Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-02-20
farm ano houseboIo.
Ga.ea.,s Chickens Early.


broodiness Of hen was hailed with
great 10y. On some occasions. especial
ly with amateurs. early chickens are
desirable, and that j. when The birds are
intended for exhibition. Where egg,
alone arc the dcsideratum. constant
bFoOdine,s among tie hens i intoiefa-
BILE To avoid thi-, the uou-sitteI-
should be cultivated. Il j. really trying
when eggs are al 81 OF 81 cent, a dozen.
t. find the majority Of YOUR hens down
with the sitting fever 81 midwintcr
Net he larger breeds will DO ii. no mat
ter how great he emergency. Broodi-
ness Is contagious, and where once in
troduccd among . 1ook o.Brahma-, j.
likely TO affect al! alike. The infusion
of Leghorn blood remedies this evil to
great extent. and increases the ploduc.
lion OF eggs. Where sItler- are required
Tor early chick. the Brahma mother,
by all odd. i TO be preferred. not only
from the tact that she j. steady and
persistent sitter. but for many other good
qualities that she possesses above all
others. According to my experience.
the light Brabma Is the more tractablc.
heiug more quiet. The Partridge Cochin
hen i too sluggish and indifferent for
good sitter. She breaks her eggs, and
when her chicks hatch i liable to Kill
them by The careless, clumsy manner in
which she governs her movements.
For very early chickens, an A>iatic
mo- her i, to be preferred before all
others, az her body is larger aud warm
cr q never found artificial heat conduc-
i've - health and strength Than the
smaller bird. and this bodily warmth j.
highly necessary at all seasons OF the
year. She possesses an ample coat OF
feathers. which retains the warmth, and
j, calculated to accommodate aud keep
large brood comfortable. The mother
that broods them makes all the differ
cnce with the chicken, not only at hatch
ing time. but ever after. Where early
sitters are required allow the Brahma a
separate apartment from little difficulty
when eggs are 10 be set. Where the
non sitters are allowed 10 associate with
them they soon break mp any tendency
10 hfoodins, especially in cold weather.
The smaller breeds generally have the
ascendancy and rule the roosi, if not The
roast. The Brahmas are quite low
minded fowls, aud roost two inches
from the ground will suit their taste just
as well As one ten feet high. The sitting
men should, where it car be done
always have her ues: on the ground,
that she may w2.S on and off, aud not
he compelled TO use her wings in going
TO a.d from tie nest. \ regular sitter
that means business seldom leaves the
nest ofjener than once in two or three
days.
The first week OF incubation is the
most critical one, tor then the embryo
begins lis growth. aud the tender lie il
sensitive. ANY undue chilliness at that
period kills the germ. aud the egg be-
comes what is termed rotten. Ii the
sitter shows the right turn in her move
menis aud is set in the same nest where
in she dropped her eggs she will manage
affairs to best suit herself and her own
er. II is not necessary to provide extra
feed for her consumption, or put il in a
place easy OF access. IL is sufficient If
it be kept in the old runways; she will
find it when needed. Nature teaches
the bird through the instinct how to take
care of herself. Early chicks require
more care than the later ones. The cost
of rearing is greater. but the value is
also increased. The early chick is apt to
receive a stunt and become dwarfed,
but tor exhibition purposes, when
grown without deformity, is valuable
aud highly priced. Only the early birds
become fully feathered and developed
before the storms come on aud therefore
they must come from the she'll in the
early spring months.
\ sitter should never he given valua-
bile eggs until she has thoroughly settled
down Ia business. unless eggs be plenty
MANY have prejudice concerning num-
bers. preterring an odd before an even
one A good sized Brahma will com
fortabiy cover fifteen eggs; but in cold
weather il is better to allow her but
thirteen. The nest should not be too
much followed out, as in that case tie
eggs will roll to the center and become
heaped up, one lying on the top of the
others. The bottom ones consequently
do not receive a sufficient degree OF
warmth and do not hatch. The nest
should be lined with fine soft hav, and
secluded from the approach of all other
hens. In twenty one days the chicks
come forth, AMI the task of rearing com
mences. Many difficulties attend the
early chickens that the later broods
escape Thes require protection from
rats and other vermin with which build
ings are infested to a greater extent al
the early season.
r =. n n.