Nests.—Comfortable and convenient quarters must be furnished the sitting hen. The location of the nest must be in a quiet, dark place to keep the hen from becoming restless. A box fifteen inches square and twelve inches high, with a narrow strip four to five inches wide at the bottom of the open front of the box, makes a comfortable nest. Barrels or half-barrels or nests made of a piece of sod will also be comfortable quarters for the sitting hen. The nests must be well lined with hay, straw, or excelsior. Both the nests and the hen must be thoroughly dusted with insect powder before the sitting time comes.
Hatching and Rearing.—There are two methods used in the hatching and rearing of chickens—the natural, when the chicks are hatched and reared by a hen, and the artificial, when they are hatched in incubators and brooded in houses indoors or out-of-doors. The natural method will be found to be more satisfactory when dealing with a small number of chickens. A small number of hens, if managed with system and care, will produce a large number of chickens at a very small cost.
Care must be taken in the selection of the eggs to be used for hatching purposes. Select well-formed eggs which are regular in shape and size and which are neither too large nor too small. They should come from healthy hens of one breed and should be smooth and of one color. Eggs must be kept in a dry, cool place and at a temperature of from fifty to sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The fertility of an egg weakens with age; so they must be kept only a few days before they are to be set. The number of eggs to be put under each hen will vary with the season, the size of the hen, and the size of the eggs; but it is usually safe to put about thirteen eggs under a hen of average size.
Egg Tester.—Test the eggs in a dark room on the seventh and fourteenth days for the removal of infertile eggs. This may be done by a very simple home-made tester made of a pasteboard or wooden box, with a hole the size of an egg bored in the front, and an opening in the top through which the smoke is to pass. If a wooden box with a bottom is used, an opening must be made in front, with a door so as to put the lamp in. A box without a bottom may be used and simply set right over the lamp. Either a lamp, candle, or lantern may be used on the inside of the box. Holding the egg in front of the box and letting the light shine through it will show the condition of the egg. An infertile egg will be clear, while a fertile egg has a spider-like center with threads leading out from it. All infertile eggs must be removed.
Poultry is classified as the egg breeds, the meat breeds, the general-purpose breeds, and the ornamental breeds.
The egg breeds are small fowls which mature quickly. They are very active, but not good chickens to be used for setting purposes. They are good layers, and they lay a great many white-shelled eggs, for which there is a great demand on some markets. The age of maturity for this breed is from four and one-half to five months. The Leghorns and the Minorcas are the principal representatives of this breed. The single-combed white Leghorn has been the most popular.
The meat breeds are large fowls with long necks and heavy coats of feathers; and they lay a comparatively small number of brown-shelled eggs. They are slow in movement, with little desire to forage. They make fine mothers, and for this reason they make good fowls to be used for setting. The Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshanks are the principal fowls of this breed.
The general-purpose breeds occupy a medium place between the egg and meat breeds as to size, egg production, and meat production. For these characteristics they are especially recommended to the farmer who wishes both egg and meat fowls. They lay a number of brown-shelled eggs and they make splendid mothers. The Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, Orphingtons, and Rhode Island Reds are the best varieties of this breed.
The ornamental breeds are ornamental both in character and purpose, and for this reason they are not practical for use on the farm.