The Grit-advocate., 1906-01-19
Early Matching.

believe that 1t Is safe as a rule to
save eggs for Matching in four weeks.
Now If you have artificial heat in your
laying house, or if you live in a eli
mate where the eggs will not chill,
you are in position to save eggs for
Matching and should reasonably expect
good results. At this season Of the
year 1t is hard to get setting hens, SO
the incubator comes into play for early
hntching. l think it the best, as you
can put it into room in your house
and operate 1t there. while it would
be difficult to operate the sitting hen
in one Of your rooms. Now by the
time the incubator matches usually
the severe cold weather has gone. and
II you have a good grade of a brooder
you can raise the young chicks very
nicely. Place the brooder in a pro-
tected shed or outbuilding. SO that the
wind will not strike it directly. and
then be very particular to keep the
brooder well cleaned and ventilated,
with temperature at about ninety as
near as you can run it. and you will
have no cause for complaint II the
chicks are properly fed and watered.
The first week feed them four or Ave
times a day what they will eat up
clean each time, so that when you
come to feed next time they appear
hungry and glad to see you.
For winter layers we much prefer
the March and April Matched chicks
as they are fully developed and have
the age, SO that when winter comes
they are ready for business. and when
provided with warm living house
and rustling place, they do business
in good shape; while with later
hatch you may force the growth and
size, but you have not got the age or
vitality back of the egg machine to
run it successfully. OF course they
will lay eggs, but not with the March
and April matches.
Now as to setting hens in cold
weather: We use what we call a set
ting box or nest. 1t is movable, so
that we can place it wherever we
think will best suit according to wealth
er These nests are IS inches square,
18 inches high on back and six inches
high in front. with hinged door to
each nest We build four nests to-
getfler in this way. We cut the lum.
Der six feet. We line the nests with
several thicknesses of paper, and then
fill most full Of oats chafr. We also
put in nests few cigar stubs or about
two ounces Of strong smoking tobacco
ard this keeps the lice off. SO you
have no trouble with them
Now as to the number Of eggs we
place under hen in cold weather, we
would not put more than thirteen un-
der common-sized bird of the Amer
ican class, and in warmer weather
say fifteen. Take them all off to feed
at the same time and if cold weather
cover the eggs with some warm wool
en- cloth SO they will not become
chilled while biddy is off eating.
We usually feed corn and barley,
with grit and water. We think the
corn helps in keeping up biddy's heat
for the eggs. Don't let them stay off
over ten minutes if cold or chilly, and
not over fifteen minutes any time, un-
less 1t is in warm weather in s.lm-
a dozen or dozen hens as easily as
he can one, providing they ran to-
gether before you set them, as they
will not fight much, but if they did not
ruiz together before they will spend a
good deal of the time at first finding
out who is boss of the crowd. We
prefer the incubator to do the hatch.
ing, but like to have hens ready to
take them when the hatch comes off,
as we think it less trouble in this
manner, If you have a 1O0-size ircu-
bator, four hens will usually take
care of all that you will get out of
hatch and in this way you save the
bother of watching and cleaning the
cleaning the brooder.-J. C. Bergen,
Humboldt Co., Iowa, in Farmers Re-
view