The colored patriot., 1882-05-04
Care Of Sitting Fowls.

Often Gf eggs are purchased) they
are placed under an Indifferent sitter.
and seldom or never looked after until
the chicks are expected to appear. Or
the sitter may be good one, but indif.
ferently cared for. Hence comes fail
ure. The same result may attend sitting
eggs produced on the premises. In
every respect constant care is the price
of early chickens. The weather is va
riable. the sitting hens are many times
uncomfortable, consequently unsteady,
and the early eggs require the closest
attention. Early chickens are always
the most profitable and require the
most attendance. AS many hens as
possible should be set at one time. This
greatly lessons the work of the keeper.
In order to accomplish this result, extra
care and feed should be bestowed dur.
ing The preceding fall and winter, SC
that the fowls may be ready to brood
when desired, having laid out the reg.
ular clutches of eggs, without which
no fowl will do for sitter. The care
and management of the hens the pre-
ccding season brings about good re-
suits the following spring.
Generous feeding at all times is nee
essary, but this is not sufficient. The
fowls need a warm, roomy and COM
Portable house, that they may be con-
tented and quiet. The most important
item and one too frequently neglected,
is fresh clean water at all times, in
winter as we'll as summer Hens will
not lay without it. When 1t is very
cold some method must be invented to
furnish a continual supply. One way
is to provide iron drinking vessels. ANY
disused pot or kettle that does not leak
is as good as any thing. Fill them
with boiling water. The water heats
the iron, at the same time cooling the
water sufficiently for the fowls to drink.
When accustomed to it they will take
it pretty warm. Where there is large
the morning draught, the vessel will
be considerably lowered, but will not
freeze for several hours. After drink
ing gill or so apiece, the fowls are
ready for their food, and for laying
eggs. ard not moping around in sullen
inactivity. By eleven O clock the drink
should be replenished and thawed up
with more boiling water, thus keeping
the drinking vessels open until night,
wnen they Should be empTled anu turn
ed upside down.
BY persevering in this method, and
keeping an eye over the flock that they
90 forward instead of backward, the
sitters will have laid out their eggs and
be ready to 90 into the incubating
room early in the season. The hens
should be so trained that they have no
fear of the keeper, and are gentle and
docile on the nest; may be handled and
removed from the place of laying to
one Of sitting, where hens and not in
cubators are employed to do the sit
ting. A dozen may be attended to
nearly as easily as one, where they
have a room furnished separate from
| the layers, and are confined on the
nests, and not allowed to come off only
at such times as the keeper allows.
They must be provided with fresh drink
and food, and limited as to the time OF
remaining from the nest, according to
the state of the weather. Often hens
do not manifest disposition to leave
the nest oftener than once in two days,
but should not be allowed to sit longer
than this, as the course of nature re-
quires a relief to keep the birds in
health.
Hens are, in a greater or less degree,
mere machines, and may be led to re.
spond readily to the wishes of the
Keeper if said keeper understands thor.
oughly their habits and natures, sup
plying them cheerfully, giving relief
and comfort in every condition, and,
moreover, educating them in the ways
they should go.-Countrg Gentleman