THE BROODY HEN A TROFIT TAKER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 September 1907, Page 1

THE BROODY HEN A TROFIT TAKER.

This subject (says "R.J.C 'in the "New Zealand Poultry Keeper") is brought to my mind at- this time through my own neglect. After changing the hens into their summer yard, ths orchard, there was no troublf fronbroody hens for soir.o weeks. Wh:n they began to get broody I did 11 I have a place ready for them. Coiue quently 1 got a decline of 25 to 3C eggs p?r day. But I noticed no correspondign decline in cost of food or care. The broody hen is .1 nuisance. But we do well if we learn this lesson from h?r. As sho persists in doing thi* duty assigned her by her Creator, so should we persist in "keeping her from idling away her time and profit which will give us good returns for our la bour. If we expect profit from our poul try we must attend to every detail ro giilarly. We should visit the poultry houso each night after the hens are on their roosts, note the condition -of the air, If the house needs ventilation, give it. Collect the hens that are becoming broody, givo them a cool, comfortable pen or coop with run attached, if possible, and always a supply of cool water. After one or two nights you can take these hens back with you as you go to make another collection. In this way we can add to our profit as surely as by tho collection of eggs. We cannot afford the little losses caused by putting off until to-morrow the things that should be done now. We are all as pleased to show a profitable account of our poultry as we aro of the actual cash. Therefore we ought not to neglect any detail. When we neglect to give a constant supply of good water, food air, shell and grit, and quarters reasonably clean and free from lice, just then do we take from the profit that our hens would have been obliged to give. One word more about tho broody? hen. It is so easy to neglect her. If you ought to have a better place for her, go and make it. "Do it now.