Thomas County cat., 1889-09-12
AMONG THE POULTRY.


| Notes on the Management Of ChlcSonss
Turkeys and Geese.
! Too much corn will give the ducks
the cramps.
Table refuse makes valuable feed
for the poultry.
Care should always be taken to havo
the house for the ducks dry.
Better let part of the fowls roost
in the trees than to crowd them into
an ill-ventilated house.
Egg-cases are best for shipping
eggs; but if shipped in boxes or bar
rels use cut rye straw. it is dryer and
better than either wheat or oat straw.
The mistake is too often made Of
attempting to keep too large a num-
Der of poultry without giving them
the attention that is necessary.
The establishing of new breeds re-
quires considerable work. but can
not by eny means be considered as al
ways profitable.
If choice can be made always
select light, sandy soil for the loca-
ton of the poultry-house. A clayey
soil is nearly always damp. and for
this reason should be avoided when
possible.
Both the nests and the roosts should
be made movable. 1t will be neces-
sary to clear them out and the WORK
can be done much more easily aGd
thoroughly if they can be taken down
readily.
Usually the latter part of summer or
early fall is the best time TO buy
breeding stock. Decide as nearly as
possible what you want and then buy
in good season.
Wood ashes even if dry should not
be used for dust bath. Road dirt.
plaster or sifted coal ashes with .
small quantity of air-slaked lime will
be much better than wood ashes. IL
will be found a valuable aid for the
fowls to rid themselves of lice.
There is no sure cure for feather
pulling, and, as the hens are moro
liable to get into the habit 81 m0Ui;-
ing than at any other time, coed
care should be taken at this time, and
at the first indications. separate the
guilty fowls from the rest OF tie
flock.
With poultry as with other classes
of stock, disease can be readily trans
mitted in breeding. Hence C~eat
care should be taken in the selection
of the breeding stock to use nothjog
but what you know to be heating,
vigorous fowls.
The eggs are favored more or ;rss
by the food that the fowls eat. + r
this reason care should be taken nO5
to allow the laving hens to eat too
much garlic. onions, putrid flesh. ~
to working over the manure heaps.
1t is worth repeating, the best place
for the poultry in the farm is in ths
orchard. Shade, grass, fruit ard in
sects can thus be secured for the fowls
while they will be a benefit to the trees
and fruit.
In summer there is no special benefit
in overfeeding the turkeys. They are
naturally of roaming disposition, AL
if allowed the run of the farm will p *
up good part of their living and will
keep in better health than if they feel
on corn or other grain at home Fed
good ration at night; this will usual
ly be sufficient.
In the fall is good time TO mako a
start with good breed of poultry.
There is usually more time to arrange
the house; better selection of breed
ing stock can be secured at less cost;
there is better opportunity for got
ting exactly what you want and of
gaining considerable experience be-
fore time for setting the eggs and
chickens in the spring.
More or less experience is necessary
to make the business success, hence
the better plan is to begin on a small
scale first and then gradually Increase
as this experience is acquired 1t is
much easier to figure out on paper
what the profits will be than it is prae-
tically to secure them. and in order To
avoid serious loss the better plan is 20
60 slow at the start.-St Louis Re-
public.