The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-11-18
About Moulting.

the feathered race to commence their
yearly mc... 10 aouut me middle of
! August. All the birds of the air are
moulting at this season, and 1t Is the
most delicate, dangerous and trying
period of their whole acknowledging
to the constitution and system, reduc.
Ing the strength and appetite. and
draining the very vitals to support this
new growth of feathers. The birds pass
into a sleepy. dreamy state. and roost
idly about, little needing their sur.
roundlngs. From the first to the mid
die Of August. aud so on until their
annual migration, our birds change
their coats. The breast feathers usu.
ally drop first, then the body sheds,
and one by one the quilts come out of
the wings and tail, and leave the birds
pearly powerless to escape when sud.
denly surprised. They seek at this
time shady and secluded retreats, where
they hide from their enemies and doze
away. that stage Of their disgrace re.
quiring or craving but a small amount
Of food. The period with them lasts
but few days. after which they come
forth newly fledged and bright. and
seek their mates, forming In flocks pre-
paratory to their southern journey.
After this stage of helplessness, which
Is rapid passage from the old to the
newly feathered, they fatten and gorge
themselves on the rlpened berries and
seeds, each according to nature. and
become game for the Idle sportsmen.
Not so with our domestic birds. 1t IL
usually long protracted siege with
some, more especially with hens Of the
non-sitting variety that have been
great layers. The most comfortable
manner in:which they can moult and
not feel it to any certain extent. 10 to
| drop one feather at time, which Is re-
placed by new one directly that grows
rapidly and rpens before any more are
detached from the body. Thus Is the
birds strength kept up. the appetite
continues good and the hen will gener.
ally lay all through this period II we'll
fed, and the change is so steady and
gradual that she loses little flesh. But
this Is seldom the case. Oftener the
whole coat Of old feathers are out at
once, before the new ones are fairly
formed beneath the skin. The bird feels
the sudden change severely, particu.
larry II the nights are chilly, which at
this season is often the case, or II the
moult has been tardy in appearing.
This occurs often with hens that have
been great layers during the preceding
month. Cocks seldom suffer during
the moult, as 1t comes on them gradu.
ally, and there has been no previous
drain on the system.
Hens should be we'll fed and pam.
pered at this time, and the growth Of
feathers hastened as much as possible.
A slow-moulting hen Is Of little value.
She has spent her strength. Their feed
should be largely .of buck wheat, aud
meal spiced with red pepper. or. what
is better, good fresh ginger. The drug
called cayenne pepper, that Is sold al
the stores. consists largely of some for
elgn Ingredient that Is not beneficial.
Use the pods and seeds ofthose that are
pure only. They are as easily raised
as a garden plant, II little precaution
In starting the seeds 10 exercised In the
In the spring. During the summer,
whole corn 10 altogether too heating
and fattenlng to feed fowls on. They
require feed that gives bone and mus
Gle and strength at the same time, and
produces a material to promote the
growth OF the new feathers. Chicks
moult twice before they arrive at their
full plumage, but they suffer little from
it.-their growth. II we'll fed. being so
rapid at the time, and the feathers and
body unite In the production of the full
bird.