyance of layers.
The nest for q sitter should not be so
deep or dishing that the eggs all roll in
the middle and crowd one another. Give
tho hen as many eggs as she can cover
comfortably and no more. Agood sized
Brahma will manage fifteen small eggs
very well, and it is better to give her
that number; in each sitting there will
always be one or two that will prove
bad. The hen should be accustomed to
handling, that her eggs may be seen to
and counted each day or two, to be GER
tain that they are all right. Eggs set
on the ground in warm weather hatch
better and produce stronger chicks, but
they are more subject to the attacks of
night.prowling vermin. In order that
everything should work together for the
good being of the coming chickens, the
mother should be thoroughly cleaned
of vermin. The hen will sit better, be
less uneasy, and the young chicks when
they come from the shell will be free
from this formidable pest, and be ready
to go straight forward and make rapid
growths. But the mother and the
young brood will besanore quiet, and a
larger percentage win besraised. Where
a regular business is carried on it is
well to have all the sitters down at one
time, that the chicks may be Of an age.
They are less trouble, particularly when
early (and to be profitable they should
be early, and if we devote our time to
the business, it is better to tend a large
flock.
I believe that one great cause of dis
eases among .young chicks arises from
the want OF q proper mother. They re-
quire an amount of animal heat more
than a small hen can impart. It
is not the amount Of feathers, but the
large, capacious, roomy body and breast
that gives warmth and strength, and the
weak little things require it on the back.
In this respect, the moderately-sized
light Brahmas excel; not only for their
own chicks, but for those less in size
and more slender in nature when just
Matched. Newly-hatched chicks should
remain on the nest at least thirty-six
hours, and better forty-eight, and be fed
thereon, allowing the hen to 60 off for q
little exercise and the relief Of nature. It
is.an error in early spring weather to
remove chicks from the nest too soon.
The old nest is warm, and quarters
are apt to give them q chill Exercise
is not the first thing they require, al,
though the old hen often looks at it in
this light.
With due care chicks may be raised
without so much as q touch of the gapes;
but, as has been stated before, it re.
quires vigilance. Roup is perhaps one
of the worst diseases that poultry breed
ers have to contend with, and n for
which there is no immediate cure for the
afflicted birds. It is q disorder that has
originated among fancy poultry breed
ers, and will ever hang to them 80 long
as they are needless of the welfare at
their birds. There are several different
phases of it; some of them can be reme-
died and others cannot. Some birds are
afflicted from the shell up with soreness
about the head, eyes and throat. The
comb and wattles turn q dark purple,
and any sudden start or severe exercise
often causes instant death. It is idle to
admit the idea that it is contagious, al
though birds subject to the same treat
ment and exposure will be affected alike
to a greater or less degree, according to
the constitution of the - Country
Gentleman.
Household Hints.