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

Prevention is better than cure. Being
farmers wife and having raised poultry for
the last eight years, aud witnessed the breed
ing of all kinds upon an extensive scale for
some previous Seasons, l can state positively
that there Is occasion to waste paper III
writing about insects in the head or in IL
''loramcn under the wing" rs gapes are not
t. be feared by any one having the slightest
pretensoBs to know aueht of poultry
Unnatural treatment, and keeping the little
ones ON ground which is poisoned by numbers
having been on It before is the cause.
never had case OF gapes or any disease,
because know how to prevent it, aud 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 # grown poultry are not crowded, and
have comfortable rVUst with healthy range,
they will not Ge more liable to ruup or any
other disease than wild t''wi or game, aud
practical knowledge has proved to me that
there is no disease at all which young chickens
can be subject TO. when improperly managed,
that can attack them IT kept on Some portion
uf the premises where the older fowls have
10 access. 1t / nave not been able to stop
the heus having young broodS from bringing
them round To the resort ut the older fowls,
| use smail cuops about two feet square, two
feet nigh III front, with spurs aud eight inches
high behind, which gives the boards on the
roof Il good slope put board IN front and
button It fast at night which keeps out vcrmin.
for, though there is no bottom to the coops,
by moving them daily | never knew an
instance of rat or skunk scratching under.
NJ l. l..
say that il any Que talks OF putting chickens
on anything bur the ground, he knows nothing
about rearing poultry eveu in cold spring
weather, that Is the proper aud uaturai place
ior them. If very wet. a hJtle 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 thcu-muve the coop ON it.
l am particular III trying To make myself
understood III respect 10 broods beIuS on
Mother Earth, because 1t Is esscutini, aud
where no better place exists. these c"UPs eau
be put in garden rIl the chickens hrgiu to
do mischief winch viii not bc tor the first
ten days; III fact II there Is unuccupicd
ground Tor the cOJps To bc moved on, the Htte
ones will do good rather than hum, US they
pick up great quantities Of insects.
\ gentleman who has had poultry raised
on hts beautiful estate Tor the last SIX years.
corroborutes what | say from my shorter
experience. lie says That Whenever there
has been gnPes. 1t has been Oh arvund where
poultry has been kept III considerable mum
bers, but even there, when ncn has stolen
her nest and kept her brood away from tao
haunts Of the Old fowls, there has never been
u single case; aud again, whenever he has
erected new homestcads, there never was an
instance Of gaPes the first year.
1t is folly to think that white washing
roosts, or giving this mixed iii the food, or
put in the water, wi. prevent disease, IT the
so,l ON which they myo Is stained 10y cxcre-
ment. Any animals -uIct much nom ctluvIa
arising from the dung. Poisoned s"li, as
much as by limited rauge, or too great mum
Lcrs kept is the Chief cause Of gapcs.
Cor. Cquuty GentlcmGn-