Evening star., 1918-05-05
HOW TO breakup
THE BROODY HENS
Loss of Much Laying Time
by Adoption Of Simple and
Harmless Methods.

In modern poultry keeping the extern
sive commercial hatcheries are taking
the place Of "old biddy." The progress
sive farmer and poultry keeper are
finding it moro profitable to purchase
baby chicks or have their eggs hatched
at these establishments at so much per
hundred. thus doing away with the
trouble and Inconvenience Of fussing
with a lot Of setting hens.
Such a plan not only gives the busy
poultry keeper more time for other
work, but 1t also makes 1t possible to
keep the hens at work producing eggs.
instead Of wasting several weeks Of
their valuable time in Matching and
rearing a brood Of chicks. Our present
day efficiency calls for breaking up the
broody hens as quickly as possible and
getting them back to laying.
Time Lost in Broodiness.
How important this is from an eco
ciated when we stop to consider that
the average hen wastes at least two
months in Matching and caring for her
chicks. If she is taken in hand as soon
treated with view Of breaking up
this tendency, her production can be
increased at least two dozen eggs.
Figuring on the basis Of 80 cents
dozen for eggs the possible saving saving
as soon as they manifest a tendency
to sit will be sufficient to purchase
fifty baby chicks Further argument
should not be necessary to convince the
progressive poultry keeper that 1t pays.
and pova well break I'D the
"broodies."
Broody Hens Heavy Producers.
A very interesting relation between
the number of times a hen goes broody
and her egg production has been esteb-
lished by our egg-laying contests. The
average Of five contests conducted at
the Missouri state experiment station
showed that 5,301 hens went broody on
an average Of two times for each hen.
All varieties where the hens averaged
going broody four or more, times aver
showing show no broodiness averaged to lay
1875 eggs each. All varieties going
broody from one to four times pro-
duced the highest averages OF eggs.
This practical data. which ts based on
the performance Of several thousand
hens, Is a strong recommendation for
the assertion that it pays to break up
the broody hen.
To illustrate the absurd methods that
some people practice to break up broodi-
ness in hens an incident Is cited. Mrs. \,
who keeps a small flock Of hens. read or
heard somewhere that by ducking the hen
in a tub Of water and holding her there
for few moments the desire to sit would
quickly vanish. She Immediately proceed
ed to put the plan into action, with the
result that the two hens treated will
never sit again. They are dead. 1t seems
that she got mixed up on her time, and
held the hens under the water little
too long. AS practiced by Mrs. x this
plan will give positive results, but It Is
rather expensive. There Is nj. need to
resort to cruel or extreme measures in
curing the broody hen. since we have
simple, practical methods which have long
since proved their value.
To Discourage Broodiness.
confinins the hens to SLATED crate
is probably the simplest and most prac-
tical method of eliminating the broody
tendency. For the commercial hocks Of
several hundred layers the best plan is
to have one Of these Slated crates in
every pen. A good location is at one
end Of the dropping platform. A prac-
the layers are kept in flocks OF one hun
dred is a crate four by six feet and six
teen inches high. The floor and sides Of
the crate should be made Of Stats about
one and a half inches wide. placed two
inches apart. The ton can be made of
plain inch lumber The crate can be
hung from the ceiling or allowed to rest
on cross pieces supported by the drop
ping platform.
For the farm flock similar crate
minus the bottom can be employed
The crate can be kept in the henhuse
until the weather permits its removal
out of doors. 1t should then be trans
ferred to the orchard or some good
grass plot and moved as often as the
ground under it becomes foul.
For the backyard flock a coop two
feet square and sixteen inches high
will answer all purposes. This size is
large enough to accommodate about
four average size hens. If space is
available, the crate should be kept out
of doors as soon as the weather per-
mits.
Object Of Slated Coop.
The essential point in breaking a
broody hen is to keep her from
sitting position. and the Slated crate
accomplishes this trick with little or
no trouble. From three to four days Is
generally sufficient to break up the
habit in the average hen. while the
more persistent sitters will usually
succumb in six or seven days.
While the hens are n'the coop they
should receive the best of attention.
Pure water, feed and grit should be
before them at all times. For this pur-
pose, small galvanized iron cups. such
as are used in the poultry shows, will
be found very satisfactory. as they can
be easily fastened to the outside of the
crate. BY feeding the hens literally
while they are confined to the broody
coop they do not lose flesh. but remain
in good condition and are ready to re-
sumo laying in a few days after they
are released.