The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-06-24
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAP MAN
How to Raise Chickens.

Every one who has fowls, ut Matching
season, is anxious to bring forth from
his eggs the largest possible number OF
chicks. To do this successfully, re-
qures great care and Il strict observance
of the smallest details. am intending
to raise about eight hundred chicks this
year, and will give my mode of manag-
ing fowls for the benefit Of those who
may desire to try this most profitable
branch of the farm. Before the egg Is
laid the skill of the breeder must be ex'
ercised to overcome the many obstacles
which are so formidable to the careless
farmer. and no one can hope to succeed
without paying strict attention to the
care of his fowls. | select the finest
hens and mate them to my most desir-
able cocks, and allow each pen full lib
erty part of each day unless too stormy.
] keep standing at all times n square
box, with an outlet for the grain at the
bottom, holding one bushel. ] feed
from October to May, wheat screenings
with an occasional bushel of corn, all
the powdered calcined fresh bone they
will eat (Which quantity is surprising)
and refuse meat from the butcher.
From May to October corn whole and
cracked only, with full liberty.
Some breeders say II Is injurious to
keep food at all times before the fowls ;
that they eat their fill and then loaf
about the roosts, picking their feathers
to amuse themselves. differ from
these gentlemen, and think that the
tedious routine of scaldlng and cooking
various ingredients for one day, with
whole grain of various kinds for the
next, to he fed at strictly regular times,
IS little steep for the farmer who has
his time so we'll occupied at Matching
season and can more profitabIy pay
every needful attention 10 the fowls
without emptying his wife's teakettle.
thereby often disturbing dinner, as well
as the serenity of his dear helpmate, in
order to encourage his fowls 10 remain
sitting upon one Log high in the regions
Of dreamland, only to awake at that
precise hour which brings the food and
then speedily TO soar to the roosts, to
retake the broken threads of THEN
dreams.
As soon as the hens become broody, |
lake little boxes, having sliding door
Of about six inches in width, with q
little hay or straw in the bottom, and
place a hen in each, always allowing
the hen to remain broody few days
previously setting two or moro ut
once. I always remove TO the boxes At
night. After three days Of incubation
rub each hen with Il large handful OF
sulphur, which I repeat twice before
hatching--care being taken moi to dust
later than The seventeenth day, rs il
will certainly close the young chicks
eyes if it gets in them a place for tho
hen to dust herself, or liberty once a
day, Is Indispensable. close the door
upon the fowl, leaving small holes in
it for air, and at noon allow them liber-
~ from ten minutes to three quarters
Of an hour, according to the warmth OF
the day, Il a hen refuses TO come out,
oblige her to do so. When HE chicks
appear (if valuable) l remove from the
hen when dry and place them in has
ket by the stove, to be returned when
the hen is ready to come of.
In spite of all this care, in some coops
lice will appear, and the chicks will
commence to droop. They are readily
discernible by using hens feather
trimmed short, with which rub back
the down on the heads of the young
chicks, and close scrutiny willdiscov
er the long brownish-backed parasite
drinking the liCe-blood of the young
chick. l have tried many remedies
such as insect powders, sulphur ant
lard, &C., but none Will thoroughly de
stroy the nits, although they are SURF
death to the grown louise, Ten days af
forwards just as many will appear.
find kerosene oil lightly rubbed in will
feather sure death to nits or eggs a.
we'll as the old. 1t seems like harsh
remedy, and have never seen it ad
vised, but have used it upon chick
from two days old and upward, ant
have found 1t comparatively harmless
rarely losing any, care however SHOULD
he taken of the chicks eyes, which i
will olose rs light as sulphur. A writ
Ell Ina poultry paper says "lice la.
their eggs OF nits in the nostrils Of tn
chick which matches and produce
worms in the throat, causing the scourg
known as gapes That chicks are sub
ject to the gapes Is certain, but doub
his theory Of the origin of the worm
My experience informs ne that th
nits or eggs are laid in The hollow o
the top Of the chicks head alongside {
the comb, and under the bill at the eX
tremily Of the down, and you can oil
serve the young of all sizes, from th
nit OF the white-backed young louise u
to the terrible black louise. That the
grow up lice, breed lice and die lice,
my belief
At this present time | have hatche
about six hundred chicks avcragln
eleven and three-fourths chicks to eac
hen most Of our sitters have hatohe
every egg, and expect the same pro
portion from others now sitting A
soon as the hen has Matched, take til
same box and place lath in the doc
way to keep the hen in and set the DO
ia warm, sunny place out of door
allowing liberty at all times fol- u
chicks to run in and out place III
boxes in row and al night shut 0,
rats and other intruders, opening whe
The dew Is mostly of The gracs in ii
morning. For the first few days fet
meal baked brown, then scalded meal
My fowls are chiefly light Brahma