Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-05-26
FIELD AND FIRESIDE.
Gapes in Chickens,

Prevention is better than cure. Being
farmers wife aud having raised poultry for
the last eight years, aud witnessed the breed
ing of all kinds upon an extensive scale fUT
some previous Seasons. can state positively
that there Is no occasion to waste paper in
writing about Insects in the head or in u
'loramcn under the wing" rs gapes are not
t. be feared by any one having the slightest
pretensioBS to know aught of poultry
Unnatural treatment, and keeping the little
ones ON ground which is poisoned by numbers
having been on 1T before is the cause. I
never had case OF gapes or any disease,
because know how to prevent it, and preveE-
ton is better than cure but my method Of
prevention is not to examine the top OF the
head, or search under the wing. Women of
an age more mature than mine may gossip
about disease and dOctOriug, but common
sense and simple observation prove clearly
that If grown poultry are not crowded, and
have Il comfortable rUust with healthy range,
they vii! not lie more liable to ruup or any
other disease than wild fowl or game, and
practical knowledge has proved To me that
there is no disease AT all which young chickens
can be subject to, when improperly managed,
that eau attack them IT kept on Some portion
of the premises where the older fowls have
no access. II 1 have not been able to stop
the hens having young broojS from bringing
them round to the resort of the older fowls
l use smait cnops about two feet square, two
feet high III front, with spurs and eight inches
high behind, which gives the boards on the
roof good slope; put board IN front and
button It fast at night, which keeps out vcrmin,
for, though there Is no bottom to the cnOps,
by moving them daily | never knew nn
instance OF 4 rat or skunk scratching under.
Mentioning bottoms, 1t may be well TO
say that ii any one talks OF putting chickens
on anything bur the ground, he knows nothing
about rearing poultry even in cold spring
weather, that Is the proper aud Natural place
for them. If very wet. little straw Til it
is dricr will be all that Is necessary. and If
the coops are moved every day, the right way
is to place the dry straw, or any substitute,
on the ground, aud thcn-movG the coop On it.
| am particular III trying to make myself
understood IN respect to brUUds beIug on
Mother Earth, because 1t Is essential, aud
where no better place exists these c"Ups eau
be put in garden nil the chickens hegin to
do mischief. winch Will not bc tor the first
ten days; III fact II there un"ccupicd
ground Tor the coUps to be moved Oh, the nttlo
oues will do good rather than hum, US they
pick up great quantities Of insects.
4 gentleman who has had poultry raised
on his beautiful estate Tor the last SIX years,
corroborates what L say from my shorter
experience lie says that Whenever there
has been gaPes. it has been Oh gruuud where
poultry has been kept III considerable num-
beers, but even there, when II nen has s,D,en
her nest and kept her brood away from tho
haunts Of the old fowls, there has never been
single case aud again, whenever he has
erected new homcstcads there never was an
instance Of gupes the first year.
1t is folly to th'nk that white washing
ruosts, or giving this mixed in The food or
pu, in the water, wi. prevent disease # the
so,I on winch they I'VE - STAINED 10y excre-
ment. Any animals suler much irum ctlluvia
arising IRON the dung. Poisoned son, us
much as by Limited rauge. or too great mum
Lcrs kept, is the chret cause Of gaPcs.
Cor. CDuuty GeutIcmon.