The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-04-29
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

=
! How to Deal with Broody Bird
Test Fertility Of Eggs. A Home
| made Gambler.
As the time approaches for the hens
to become broody or sit, If care is TAX
en- TO look in the nests il will be seen
|. that there are a few downy feathers
being left there by the hens; also, the
hens stay longer on the nests when
laying at this time, and one being ap-
preached will quite likely remain on
the nest, ruffling up their feathers and
packing at the introduer. When 1t Is
noted that hen sits on the nest for
two or three nights in succession, she
is ready to be transferred to a nest
which should be prepared for her be-
forehand. This nest should be in a
box and composed of straw, hay, or
chaf for nesting material. Pack this
material down, working the powder
well into the feathers, giving special
attention to regions around the vent
and under the wings. The powder
should also be sprinkled in the nest.
The nest should be in some quiet, out
of the-way place on the farm, where
the sitting hen will not be disturbed.
Move her from the regular laying nest
at night. Handle her carefully in do
ing so. Put china egg or two in the
nest where she is to sit, and place
board over the opening so that she can
not get off. Toward evening of the
second day, quietly go in where she is
sitting, and leave some feed and wat
er, and remove the board from the
front or top of the nest, and let the
hen come off when she is ready.
Should she return to the nest after
feeding, remove the china egg or eggs
and put under those that are to be
incubated. In cool weather it is best
to put not more than 10 eggs under
a hen, while later in the spring one
can put IL to Is, according to the size
of the hen. If several hens are sitting
in the same room, see that they are
kept on the nests, only allowing them
to come off to get feed and water,
which should be once day.
Many eggs that are laid in the late
winter and early spring are infertle.
For this reason it is advisable to set ;
sevral hens at the same time. After
the eggs have been under the hen for {
seven days they are fertile or infertile. I
eggs should be removed and
used at home in cooking or for ONE
cts, and the fertile eggs should be
put back under the hen. In this way
t is often possible to put all the eggs
hat three hens started to sit on under
,wo hens and reset the other hen |
again. For example: Thirty eggs are u
et under three hens at the same time, {
o under each. At the end of seven 1
lays we find on testing the eggs that
0 are infertile, which leaves us 20
ggs to reset, which we do by putting "
hem under two hens and have the y
one to set over again after ~
he has set only seven days. "
A good homemade egg tester or
andler can be made from large shoe |
OK, or any box that is large enough d
0 go over lamp, by removing an
nd and cutting hole little larger W
nan the size of quarter in the bot u
,m Of the box, so that when it is u
It over a common kerosene lamp the
ole in the bottom will be opposite of
le blaze. A hole the size of a silver
ollar should be cut in the top of the
Ok to allow the heat to escape. An
fertile egs when held before the hole M
ith the lamp lighted inside the box
ill look perfectly clear, the same as ey
fresh one, while a fertile egg will pl
low small dark spot, known as the
nbryo, with mass of little blood
,ins extending in all directions if
Ie embryo is living. If dead, if the So
,gs has been incubated for at least du
hours, the blood settles away from
e embryo toward the edges of the ac
Xix, forming in some cases an irreg- Ia
ar circle of blood, known as blood mi
ng Eggs vary in this respect, some tal
owing only a streak of blood. The
sting should be done in a dark sii
N. -, ~ Cu