Evening star., 1918-07-07
Garden and Poultry Yard

some terrible surprises. can never
forget my amazement when I found
q hen-which I had most carefully
placed on a sitting of eggs about q
week before-literally being eaten up
by spider mites, and the nest and eggs
covered all over with moving savage
thousands. The hen was nearly dead.
OF course, that was the end of that
little business. What chance would
brood Of young chicks have had
under such conditions?
II your week-old, or month-old,
chicks are weak and discouraged and
thriftless, instantly suspect lice. Pow
der them. A little lard about the
head and at other assembling places
on the body will do much Powder
Weasels, minks. skunks. hawks. cats
and rats must be constantly watched.
In some localities they are SO numer-
GUS and aggressive that 1t is almost
impossible to raise a brood of chicks
without literally barricading them
against these foes.
Chicks permitted to run at large on
q farm are at the mercy of these
bloodthirsty creatures Of the wild.
1t is not strange that often so per cent
of the chicks Matched by the farmers
perish by these pests.
The backyarder is more fortunately
situated. Cats and rats. especially
cats. must be watched or they will
There is nothing that is certain to de-
feat a chick-hungry cat except to pen
the birds up SO securely that the
feline marauder cannot get to them
stoning and shooting are hard on the
nerves. and may breed neighborhood
unpleasantness. Better just keep them
where harm can't get to them. a
small dose Of rough on rats" placed
where rodents can get It, and the
chicks can't, will effectuaily dispose
NJ n birds
The weasel tribe. including skunks.
are mostly night hunters. The weasel
himself. however. is the most brszen
of all the carnivorous animals. II he
place he can do you much damage. In
most of the states the weasel and
mink have largely disappeared. Where
there is any danger from them trap
them II you can, ana close the chicks
up SO securely at night that even the
are easily trapped.
The shotgun can be used with good
effect and fine sport on the hawk. II
you can kill one. hang its carcass up
brothers dead body tapping in the
breeze. and get warning. The back
yard. however, is seldom visited by
hawks,
Extremes of weather and sudden
changes. flooding showers and long.
cold rains are among the back
yarder's most serious troubles. Look
for these abnormal conditions in the
weather and prepare for them accord
ingly, so that you will never be sur
prised. This is of great Importance.
especially when chicks are very
young.
Quarantine the sick bird instantly.
Do not wait a moment. Study the
case carefully, and II you are suspi-
cious that it is an infectious disease,
kill the sick fowl and burn its car
cass. Take no risks. Better burn the
whole flock than let them perish. one
by one. from wasting contagious dis
ease. Keep your henhouse thoroughly
ventilated. but always guard against
the possibility of cold draughts.
Stuffy quarters are responsible for
much of the weak and sickly stock
the whole country over. Keep your
flock in the pink of health by giving
them the best and most down-to-date
scientific care. and diseases among
your fowls will soon pass from your
list of troubles.