Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-03-30
BRooDrNEss.


This is the time OF the year when
the biddies will begin to get broody
and want 10 set, and if they have been
contributing their share towards fill
ling your egg basket, you ought to
fix them good place where they will
not be molested and let them bring
out brood Of little chicks, early
enough to become full-tledged fowls
before the cold weather comes next
fall so that you may be IN shape Tor
winter layers pgain. The best plan
! know OF is to liz up room especi-
ally for the setting hens Let IT be
warm enough for comfort and as near
dust and dry as possible e. Arrange the
nests on or near the ground, not nee
essarily for the moisture that Is near
the ground, but for convenience OF
getting on and oil the eggs; thus les
sening the chances of breaking them.
If possible set several hens at time
so that when they hatch you make
a business of attending TO them. Ihe
chicks can be divided up between
less number of hens TO brood them
than il took for incubation The ex-
ira hens can be shut up for few
DAYS and well fed, and they will soon
brighten up and begin laying again.
During the three weeks which it
takes to hatch eggs, the hens should
be left nearly alone, allowed to get off
the nests when they please; dry dust,
feed and fresh water should be kept
continually before them; after they
have set one week and have all learned
which is their nest the door should be
left open part of the time, so that the
hens may get into the wet grass and
weeds for she knows better than we
can plan il, when to add moisture to
her eggs. The nests are very essen
tial, no new nest no matter how we'll
made. is fit to set hen on, she should |
be allowed to remain on the nest sew
eral days before vow give her the eggs
YOU wish her to hatch, she shapes the !
nest. lines il with feathers and other
wise gets it into shape, so that she
can generate the required degree OF /
heat to hatch the chicks fyou have |
ne place 10 set the hens in, aud can't /
get placed fixed pick the nests iso-
lated whore the other hens will not |
find them, no matter where they are,
even if it is up in the hay NOV where
there il not a particle Of moisture, and I
set your hen, II she can get out of /
doors she will attend to the moisture 7
business herself. Keep a record Of
when each hen is set. 50 that you may ,
know lust when To look for the little ,
chicks. They will begin to break /
the shells about the twentieth +
day and the hen should be undisturb- /
until they are all out Of the shells
The little fellows need nothing to eat
or drink fer twenty-four hours after
they are hatchod; their first food
should be hard boiled eggs, chopded
fine shell and all Just ms soon as they
they begin 30 run around hunting for
something To eat they should be sup
piled with some Kind Of grit and then
feed whole grain 81 some kind, cracked
corn, foNtail seed, sugar cane seed, in
fact feed anything in ne way Of seeds,
but omit the sloppy eornmeal dough,
their little gizzards were made To grind
their food and ii you feed slop or soft
food you will deprive the gizzard OF
its office work aud derange the whole
system.
Contne the old hen in good com
Portable coop with Stats nailed on front
side which should be up aud down but
never crosswise rs of the chicks will
have crooked breastbones if they
crawl through hath nailed on cross
wise. Place the coops in or near the
garden so that the little fellows will
have free access to all the insects,
and worms that infest all growing
vegetables, keep the old hens coop
full Of whole corn so she will not be
so apt to eat all the dainty scraps you
may give the chicks