Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-18
THE POULTRY YARD
+ -, 90 s sS&fSFf -
HATcHDNo CHICKS WITH HENS
BY I'D WEBER


We can set the hen without any fear OF
the eggs being chilled. All who raise
poultry have their own way Of setting
and caring for the hen and chicks. but
the successful raising to maturity Of
q flock OF pullets and cockerels pos
sessinE the possibilities of becoming
good layers or producing good layers,
is the biggest and most serious prob
lem for the poultry man. -
In arriving, at this goal the poultry
man will. find himself carried thru five
very important phases Of poultry pro-
duction. These are: First, breeding;
second. Incubation; third, brooding;
fourth. feeding; fifth housing.
How to Prepare a Nest.
(, Many pouHrymen claim that the nest
made on the floor Of straw, each nest
being separated by q strip four, or four
and one-half feet in height, makes
very good one. The reason they give
is that the hen which sits in nest OF
this kind will be able to walk into the
nest and not be compelled to fly up to
the eggs, in which way she Is apt to
break some of them. Another reason
they give is that the eggs, when placed
on the floor, do not dry out so quickly
as when placed high up. This may be
all right If the ground Is not too wet.
Sut Il d person viii place d lung run
ming board before the nests that are up
high he will have no trouble in eggs
being broken.
In preparing the nest care should
be given to dish or hollow it out so as
to prevent the eggs from rolling out.
n you want the eggs moistened. just
take shovelful Of dry dirt and place
It In the nest, or better yet some dry
lime, over which place the straw; this
wilt do Just as we'll. Long. coarse. or
very fine, material should be avoided.
Fine straw or hay cut In six or eight
inch lengths make excellent nesting
material. $685..
x.n Be Sure Hens Are We'll.
Select the sitters which nave the
,broody inclination, well developed and
'oldshenss make better sitters andjmoth-
ers than pullets.a The sitter should be
In good health and in excellent condi-
ton. and not too. nervous or vicious in
temperameft>. In. some cases the hen.
when placed In her new quarters, Will
cause a~great rtlmpus, but this does
not often happen. If the hen continues
to cause trouble, take her from the
nest and placetl4r on the roost, for a
hen Of this kind IL never q good sitter
or q good mother The place where
the sitting hens are kept need not be
30 very dafk; .Hut still not too bright.
IT IL bsSe to transfer her to-: the nest
a6ter dark gently, ana Genuine her
there for q ;day,on test eggs to make
sure she 10 satisfied. Select the right
kind OF ssss a. Regarding size. shape.
and color that you wish to produce.
Set the ekGs ~ fresh a. possible. It Is
not advisable to keep them moro than
ten or twelve days before sitting. II
kept more t1,an hve or six days keep
in 4 cool, reasonably dry, place and
turn daily: ap. ga !"
So asMany IL Once al Possible.
with ordihary-si1ed hens thirteen
eggs will be enough for a sitting, Very
large hens. however. will successfully
incubate h6tesn. An effort should be
made to set as many hens at one time
as possible. This will bring most of
your chicks Of the same age. and such
flock Is much easier cared Tor than
one consisting Of ca,dcl<s Of various ages.