The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-07-04
TIE HEN AND HER NEST.

dcrision, points to II task that is not
fully understood. For years we had
our journals full of the question of
moisture for our inCubators-tOO much ,
moisture or too little moisture; then the .
moisture gauge to grade the supply; un-
til some wise head discovered that the !
hen which hid her nest in the hay-mow |
| brought forth quite as many chickens |
as her sister that hid her nest OH tho !
ground under the barn. So 1t was con
cludcd that the moisture must come
| from the air, and to-day we have the
most successful non-moisture machine.
! There is one other fact to be learned
from the hidden nest Usually the
hen will lay not to exceed four eggs
per week; she hides her nest and lays
out her litter or supply as may be,
from twelve to sixteen eggs. l have
seen the hidden nest produce seventeen
chicks, allowing four eggs per week;
some of these eggs were four weeks
old when incubation began, showing
how the vitality will last under natural
treatment of the hen. But, under the
best, some of them were full three
weeks old when incubation began.
Here is lesson as to how long the
vitality will last prior to incubation.
TO test this fact, | last season had Il
basket of l3 Leghorn eggs sent me;
without unpacking | placed them in
the cellar, where they stayed not dis
uurbed or ,urncd for four weeks; they
were placed under a hen and produced
eight or ten chicks.
: hcsc questions cannot be the orizcd
on; prior to this test ! held to the
| l,nt ,1.I
: would be absolutely certain not to
hatch The question of the hidden
nest led TO the other test, the result of
+ which will prompt me to go farther
y with the experiment this season. 1t
may be that another trial will prove
> less succcssiul; then again, | will be
| uncertain. AT this time | believe there
: is difference in the length of the vitali
' ty Of the eggs from different llocks
a Strong, vigorous fowls will give more
lasting vitality than over kept and
5 pampcrcd ones.
z When the hen scleC,s her nest tC
Il hide away her eggs, she inv&riabl,
: chooses one with solid foundation 81
!, that the eggs may be guaranteed from
y beneath from climate changes. Th,
!. turkey or guinea hen, wilder by nature
e usually selects some secluded spot oi
: the ground that has some natural pro
lection In thus selecting, they hav,
II help from the natural surroundings I,
u hold the regular heat from their bodic
> within the nest. Some tell us that th
y natural moisture from the ground help
- in the progress of incubation. This
d do not deny. But, if true, why sh0l.,,
the hen in the top OF Il hay NOW Il
is equally well ? Pigeon eggs hatch we
$ in the very warmcSt weather in the dry
n' hot upper loft of Il barn. If th
0 ground is necessary for success, VIII
30 these two differences, rs we see them
~ The question evidently has not yc
III been settled.
We know that good results com
ST from our incubators, if regular an
" even heat Of the proper temperature i
maintained. We also know that if II
lowed to chill, the result is bad. Th
incubator, we know, will hatch ever
good fertile or htchablc egg, providn
!" the proper degree of heat is mainta;
ed. We also know that at times Il,
oy hen does not hatch all of the so-callc
III hatchablc eggs. Chicks dead IN tn
d d shell arc quite common occurrcnc
~ with the hen. There must be som
-. good reason for this.
n Providing we ccccpt the theory
er the hidden nest, we feel assured tn;
o. eggs three weeks old should hate
reasonably well. The moisture or n
~ moisture question being settled as I
10 the incubator, we should not hesitat
- to accept the proposition that tn
~ nest hidden away in the NOW mu
=. gain its moisture fyom the air, whc
N does away with the necessity Of maxim
st the nest on the ground. After du
consideration Of these facts, | am lc
nc to believe that we must find son
VI other reason why Gags that shoul
" hatch under hen, do not hatch. w
IN must try some new explanation tn;
al may lead us to discover the cause
be the dcad-in- -thc-Shell chicks under Il
he hen.
be The most natural conclusion seen
RS That they had been chilled IN the shcl
-, SO we had better consider this problc
III as Il factor. When the nest Is on Il
ground and becomes dry, as 1t will, /
cold will be likely to in iulc the cyg
for the temperature is usually rcgul;
nc in the ground. When the nest is
n VI" NV" WV 'o'J vi nay VI SlIu
N. surrounding the nest prevents chillil
ro from beneath. But when Il nest
n hay or straw of slight depth or thic
in ness is made in Il box, the changes
the weather have full swing about IL
Dr. nest, giving the often severe change
70, from day to day, a chance to chans
ppyy the close surroundings from 20 degree
We often to 10 degrees, within "a hour
he When the foundation and surroun,
On ings of The ncs. are of sufficient tho
IS. ness to hold the heat as against the.
80 changes, the even temperature will !
On maintained. But when only an inc
GO or two Is between the undcrsidc of Il
In eggs and the free circulation of IL
re changcabc atmosphere, why may II,
On this poor protection from bcneat
10 cause the eggs to chill, and thus en-
re the life of the chick IN the shell q? W
o. have paid great attention to these 9th,
re explanations and still the unnatur
10 trouble continues. May it not !
nj quite possible that our nest constucliu
AZ is at fault, and hence the bad results
ce Many ways of building nests al
tn presented for consideration. Tl
" most simple and successful is, to us
Y. n flour or sugar barrel i'm one of thcs
II 4