The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1914-06-02
THE SETTING HENS SECRET

The setting hen has a secret that
has baffled mankind since the time
of Pharaoh. The fact tina, she does
not know her own secret has no bear
ing upon its solution, because she
could not tell 1t If she knew.
Ever since the days of ancient
Egypt's glory, men have been trying
to hatch eggs artifcially and to get
as many strong, lively chicks from
the same number of eggs as the hen,
but she is still in the lead and seems
likely to remain SO. This does not
mean that artificial incubation is a
failure, because good incubator prop
erly managed, will do almost as well
as hens, and its economies place 1t far
in the lead as financial proposition :,
But we would like to know why hen
Matched chicks are q little greater in
number, why they hatch out a little
stronger and live a little better than
a machine Matched brood. One thing
In her favor Is the fact that her tenn
persture does not vary, and the eggs
are properly warmed at all times. ex,
cept when she leaves the nest. Ven
tilation is another great factor in sue
cessful incubation and no incubator
has yet mastered 1t perfectly. The
heat from the hens body is applied
by direct contact to the eggs. while
the incubator heats them with cur
rent Of warm air. The result is that
the incubator eggs dry out too much
the shell lining gets tough and the
constant removal of carbonic acid gas
takes away its beneficial action In de-
composing the eggshell SO that the
chick can break the shell easily.
1t is hard to determine which draw
back Is the most serious and some au-
thorities believe that the hens meth
cd of turning the eggs accounts for
her superior matches. Incubating
eggs must be turned over from time
to time to prevent the germ from ris-
ing to the top and sticking to the
shell. This Is done twice n day with
the incubator, but the hen may turn
her nest of eggs three or four times
q day as she is constantly working at
them with legs, feet, wings, breast
and beak. r
All things considered 1t is better to
use hens for Matching and rearing the
chicks unless the poultry keeper has
h sufficiently large flock to require
the Matching OF at least one hundred
chicks each year.
1t is no small trick to hatch chick
ems with hens, though, and Few SIM
pie rules to follow are very handy.
Trust no hen until you have tried her
The broody hen will be found on the
nest at night after the others have
gone to roost Remove her to shall
low concave nest in . secluded spot
put some dummy eggs under her and
cover her with box. Let her of the
nest at dusk the next day to eat and
drink. II she returns to the nest and
stays there all of the next day, 1t will
be safe to put the good eggs under
her.
. The hen should be well busted with
insect powder when placed on the
nest. and again in two weeks. Keep
whole corn and water and a dust bath
handy and then let her alone. If sew
eral hens are setting in the same
room, be careful to see that they go
back to the same nests after eating.
as two will frequently get on one
nest.
Investigate cash nest for broken
eggs once week. II any are found,
remove the whole eggs to a new nest
after washing them in warm water.
A nest which is too deep, causes the
hen to break eggs In stepping in. One
in too dry a place dries out the eggs
unduly and II the nest corners are