The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-10-29

!. !. !. J. ! !. !:
III on&GEr--- slItlng mems. Wneh
Ri S-,1tSbM$@- j have a trusty hen
80 tAEEE6 N that is broody, and
| gz4yry-HE i can sit her where
WAfSN she is undisturbed
| 1N11V y by the others, l
KNf give her eggs the
'N| first night she stays
in her nest-not
porcelain, but the sure-enough eggs, and
she thanks me for II by tucking them
under her with her bill and giving her
body that peculiar shake that is un-
mistakable proof of settling down to
business. If she Is a young hen, and
l can not leave her where she is, / get
box and fix a nest, putting in the
| eggs l want her to sit on, take 1t to her
nest late in the evening, gently remove
her and feed her well, placing the box
in her old nest. She will soon take
possession of the new nest and be-
come quiet. After dark l move her
where l want her to stay during in
cubation, placing a cover over her TIL
the next evening, then remove and let
her see where she is and become IA
miliar with the surroundings, and she
seldom fails to get off and eat and go
| back to heI nest without further trou-
I ble Treat them kindly and they Will
appreciate it by behaving nicely. l
have set them and moved them three
miles on the nest, and they did well.
AS general rule early pullets Will
give you more eggs during the winter,
but old hens will get broody first and
make the best mothers. II is better to
set three or more hens at the same
time. and when the eggs have been sat
upon ten days, examine them between
the eye and strong light, or take the
lamp after dark. If the egg looks clear
1t will not hatch. II 1t looks dark
with the air sack large it contains the
embryo of a chick. After the fertile
eggs have been separated from the
clear ones they will probably go under
two or more Of the hens which will
bring out full broods, and you will
have one hen that can be given fresh
eggs. II the hen is sitting OF the
ground in a dry place, sprinkle the eggs
with tepid water a few times the week
before Matching, and you will not find
so many chicks dead in the shell. When
she Is through Matching let her re-
main on the warm nest with her brood
for twenty-four hours. The chicks will
not eat before that time, and they are
gaining strength all the time. Then
feed them light, nutritious food, al
ways cooked. Hard boiled eggs and oat
meal or bread crumbs rubbed up to-
gether are excellent, coarse corn
meal mixed with sweet milk and baked
is good. Feed often and a little at
time, with good drink Of sweet milk
two or three times day, but never let
1t stand by them. When a month old
they can be given cracked corn or
wheat, but always that which is good;
wheat is better and cheaper than
screenings for chicks. 1t is mistake
to underfeed the growing chicks. They
require more solid and varied food in
proportion. while growing, than at any
other period OF their lives. Like any
growing animal, they require plenty of
good. wholesome food, supplied often
and beautifully, to enable them to grow
rapidly and develop properly. If you
have the Asiatic fowls and have prop
erly mated and cared for them, at two
months old, you will have some in
each brood large enough for broilers.
Then as the early bird gets the worm"
you will receive the best prices for
your early chicks. Another advantage
is that they are off before the hot
weather comes on and the poultry's
pests begin to multiply by the million.
In the hot summer comes the hard
work to keep your breeding stock for
the next year healthy and free from
vermin. always remembering that poor
shelter, care and feed will in a few
generations make scrubs of the finest
thoroughbred stock. Thoroughbred
scrubs are little better than native
scrubs, and the farmer who raises
either will always be poor. Breeding
the best stock and keeping 1t in the
best condition possible pays the largest
profits. About the first of June shut
all the chickens out of their houses
and let them stay, night as we'll as
day, in cool sheds prepared for them
adjoinging the house. 1t is no trouble
to change them, and they are far more
comfortable of warm nights. There
they have plenty of shade, and clean,
cool water twice a day, and If the
yards get foul take pillow or spade
and turn the earth over, and it will
give the hens plenty of employment to
level 1t according to their own notion.
/ now close the house perfectly tight
and fumigate with birthstone, and
leave shut up for week, or perhaps
all summer. Then it Is whitewashed,
and in October, when the nights grow
cool, / open it and let the fowls and
chicks in for the winter, first seeing
that they are free from vernin. Feed
them well, as before said, and as soon
as they are through moulting you will
have an abundance of nice fresh eggs.
Gather them regularly every evening,
and, If you want to sell them, you can
get five cents above the market price,
II you have the Asiatics, as their eggs
are larger than those of smaller breeds.