Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-05-07
DEVELOPING THE YOUNG FOWLS
(By j. G. w. Concluded from last
weekly

healtn. want or IT provides SUIT
able culture for the development of
disease germs and causes exhalatiors
which may to greater or less ex-
tent, prevent the proper aeration of
the blood, and, therefore, the proper
removal of the waste products of the
body. Good health is dependent upon
good blood, and good development is
dependent upon good health. By the
same token abundance Of fresh air
and sunshine are also necessary.
Fresh air is the best disnfectant---
though the use of other disinfectants
is not to be dispensed with. 1t brings
the necessary oxygen to burn up the
wastes of the body and gives color to
the red corpuscles of the blood. And
sunlight is the source of life and
growth, the bearer of health and de
velopment, the purifier Of foul places
and the remover of obnoxious damps.
Freedom from vermin is almost as
essential as freedom from disease il
the securing of the proper develop
ment of the chickens. 1t is part of
or a corollary to strict cleanliness,
for no premises can be considered
clean which harbor lice and mites. If
the chickens are provided with
proper busting places, they will do
much of the work in freeing them
selves from the lice whose habitat is
among their feathers, but an occa-
sional busting with some good insect
powder will do no harm and may do
much good. As for mites, which hide
in hooks and crannies during the day
and come forth at night to feed upon
the juices of the chickens. one mus
declare against them an irresponsible
conflict, with no quarter asked o.
given. They must be kept down or
the chickens will be. The kind of
exercise to which they excite does no
at all assist in the development Of the
birds.
Separate the Sexes.
When the cockerels begin to sho-r
attention to the pullets, the sexes
should be separated. Both will grow
better and develop more perfectly by
such separation. Before the pullets
reach laying maturity the attention
Of the cockerels only fret and anpov
them and fretting and annoyance in
terfere with perfect development.
Such attentions, too. develop the sex
ual attributes of the cockerels at the
expense of their just and perfect
growth, and the combs. too early de-
veloped, are liable to grow too large
and possibly to become Topped over.
In separating the pullets and cocker
els care should be taken, not only to
cause a physical separation, but to
remove the sexes out of sight of each
other.
A lot of cockerels. out Of sight of
the pullets, will generally live in
peace and amity, but. II brought
where they can look upon the fe-
males, they will begin to fight with
each other. possibly tearing combs
and wattles. and otherwise disigur-
ing themselves. From Helen of Troy
down to the present time, a female
has been casus belli, not only among
human beings, but among the lower
orders of creation. AS we are not in
terested in developing the pugnacity
in our cockerels, and as peace fur
nishes a better condition than war
for the development of the desired
qualities, the sexes, after separation,
should not be allowed to see each
other until the time for mating them
for breeding arrives.
Culling Out the Fowls. Y
Whether we are breeding for prac-
teal or for fancy purposes, we desire
only the best developed fowls for our
use. They must possess an overflow
ing vitality, and vigor must be appar-
ent in their every movement. While
the culling of the fancier and the
practical poultryman differ, especially
in respect to color requirements,
they both desire to weed all under
sized. all imperfectly developed. all
weak, all deformed, all aenemic spec
linens. No pullet is fit for the laying
pen unless it has the constitutional
strength, vigor and vitality needed
for the continuous and exhaustive
process of producing eggs. Much
less is it fit for the breeding yard,
where its undesirable qualities will
/ be handed down to it's descendants.
Consequently, every poultryman is
interested in securing the most per-
feet development of his chickens pos
sble from their breeding, and, there