Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-02-02
Raising Chickens Naturally.
Rural New Yorker.

OF all the work connected with poultry
none is more troublesome or tedious than
the looking after setting hens ana their
nests while incubating If the hens are
allowed TO set in the poultry. house where
they LAID, and where other hens are lay
ing a great many vexati0us aunoyances
occur. Two hens will sometimes fight
for one nest and 50 break some of the
eggs, or the setting hen goes off and on
returning finds the nest occupied 10y an
intruder Thls state of affairs "a fully set
forth by people who strongly recommend
incubators; but as every farmer has not
time to tend to an incubator, | will give
little OF my own experience in raising
chickens by the natural method, aided by
plan which most farmers eau follow.
/ have a small building divided by a
wire partition into two parts, with door
from one to the other, and small yard
made with wire netting also divided.
have a shde from each compartment into
each yard The size OF the house will
depend upon the number of chickens
desired Two rooms Axe feet, with yards
twice that size, will be large enough tor
fourteen hens 10 set in, and If these set
twice it Will DO equal 10 City six setting
hens. In most cases the houses may be
used a third time, raising several hundred
chicks
When my hens get broody set Il lot
together in one house using small shallow
boxes for uests-not over II or II inches
sqnare-sO that two hens cannot crowd
into one nest. set these on the floor all
around the sides and few inches apart,
so that greedy hen cannot reach the
eggs from the next nest, as such hens are
very apt TO break the tenth command
ment. / leave water and food In the
house, so that the hens can eat or drink
any time when theyfcome off the nests.
There are no perches IN the houses or any
thing they can get On above the nests. a
Lst box sunk level with the floor, filled
with sand and ashes, and with a little
carbonate Of lime or carbOlic acid sprin-
kled in from time TO time, placed where
the sun shines on it through the windows
on clear daya, viii keep the house clear Of
parasites. little sod or grass IN the
yard is good for their health.
| don't have trouble once in fifty times
in..removiug setting hen. let her SGT a
few days in the nest she has been laying
in, TO see If ehe is in earnest; then ! re-
move her some evening TO the setting
house, place her nest on the floor and II o
number OF others can be moved AZ the
same time, so much the better. Then |
hang something over the window 20 shade
the light a little This may remain for a
few days Hnril one learns hat they all
mean business, and as soon as they set
tie down the shade should be- removed,
and the slidca into the yards may be left
open that the hens may get fresh air
whenever they please.
The advantages OF this system may be
easily seen by those who have had 20
spend a large portion OF Their valuable
tine watching the setting hens or lifting
them off or driving them back every day.
As many ~ possible should be set at or
| about the same time-a few days are not
| of much cCnseq uence-so that If the hens
| change nests il would not be Of any great
! importance, and il there are no more
| nests than heus and the nests are little
way apart, SO that the hens cannot
quarrel things will 60 on very smoothly
| and much oss of time and ve1auOn Will
| be avoided.
The second batch OF setting hens should
| be set IN tho re1t comPar ment 80 that
they all come out together II the same
way a. the first. The house should be
well ventilated every day and never be
tightly closed. as tie hens hatch they
| should be removed with the chicks to
their coops whsre it ia intended to raise
| them.
The outlay OF money for such build
ing to those who raise any number Of
| CHICKENS is triflng com pared with the
outlay Of time required by the old fash
Toned way and much is saved, as the hens
| do not break 80 many eggs OF course
| the nests snonid be looked after aud kept
eileen, but If 3 little sulphur be sprinkied
| in them, or what IL better some tobacco
| stems be used with the straw in making
| them up, few will be troubled with yermin
| The hens should be lifted of the neat Of