| Show SOME TIMELY ADVICE FOR BOYS AND GIRLS As the time approaches for the liens hens to become broody dorsit if care is taker taken to look in the nests it will wil be seen that there are a few soft downy feathers left in the nest by the hens also that the hens stay longer on the nest when laying at this time and on being approached will quite likely remain on the nest ruffling up their feathers and pecking at the intruder when it is noticed that the hen sits on 0 n a nest two or three nights in succession she is is ready to be transfer cd to a nest which should be prepared for her beforehand this nest should be in a box and composed of hay straw or chaff for nesting material pack this material down firmly and shape a circular nest out of it which should be slightly deeper in the center than at the edges as to keep the eggs from rolling out from under the hen and becoming chilled dust the hen thoroughly with insect powder in applying the powder hold the hen by the feet head down working the powder well into the feathers giving special attention to regions around the vent and under the wings the powder should also be sprinkled in the nest the nest should be in some quiet out of of the way place on the farm where the farm where the setting hen will not be disturbed move from the regular laying nest at night handle tier her carefully in doing so put a china egg or two in the nest where she is to set and place aboard over the opening so that she cannot get off toward evening of the second day quietly go in where she is setting ting and leave some feed and water and remove the board from the front or top of the nest and let the hen len come off when she is ready should she return to the nest after feeding remove the china egg or eggs and put under those that are to be incubated in cool weather it is best not to put more than 10 eggs under a hen while later in the spring one can put from 12 to 15 according to the size of the hen if several hens are setting in the same room see that they are kept on the nests only allowing them to come off to get feed and water which should be once a day many eggs that are laid in the late winter or early spring are infertile for this reason it is advisable to set several hens at the same timer after the eggs have been under the hens for seven days they should be tested to see whether they are fertile or infertile infertile eggs should be removed and used ath om e for cooking or for omelets and the fertile eggs should be put back under the lien hen in this way it is often possible to put all the eggs that three liens hens originally started to sit on under two hens and reset the other hen again A good homemade egg tester or candler can be made from a large shoe shoe box or any box that is large enough to go over a lamp and by removing an end and cutting a little hole about the size of a quarter in the bottom of the box so that when it is set over a common kerosene lamp the hole in the bottom will be the blaze A hole the size of a silver dollar should be cut in the top of the box to allow the heat to escape an infertile egg when held before the little hole will look perfectly clear the same as a fresh one while a fertile egg will show a small dark spot known as the embryo with a mass of little blood veins extending in all directions if the embryo is still living if dead if the egg has been incura ded for at least 36 hours the blood settles away from the embryo toward the edges of the yolk forming in in some cases an irregular circle of blood known as a blood ring eggs vary in in this respect some showing only a streak of blood the testing should be done in a dark room |
