The record-union., 1896-09-06

first twelve to thirty-six hours after
Matching. One Of the best foods that
can be fed the first few DAYS is stale
bread soaked in milk. This should be
crumbled fine and placed where the
chickens have free access to it and
where they cannot step on 1t. One of
the difficult problems for the amateur
roultryman is to devise some means
for feeding little chickens SO that thev
can consume all the food without soil
ing 1t. If placed on the floor of the
brooder or brooder run, the larger part
Of the food will be trampled upon and
will become unfit to eat.
Granulated oats with the hulls re-
moved) make an excellent food for
young chickens. There is, perhaps. no
better grain food for young chickens
than oats prepared In this manner. 1t
may be fed to good advantage after
the second or third day in connection
with the bread sopped in milk A good
practice is to keep it before them all
the time.
The chickens should have free access
to some kind of grit after the first day.
Coarse sand makes a very excellent grit
for very young chickens. AS they get
a little older some coarser material
must be provided.
Milk is an excellent food for these
young fowls but requires skill in feed
ing.
One Of the great difficulties in rearing
fowls is to carry young chickens
through the first two weeks without
bowel disorders. Too low temperature
In the brooder. improper food and in
judicious feeding, even if the right
kinds Of food are given, each plays an
important part in producing these dis
orders. After the first ten days milk
may be given more freely, perhaps,
than during the earlier stages of the
chicks existence. AS the chick becomes
little older more uncooked food may
be fed.
Drinking fountains require close at
tention. Small chickens drink fire.
quently and oftentimes with their beaks
loaded with food, which is left, to a
greater or less extent in the water
supply. AS it is necessary to keep these
fountains in a tolerably warm atmos-
phere, they soon become tainted and
emit a disagreeable odor This condi-
tion must not be allowed to exist for
all the food and drink consumed by
fowls must be wholesome. 1t has often
been said that cleanliness is next to
godliness." and certain it is that clean
liness is next to success in poultry
keeping. The drinking fountains must
be kept clean. If automatic fountains
are used great care must be exercised
IN iy1cr he, c1 \
odors. Nothing less than frequent scald-
ing with steam or hot water will an
swer the purpose. a cheap efficient
drinking fountain may be made of tin
can with a small hole In one end near
the side of the can. under which is SOL
dered a crescent-shaped piece Of tin
forming lip or a small receptacle for
water. If the can is filled with water
and then placed on its side, a small
quantity of water will run out of the
opening and remain In this crescent
shaped tin.
DISEASES.
The bulletin treats of diseases, and
says: Gapes in chickens frequently
destroy large numbers, and are caused
by trematode worms in the windpipe.
The number of worms is sometimes so
great as to completely choke the fowl.
A feather moiStened with turpentine or
kerosene oil and inserted into the wind
pipe and turned until the worms are
removed is a practice quite largely rec
commended. Others recommend remov-
ing the worms with a fine wire or
horse hair, doubled so as to form
loop; this is to be inserted into the
windpipe and turned until the worms
are detached, and then withdrawn,
bringing the worms with it. Another
remedy practiced by some poultrymen
is to cause the chickens to breathe air
in a confined space into which fine,
slaked lime is occasionally busted.
Preventive measures are far more
satisfactory than the treatment of in
fected fowls. The pens and yards
should be kept clean and dry and the
chickens kept in as thrifty condition
as possible by supplying proper food
and exercise. While these conditions
may not insure absolute freedom from
the disease in every instance, yet to
moisture and filth can be attributed
nearly all cases of gapes, particularly
if the yards or pens were previously
occupied by infected birds. Yards that
have been allowed to become damp
and filthy and infected with the cape
worm, may be improved by draining
and thorough cultivation. Heavy ap-
plications of lime just before cultiva-
ton or saturation of the soil with
strong salt solution Crowded no crop
is to be grown) are recommended by
experienced poultrymen.
Chicken cholera is an exceedingly
fatal contagious disease, which is
widely distributed over this country,
and causes enormous annual losses, es-
pecially in the central and southern
sections.
The first symptom of the disease is,
in the majority of cases, a yellow col
Grafton of that part of the eXcrement
which is usually white, quickly followed
by violent diarrhea and rise of temper
ature. Other common accompanying
symptoms are dropping Of the wings,
stupor. lessened appetite and excess
i've thirst. Since the disease is due to
a specific germ, it can only be intro
duced into a flock by direct importation
of this germ, generally by fowls from
infected premises. AS soon as the
symptoms of the disease are observed
the fowls should be separated as much
as possible and given restricted quar-
ters, where they may be observed and
whre disinfectants can be freely used.
AS soon as the peculiar diarrhea is
noticed with any Of the fowls, the birds
of that lot should be changed to fresh
ground and the sick ones killed. The
infected excrement should be carefully
scraped up and burned, and the inclos-
t., S11, hoo hn, ,rl,l ,lxy