Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1891 — AMONG THE POULTRY. [ARTICLE]

AMONG THE POULTRY.

St Louis Magazine. Red combs indicate vigor. Lice are always worst in summer.! Kerosene the roosts once a week/ Set goslings in the pasture" when! they are a week old. Do not allow a few chickens to mo-‘ nopolize the roosts. Dry dirt and sifted coal ashes make a good dust bath. Sour mill? is a treat both to h§ns and little chickens. If only one thing is used, coal oil is probably best to use for lice. Whenever the brood of turkeys is strong enough, give them the run of the meadow. Laying hens should be kept separate from those that are being fattened for market. Provide a shelter under which the young fowls- can run whenever it rains. After warm weather sets in it will do no harm if some of the fowls roost out of doors. Damaged grain or fermented food often induces disease, and should never be fed. Ducks should always have dry quarters at night if they are to be kept thrifty and healthy. Lack of gravel or gritty material is nearly always the cause of fowls getting crop-bound. If a quick growth is secured it is very necessary to give the first feed in the morning early. Do not keep too many drakes; one to every five ducks is enough. More than this simply adds to the expense. ; Nest-egg gourds make good nest eggs during the winter, but they should not be planted near the squashes or other vines. Feed the fowls early in the morning; before they are allowed any water; feed well and water afterward. When a large number of fowls drink from the same vessel it is liable to become filthy, and good care is necessary to keep it clean. So far as possible all the hens should be set this month, as after the middle of June the weather gets too warn for the chickens to do well. Turkeys can, to a considerable extent, be given sweet skimmed milk in place of water, and if the drinking vessels are kept clean will be all the healthier. If the hen does not wean , the ohickqns by the time they have all their feathers they should be shut away from the hen. May and June are the best months to hatch out guineas: They are very tender when young and do not thrive well if hatched too early. - Too much grain is detrimental to old ducks. They need during the summer plentyofgrass and coarse, bulky foods. They do not bear con-, finement well, but should have a good

range- . ... If the hens are keptm coops with their broods it will pay to move to a fresh place every two or three days, in order to prevent the place from becoming too foul. As far as possible, arrange so that the drinking vessels can be kept in the shade, so as. to keep the water cool. Young chickens, especially if they are to go to market as soon as they are ready, should be fed all that they will eat op clean. This is necessary to make rapid growth. Young turkeys , need considerable care. It will not do to depend too much on the mothers, especially turkey hens; they are apt to forage so much as to wear out the young turkeys. It will aid materially in lessening the work of keeping clcau if the nesv boxes are made movable, so as to be rapidly taken down and cleaned out. It is often the case,from the amount M young poultry sent to market, that prices get very low, and when this happens at this season it will pay to feed longer, as the growth can be made at a low cost. For the market at least, late hatched ducks rarely pay. The best profit is - realized by selling, them when not over threo months old, und this age should be attained before the hot weather of summer. •