Norwich bulletin., 1918-05-29
CARE OF RRooDY HENS.
Much Lost Time Can Be Overcome By Proper Care.

! Broodiness of the American hen causes loss of millions of dollars worth of eggs in the United States each year. Of course. broodiness can not be avoided or prevented, except, perhaps, to a slight extent by selection and breeding, because it is a part of l Natures plan of reproduction. The length of time lost during each broody | period can. however, be. very much , reduced in any flock by proper care. ] Figures from three years records | at Storrs egg laying contest show that | so per cent of the hens of the Ameri- 1 can breeds, including Plymouth i Rocks Rhode Island Reds. andWyan- dottes, go broody; that they aver
 age going broody 2.7 times each, and i that the average length of time lost
 during each period is twenty-one days. The average length of time lost by
 all hens included in the American
 class was thirty three days per hen per year. -,..
 The Leghorns did not show as great 1 3 tendency to go broody as did the
 American breeds, but they were just as persistent and difficult to break
 up when they did go broody. Only 10 per cent. of the LeShorns went
 broody; they averaged going broody IA times seach. and the average time lost during each broody period was
 twenty two days. The average time lost by all Leghorns was three days
 per. hen each year.
 The length of time lost through
 broodiness bS the contest hens is
 perhaps, the minimum which anyone
 could expect As all the birds are
 trap -nested, it is possible to keep in
 very close touch with each individual
 and. every possible effort is made tc 1 hri0er them hack In T1rodrofio0
 The two important factors in break ing up a hen are that she be confined
 where she cannot get back to the nest , and that she be cooled off as soon as possible. A coop or a crate with z , 1 stat or wire bottom seems to be most , satisfactory for this purpose. During
 very hot weather, coop outside, witt 1 wire sides and a dirt floor or a smal yard on the north side of house ol
 comfortable for the hens.
 > A broody hen. should be broken uI r as soon as she stops laying. Somt , hens appear to be broody for severa l days and still continue to lay. Con lining the hen in a broody coop be . fore she stops laying usually meani
 the loss of the egg through breakage
 On the other hand, if Q hen is allowed :, to remain on the nest several day.
 after she stops laying, it becomes in creasingly difficult to break her up
 and much more time is lost. It il
 usually safe to break up any brood, n hen that is found on the nest twt ' nights in succession.
 The length of time which hel e should be confined will vary somewha ! with different individuals. The com . mon practice is tC confine them tnre ! days and nights. and if they thel ! go back to the nest, put them in fo . three more.
 There seems to be some discussiol . as to whether or not broody hen oo should be fed during confinement, bu = a careful consideration of the fact II of the case seems to indicate tina 2 they should. Broodiness usually fol < lows a period of heavy production . :. and the breody hen is usually tliir : rather than over fat, as is comment : believed. The object in breaking U
 a hen is to costinue production, an = the hen can be broken up and at tn : : same time, store up nourishment fo . production just that much time vii a a be saved. The broody hen should no V be over-fed. Corn and other hig carbohydrate feed should be avoided , A small amount of dry mash wfler ,. the hen can reach it will furnish tn ! necessary protein, and no hen wi U U over-eat on dry mash alone. Wate u u should always be provided.
 Do not condemn and sell the brood hen.
 Broodiness follows production. an
 will be followed by production if tn
 hen is broken up at once, and give
 half chance.-Roy C. Jones, Extensio e Poultryman. Connecticut Agriculture