Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-04-18

thS SdHl6 llulSj tSCdp6 luG cOuboa
quences of her nervous excitement
when the chicks come out.
In this method about four hens
should be set at time, on fifteen or
sixteen eggs apiece, so that, after they
are tested out, there will be enough
to fill the machine pretty well. The
hens may then be set again, on
fresh batch, and SO on until they have
started four or five lots of eggs 1t
does not hurt hen to stay on duty
eight, ten, or even twelve weeks. II
she has good care. This allows the
rest of the flock to attend to the lay
ing part of the business, and insures
having quiet, persistent sitters
The nests should be thoroughly
scrubbed and busted with sulphur be.
fore using. If they can be white
washed, so much the better. The
hen, too, should be well busted with
a good insect powder. Moth balls
and the coal tar preparations, though
death on the lice, are also hard on
both hens and eggs, on account of
their strong smell. 1t is better to
use preventlves that have as little
odor as possible. The porous shells
admit odors, and the sweeter the air
can be kept the better.
After the hens have been sitting
seven or eight days, the eggs should
be tested BY this time it is possible
to tell pretty closely which eggs will
hatch. A good tester can be made by
taking an ordinary pasteboard shoe
box and cutting hole in the bottom
about third smaller than the oval
of the egg. The hole should be at
the level of the flame of the lamp to
be used with 1t.
Stand the box on end, with the bot
tom towards you, and put the lamp
behind It. The sides should be left
on to deaaen the outer light as much
= AZ rsss5hto 5Ts9ig lie Ssgs un. to the
80 inc light WIN SINE
4 through II, turning It slowly in the
fingers II 1t is clear it is infertile.
II 1t begins TO look black, there is an
embryo chick in II. All infertile eggs
should. of course, be discarded.
The eggs should be tested again
the fifteenth day, when all that are
not almost wholly Opaque should be
thrown out. Sometimes the germ will
die after starting, leaving the eggs
only partly dark against the light OF
the tester. At the end of two weeks
1t should be all black except the all
space In the large end. A little ex
perience will enable one to tell just
how they should look at different
stages.
1t is very Important that the eggs
be handled gently while testing. A
slight jar will kill the embryo. Never
test where a draught of cold air will
strike them. Chilling will either re
tard the growth of the germ or Kill
1t entirely.
Where one keeps only few heni
It is best to let them go on laying
and take care Of the chicks by hand.
This is not so hard as it sounds
, There is kind of brooder which doei
| not use any sort Of artificial heat
which is rapidly gaining in favor, anC
those who have used them for severa
, years say they are far ahead of thu
lamp-heated systems, and take jus
as good care of the chicks as the hem
would. They are very easy to max,
/ and to operate.
= One of these breeders will car,
: for about twenty chicks, SO it is vel
3 to allow two to every incubator full
! of eggs. They are merely little boxe
Of half-inch lumber, sixteen inche
I square and eight inches hight, with
;. floor Of tarred building paper. The,
[ are covered with a removable to-
: made of square of canvas tackled Of
n little frame which Just sets dow
r inside the box. This cover rests o.
a small nails driven into the corners G
S the box, and is raised as the chick
r grow.
e The chicks are put into the broode
Il as soon as they are dry and well fuffe
e out. They should be left alone fo
r from thirty to forty hours, except ha'
G ing little sip of water given thei
when they are first removed from mes
& or machine. After that they should b
It fed every three or four hours for
e few days, and then less often-abor
A. three times a day.
y The main principle in brooding tn
a. chicks is to keep them warm withol
y crowding, and to guard against dam,
e ness. The heatless brooder, If co
'e rectly managed, will do this Just 6
y we'll as the hen, and allow the foe
If to go on with egg production The II
tie boxes can easily be carried insid
re building on cold nights, and take
ID to the outdoor runs again in the NOR
b. ing. They are easily cleaned, an
h keep the chicks free from lice. Eve
lie where one has plenty of hens. to I
10 the Matching, 1t is a question if tn
lie system is not the best.
lie Copyright 1913. by C. M. shultz.)