Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1894-01-06
Poultry Points.

strongly taken up the advocacy of
some of the buff breeds of fowls
that it has issued buff edition,
printed in buff-colored ink. But we
never have seen buff-colored fowl
that was any better than other COL
ors of the same breed. All that we
have known had sacrificed some
thing of their other good qualities,
especially the laying and early
maturing powers, by the infusion
of the buff blood. They may be
desirable for the fancier, and they
are handsome fowls in all breeds
where we have seen them, but unless
some Of the new buff strains show
better results than those have in the
past, there will be but little to make
them popular among the farmers or
the poultry keepers who expect to
make money by selling eggs and
chickens at market rates.
Often the cause that eggs do not
hatch better may be found in the
fact that either cock or hens, and
perhaps both, have been sick, prob
ably with roup. Or they may have
been too fat, and not entirely got
down to breeding condition when
the eggs were laid. In such cases,
if a few eggs do hatch, the chickens
seem to lack vigor and strength.
A writer in the Poultry Keeper
gives remedy for gapes, which is
new to US, but is worthy of trial.
1t is well known that in gapes there
is collection of small worms in
the throat. He blows little of the
Persian insect powder, or pyrethrum
down the throat, with the air gun
usually sold with it, aud finds it an
immediate cure. Remove the chicks
to new ground to prevent recur
renee of the disease, we would add.
They say that down South if a
man detects negro providing about
his henhouse he is justified in shoot
ing him, though he may not be &C
tually committing any depreciation,
but if he finds dog killing fowls
or stealing eggs, he has no right to
interfere with it, and if he does so
he is liable to a heavy fine.
Many poultry writers say that the
sitting hen should not be interfered
with after she begins to hatch.
The writer had one this year that
split open with her beak the heads
of the first three chickens she
Matched, possibly because she did
not like the color of them. If the
"let alone" policy had been follow
ed, seven more nice chickens might
have gone the same way, but by
care they were saved. Years ago
we had one kill in the same way a
fine litter of turkey chicks that she
Matched out, while if she had been
more closely watched most of them
might have been saved. When a
hen that is Matching out a litter of
chickens will not allow the one who
has fed and cared for her regularly
to feel under her and take out the
chickens as they hatch, either the
hen or the feeder is not fit for the
business. We have had hens that
at such time would seem to swell
up with pride while the chicks were
examined, and make a sound so
entirely different from that made at
any other time as to be comparable
to nothing but the contented purr-
ing of the old family cat when her
mistress came first to inspect the
litter of kittens. All hens may not
have as happy disposition, but if
they are kept tame from the begin
ming, very few will be har med by
examining the hatch as it comes
out, or by taking away the chickens
at night if the henhouse or hatch
ing room seems likely to be too
cold for them.