South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-24
CARE Of SETTING
HEN IS IMPORTANT
Care and Attention Given Dur
ing Incubation Period In
CreaSeS Matching.

The sitting hen, which is used
most generally for incubation pur-
poses on the farm should receive n
certain amount OF care and atten-
ton during the process of Matching
eggs To a great extent the care
given a sitting hen plays an impor-
tant part on the number and condi-
ton OF the chicks when Matched
With this end in view. the poultry
specialists of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture make the
following suggestions:
If several hens are sitting in the
same room, see that they are kept
on the nests, allowing them 10 come
of only once a day, 10 receive feed
and water, the feed TO consist Of
corn, wheat. or both. II there are
any that do not desire to come Off
themselves, they should be taken
off. Hens usually return TO their
nests before there IS any danger Of
the eggs chilling. but if they do not
go back in half an hour in ordinary
weather. they should be put on the
nest Where a large number Of sit
ters are kept in one room il is ad-
visable 10 let them off in groups of
from four TO six at a time. The eggs
and meets should be examined and
cleaned, removing all broken eggs
and washing those that are soiled: in
the latter case the sOiled nesting
material should be removed and
clean straw added Nests containing
broken eggs that the hen is allow
ed 10 sit on soon become infested
with mites and lice. which cause the
hens to become uneasy and leave the
nest often causing the loss of valu-
able sittings of eggs. In mite-infested
nests, the hen, if fastened in, viii
often be found standing over rather
than sitting on the eggs. Many eggs
that are laid in the late winter and
early spring are infertile. For this
reason il is advisable TO set several
hens at the same time. After the
eggs have been under the hens from
five TO seven days, the time depend
ing somewhat on the color and
thickness of the white-shell-
ed eggs being easier TO test than
should be tested. the infertile eggs
and dead germs removed, and the
fertile eggs put back under the hen.
In his way il is often possible 10
put all the eggs that several hens
originally started 10 sit on under
fewer hens and reset the others. For
example, 80 eggs are set under three
hens at the same time. 10 under
each. At the end OF seven days we
find on testing the eggs from all
the hens that 10 are infertile. which
leaves rs 20 eggs to reset, which we
do by putting them under two hens.
and have the remaining hen sit over
again after she has sat only seven
days. In this way considerable time
can be saved in ones Matching op-
erations.
Testing Eggs for Fertility.
An egg. whether impreEnated or
not. has small grayish spot on the
surface of the yOlk known as the
"germinal spot" As soon as a fertile
egg is placed under a hen. or in an
incubator. development begins. All
eggs should be tested at least twice
during the period of incubation, pre-
ferSbly on the seventh and four
teenth days. and the infertile eggs
and dead germs removed. White
eggs can be tested on the fourth or
fifth day, while the development in
eggs having brown shells often can
not be seen by the use Of an ordin-
airy egg tester until the seventh day
Dead germs soon decay and give off