The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-09-23
AaritnltNtal.
What als my Fowls?"-Hen-P ecked
Husbands

Husbands.
In response to the above question, pro-
posed by A. N. in the Country Gentleman,
we would remark that in regard to the
falling off of the feathers of fowls, there
is not so much of disease as habit, caused
as we think by morbid appetite, appa
renty induced in the outset by the impa-
lience of the fowls under. confinement,
and possibly for the want ofgravel, calca-
reous matter, and animal food, which they
obtain when at liberty, in the way Of
worms grubs and insects. That it is hab-
it, is evidenced from The fact that the hens
are the aggressors, and are guilty of chen
pccking'' their husbands. We have no.
ticed also that the cocks are the victims :;
they will stand and suiler the hens to peck
not only the feathers from their heads,
necks aud backs, but even the flesh to the
bones, and sip the blood as it drops from
the wound; and what is singular, they
will stand with their heads down. and sui
fer themselves TO be robbed'of their flesh
and blood, and be denuded other feathers,
without the least resistance The habit
is difficult to cure, and we have known it
kept up till some individual of the flock
who were made especial victims, were al
most entirely denuded of their feathers,
and in some cases have even had their en-
trails torn out. Sometimes particular
fowl shows more inveterate disposition
to eat feathers, than the rest of the flock.
II is best, if not very valuable, to kill such
at any rate remove them from the 9TH
ers. We have never known fowls when
al, liberty, to be guilty of this foul hab-
it,,
4" The best prevention or preventives, are
animal food, broken bones oyster shells,
pulverized charcoal, varieties of grain, pure
water, clean and we'll ventilated apartments
with free range, and we will venture to
say you will not be mortified by seeing
those ragged, half denuded, rough looking
objects about the premises.
The wants Of poultry are very clearly
shown by correspondent Of the Boston
journal, in the following amusing sketch:
"A most pleasing illustrations" says he,
''ofthe want of lime, and the effects of its
presence, came under my notice on my
voyage from South America to sunny
France. We had omitted TO procure grav-
ell for orr poultry, and in d few days after
we were at sea the poultry beganto tIroop.
and wound uptheir affections wilhthe pip,
or as the sailors term it, the scurvy.-
Their feathers fell from their bodies, and
it was perfectly ludicrous to see the num-
crous unfeathered tribe in the most pro-
found misery, moping away their time in
an utter state Of nudity. ....
Amusing myself one day, by fishing up
gulf weed, which floats in immense fields
upon the surface o! the ocean. Itook from
1t numerous small crabs about the size of
a pea. Tbe poultry with one accord,
aroused themselves from their torpor,
and seemingly, as if by instinct, aware of
the therapeutic qualliee of these interest
ing animals, partook of them with greater
avldlty than any invalid ever swallowed
the "waters of the, spriugs.'' After a few
hours the excellence of the remedy was
apparent; the cocks began to crow, the
hens to strut and look saucy, and in a
lew days all appeared in quite holiday
suit of feathers, derived from the lime, the
constituent part of the crab she'll" se
M, SAGE of Switzerland, gives an account
oil some experiments in the feeding of do
nestle fowls. He states--first, that fowls
10 which a portion Of chalk is given with
their food, lay eggs, the shells of which
are remarkable for their whiteness.r By
substituting for chalk calcarcous earth
rich in oxide of iron, the shells become of
an orange-red color. Secondly-he in
forms lis that hens fed on barley alone
would not lay well, and that they tore off
each others feathers. He then mixed
with the barley some feathers chopped up,
which they ate eagerly and digested free
ly. By adding milk to the food, they be-
gan 10 lay, and ceased to pluck out each
others feathers. He concludes that this
proceeding arose from the desire of the
hens for azote food.--C. B. BEMEN,
Country Gentleman. 49,.