The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
How to Make Mother Hens Out Of
Surplus Male Birds.

about the superior market value of
capons when sold for meat. But the
great value of capons in rearing
young chicks is a fact of which many
people are ignorant From year to
year the poultrymen nurse their
matches, devoting much time to the
successful or unsuccessful rearing of
little chicks-time that could be more
profitably saved and applied else
where. When the incubator is near
ly ready to hatch, the old brooder is
cleaned up, the ever necessary straw
and grit must be strewn around, the
lamp must be cleaned and filled, and
new wick put In. Then begins the
watchful care of rearing these little
dollhouse flowers. The artificial heat
must be so arranged that at any mo-
ment they may return to it; and they
must be. kept out of any shower of
rain that may, without respect for
the best interest of the chicks, de-
scend upon the earth. But, above all
else, as they begin to droop and die
one by one, and one by two, the d.
mise must be attributed to something
else than the brooder method. And
when the little delicate things meet
with a good, bracing breeze of pure,
fresh air, why you may then gather
up the remains. I've tried it.
The greatest difference between
rearing chicks with the brooders and
with capons is about this: With the
brooder, when the hatch is over and
the chicks are taken from the incu-
bator, the trouble begins. With the
capon, when the hatch is over and the
chicks are taken from the incubator,
the trouble is practically ended.
When it is remembered that there is
but little trouble encountered in
matching with an incubator, it will be
seen that this is saying a good deal.
II my incubator matches one hum
dred and twenty chicks, give them
to three capons, i. e., forty chicks to
each capon. From that time on the
only trouble is that same trouble that
would be met with in the attention
given to three hens with chicks.
Wouldn't you rather have that trou-
BILE than the annoyance and vexation
OF attending one or two brooders?
There is yet another consideration.
The capon-reared chicks are much
stronger and grow much faster than
the brooder-reared ones. Al compare
son on the yards will quickly show
this. To see the old capon strutting
across the yard clucking and scratch
ing, followed by brood of forty
chicks that In turn are struggling and
scratching for the bugs and worms. is
convincing. Then, when night comes
on, to see him go into his coop ex-
Rctly after the manner Of an old hen
with the little chicks following: and
afterWard to go and peep into the
coop and see him with outstretched
wings entirely lowering his brood.
and to hear the little sounds of acom-
fort and satisfaction that emanate
from some coy place down beneath
toose big wings-all of this is very
convincing.
have converted my brooder into
coop where the capon furnishes all of
the heat and nursing. He is the lamp
and does not require trimming and
Milling, and this lamp will follow the
little chicks out into the yard to care
Tor them, hovering them when they
get cold.
Training the capons to carry the
chicks is but little trouble. Swing
him until he is drunk and dazed, then
put the chicks under him. This
should be done at night. Grasp the
capon blythe legs and swing him over
and over about fifty times, Then
quickly put him in the coop he is to
occupy and put the chicks under him.
AS he awakes he will begin to hover
the chicks in a natural manner and
make the peculiar noises of an old
hen under similar circumstances. In
using young capon never tried be-
fore, 1T is a good idea to get small
box, Just big enough for him to SQUAT
IN, but not high enough for him to
stand erect. Then swing him and
put few chicks in the box, putting
him down over them, and ton.over
the box to mash him into sitting
posture. Be sure to have few holes
for air, and leave him thus without
ever looking in for all of one night
and the next day. Then the next
night take the box to the coop where
he is to be kept and put him in with
all the chicks to be given him. Leave
him in this coop for several days, then
he may be allowed the run of the
yard.
It is always good idea. to keep a
young capon in a run to himself. as
all of the other chickens on the yard