Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1908-02-26

POINTERS FOR POULTRY BUYERS.
Have you ever purchased a sick
fowl in market and served it 20 the
family for n Sunday dinnerY'
Certainly not
Have you ever selected n sick chick
en- from your own flock and served II
TO the minister of your church. the
guest OF the family?"
What a shocking ideal How dare
you insinuate such n horrible thing?"
We'll. dear madam, we are not here
10 insiuuate. but to tell you kindly that
there are many housewives who pur-
chase fowls under the impression that
ali are healthy. With them IL is sim
ply n question OF age and weight and
juicy tenderness. There are others.
however. who have placed a ban
against dressed poultry and who pu
every live fowl through n strict exam
inatiOn before dressing 1t for the ia
Bile
We come to the reader OF this arti-
clio with n few pertinent points for
purchasers OF poultry. They may save
a doctors bill. We watched a farm
er's wife dress a Plymouth Rock for
dinner
How can you tell when a chicken is
healthy" we asked.
Il always kill the hen that's laying.
l take her OF the nest A laying hen
is always healthy"
"Shc was right" you say.
But listen. They don't keep hens on
nests in meat markets, and ROSTERS do
not always lay. People eat two-thirds
rooster. According 10 her rule. the
nOnproft payer would always drone,
and the lousy. skinny old cluck would
always get the Ratchet
The hen that lays is the hen that
pays"
Does it pay to Kill the layer when
eggs are 30 cents a dozen? Egg farms
aren't meat markets. The laying hen
is not always well.
\ good neighbor persisted in killing
hen that had chronic diarrhea.
We said, Bury her"
Not big fat hen like that. She
lays We will have her for dinner"
No; you wouldn't be guilty OF such
a thing. We believe you. but you
might sin against the family health
through ignorance. Let us give you
some pointers for purchasing and Sc
lecting poultry.
COMBS, SHAPE
Do not select n male bird with a flop
comb. Hens combs often turn over
naturally, but n ROSTERS fiop comb IS
an indication Of weakness or disease.
males comb may be m.ssnapen
hrrr
this, rs it will have n thin base or a
fold in front.
\ lousy ROSTERS comb often turns
down. and he gets lanky. Flop combs
in little roosters often come from head
lice
Do not buy fowl with a loose comb.
When a chickens comb pulls back
from the beak you will generally find
yellow liquid underneath.
Just be nervy enough 10 lift the fowl
and smell its beak. 1t Will not be
sweet violetS." 1t will be catarrh or
roup. and YOU will never forget that
smell. You VIII likely notice a vel
low liquid running from the noStrns.
and this proves that the fowls head
is clogged with yellow bloody matter.
These troubles come from colds. and
you Will find their victims in nearly
every shipping crate that is exposed TO
wintry weather.
Don't buy chickens with scabby,
Snotty noses.
COMBS, COLOR.
Don't eat chickens with dark combs.
They are generally daubed up behind
and have cholera, diarrhea or sour
crop. IL the comb is white. IL is scurvy;
If yellow, il is jaundice. II the comb
Is scaly and the feathers are off the
neck, IL IS favus. If the head and eyes
are swollen. il is cold or roup. II the
head has yellow topped sores, ii is
chicken poX. If the throat has white
patches. il is diphtheria
MISCELLANEOUS.
Chickens with scaly legs are objec-
tionabie. Large swellingS that bulge
up between the toes is bumblefoot.
Look oIt FOR gangrene or blood poison.
The hen that dragS big sack behind
does not carry dozen eggs. as you
suppose. II is likely q cheesy tumor
Avoid turkeys with white. black or
swollen heads. Geese and ducks with
Timber necks are unfit for use Do not
select table birds haphazard The
clear combed. bright eyed. sprightly.
good feeder, with few exceptions. is
the bird fit for an epicure