Poultry-craft. A text-book for poultry keepers .. by Robinson John H. (John Henry) 1863-1935

Author:Robinson, John H. (John Henry), 1863-1935
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Poultry
Publisher: Boston, I. S. Johnson & co.
Published: 1899-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI.

Hatching and Rearing Cliicks.

230. The Two Systems. — There are two methods of hatching and brooding chicks : the natural, in which the chicks are hatched and brooded by hens; and the artificial, in which they are hatched in incubators and brooded in houses, as described in ^[46-48, or in separate out-door brooders. The conditions which would determine the choice of method were stated in l"6o. The natural method is still in most general use. The other is oftener used by those operating on a lai-ge scale, and is coming, year by year, into more general use. As to results, — that depends more on the operator than on the method. * As good chicks can be reared without hens as with them. In using the natural method, the opei-ator divides the responsibility with the hens ; in using the artificial method, he assumes it all. After weaning, the treatment of the chicks is essentially the same, no matter which method had been previously employed.

THE NATURAL METHOD.

231. Remarks. — The sitting hen's reputation for fickleness and perversity is not deserved. The trials of those who find the care of sitting hens and hens with chicks too troublesome, are mostly due to the failure to furnish proper facilities for the work, and to handle the stock systematically. It is easy to handle hens and chicks in large numbers if one goes about it in the right way. The complaints against hens are : they do not persist in broodi-ness; they will not sit elsewhere than on their laying nests; after being set, they desert the eggs; they remain too long away from the nests, allowing eggs to become chilled; they quarrel among themselves, and break eggs; they trample chicks in the nests; they kill each other's chicks; their chicks are lousy, etc. These are preventable evils.

* Note. — That those who fail with one method often succeed with the other, is to be attributed to personal differences in taste and temperament, and in the bent of talent. It seems to be impossible for some persons to acquire the little, elementary, engineering skill required to successfully operate an incubator; yet these same persons may be very expert in the use of the natural method. And there are many people who will never force themselves to do the routine work of caring for sitting hens in such a way that good results are a practical certainty; but will take pleasure in working with machines, and will be very successful with them. Many poultry keepers work equally well with either method; and not a few people who try to raise fowls fail, no matter which method they try.

232. Selecting Hens for Sitters. — As has been said, results in general, depend on the operator more than on the method. In using the natural method, the operator has an early opportunity to display good judgment in the selection of the hens to be used for sitters. Not all hens make good sitters. Not all

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