nder a
hen, have invariably hatched. To the best of my recollection I have
never known eggs disappear from a nest containing eggs up to thirteen in
number; but over that I could quote many instances of one or two eggs
going.

This has led me to believe that the bird above alluded to had removed an
egg from her nest, as she felt herself unable to sit on so many. A good
number of eggs to leave under a duck is thirteen, and under a hen
twelve.

I have satisfied myself that hens, however small and light, break many
more eggs than ducks, and for this reason I do not care to give a hen
too many--one broken egg frequently leads to more.

It is advisable when once the ducks have begun to sit, to catch their
mates, if possible, and shut them up in some convenient place during
incubation, as otherwise they bully the sitting ducks when they come off
to feed, and you may have the annoyance of seeing a duck desert her nest
just at hatching time, as nature has warned her that she must shortly
lay again. I had one instance of this kind, when a duck which had been
sitting very steadily left her nest when the eggs were actually
"spretched" (cracked previous to hatching), and as later in the day she
showed no signs of returning we had to put them under a hen. The duck in
question never returned to her nest, but soon made another. She had not
been disturbed in any way.

Should a duck forsake its nest, place the eggs under a good hen as
quickly as possible, even if they are stone cold.

I had one case last year, which I thought hopeless. The eggs had been
sat on for about a fortnight. They were stone cold, and we knew the duck
had been off her nest for at least twelve hours, probably much longer.
Eventually twelve out of the thirteen hatched. If you are unable to
catch the drakes, the best plan is to put food and water near the nest
of the sitting birds, the pan containing the water being large enough to
allow her to wash herself thoroughly, as it is the daily tub which
generates heat, and assists most materially the successful hatching of
the young birds.

I will now deal with the vexed question as to the best kind of hens to
be employed. Personally I have strong leaning towards "Bufforpingtons";
they are, of course, heavy, and do break a few eggs--ducks' eggs being
particularly brittle--but, on the other hand, they are very staunch
sitters, quiet and easy to handle, and not likely to get excited when
other hens are hatching in cl