Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-05
WOMEN'S DEPARTMENT.
EmTEp BY BELLE MEADE SMITH.
Chicken Raising I'm Southern
California.


Whether erroneous or otherwise, l
has become an accepted fact tina
chickens cannot be successfully raiset
in Southern California. If this is th'
case, then the climate must be more
or less enervating, for owhere IN the
colder sections of the States, or ever
in the South, is the mortality OF the
feathered tribes brought into question
at least have never heard 80.
have always been interested in chick
ems. because believe that, like
babies, their care belongs more To
women than to men, and because
too, their growth presents an enter
tanning study; but since l have re-
sided in Los Angeles / have given
them more attention than ever before.
The result OF my investigation is, the
conviction that chickens can Just. as
we'll be raised here as anywhere else.
To me it seems that the whole trouble
originates in palpable indifference,
and that the "swell-head," which Is
affirmed to be climatic, is due to bad
accommodations. The days are
warm and the nights are cold,
therefore through the day the
chickens should have shade,
and through the night snug shelter.
But they have neither; they are
simply turned loose to provide COM
fort for themselves, and to forage as
best they may; while cleanliness
which in the care OF chickens GER
tainly is next to godliness-is utterly
ignored. Chickens in Southern Cali
fornia may not be bonanza, 90 not
think they are anywhere; but looking
at the matter in purely common,
sense point, there seems to be no good
reason why they should not be made
to yield a fair profit. 10 be-
gin with, though, they ought to
have good houses, not low, open sheds
made of laths, or, worse still, dirty, old
barrels rolled upon their sides; put
substantial houses such as we lind on
every farm in the East; and these
houses should be kept clean and dry,
and at night warm. The roosts should
be cleaned every day; the mes very
often, while lime should be abun-
dainty used every week. Then too
carbolic acid and coal oil should be
faithfully resorted to, as preventives
of lice; while a little coal oil
mixed with soft food ought
to be administered once week as
tonic for the stomach and bowels.
Besides, fresh water, and plenty OF it,
should always be within reach OF the
fowl. Much that is written for the
direction of the inexperienced in the
growth of poultry, serves only to con
fuse the mind and to make the invest
ment an exorbitant loss instead OF a
moderate gain; but there is no donbt
but that varied diet upon which all
such guides insist is desirable.
In the absence of worms, too,
meat should once week be
provided; and in the case OF laying
hens milk is highly productive bev-
erage. But the young chickens are
perhaps the most delicate members
of the family and therefore should
most carefully be looked after. Like
babies, they should be fed regularly
and also should be kept warm and
dry. During the day their coops
ought to be cleaned and aired; while
before the little ones retire to them at
evening-tide, they should be closely
covered with some heavy fabric which
will entirely shut out the heavy
dews. In all climates, and with the
most skillful handling, chickens will,
at times, become the subject OF cpl
denies. Against such calamities even
the most careful cannot provide; but
it is my belief that if in Southern Cal
ifornia chickens ere attended to in
stead of negl+ cted, the demand would
not as it now is, be greater than the
supply.