MANAGEMENT OF CHICKENS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3224, 29 October 1881, Page 4

MANAGEMENT OF CHICKENS.

The chickens should soon be nutnerou". or if a sufficient number have not already been hatched, more should be pu! down with ns little delay a3 possible. Remember the chickens hatched now will hay the mild, moist months of spring, when insects and grubs are plentiful • beside? that, the young birds feather so much better when the atmosphere is moist and moderately warm than when the air is dry and fch<sun intensely hot, scorching their poor lifctl--backs and parching their skins. Chickens hatched during the early spring .will, inmost cases, have cot through their firs l moult and assumed their adult pluma_e the commencement of the winter months. "Whereas those hatched in summer get parched by the heat, are stunted in thei growth lid "-V- the ipprp-ifhr-they eit'i rfi >- nI ■ ' woiihh spcvn r ' (>1 '"'"l" Vpj\ ! i' " ny ii \h]\ T-iaT-I , | i ) a f,- 1»« hnubl fppi ' ' nc l«>in t '1 c ru i i ii i i ' c ' 1 i "■- <i fact i h H If ' >*■ mid Mi 'n it' n n th i-ft " <■<» of bin i nn mopi r' no nm Ibe takp i feeding the birds with suitable kind* o ; food, seeing that the buildings for their accommodation are comfortable, and that thr sanitary arrangements are good. With r" gard to feeding, this, in most instances, is left to a laborer, or it may be entrusted to • servant, who neither cares or troubles about the birds except to throw down a quantit' of hard corn at certain intervals. All kind* of corn form an excellent food for .poultry, but young chickens want, something pl.«' besides this if si/c is to be obtained. of the large breeders feed their chicken" op nothing but soft food for the first '" o' three months of their live" -, i found to answer »-- ''■■:;■■■■■'■.'.'<' ■ rdthrivin'- ■-•■ ' ' ek ;.' . ; . . ...-.- -.' ; 3d '.:■■.•'.•:.■.■'■■ : ::'S. u» oe 1 ■•" -,-'•"•"« fhem just as much a= wul eat up at the time, without leaving any lying about on the ground, to get tainted and soiled by being tr.'id<l?n on. or to become mixed with their excerement. Tt i» during the early **ges o r chickens that the mortality amongst them is often so grpat, and in nine case' out of ten this is brought about through giving too much food at one time. They require a little and often, and th? whole to be eaten clean up at each meal. There is a considerable difference of opinion as to the advisability of giving water to young chickens, some maintaining that this is unnecessary, while others consider it. an act of cruelty to withhold water entirely from them. There can be little doubt thaf dirty water is most prejudicial for the health, and with young chickens there is often some difficulty experienced in keeping them clean. Still we believe water is beneficial and necessary for bird? as it is for man. If the young chickens are fed entirely on soft food very little water will suffice, but if corn is given them plenty of fresh clean water or milk may be given. When the birds are a week or ten days old, wheat and barley may be added to vary their diet, and their food should be changed as frequently as possible. One of the secrets in rearing chickens is to b#ye as great a variety in their food as PQasible. It is best to keep the hen in «i coop, otherwise she is pretty certain to be off with her young brood whether the weather is favorable or not. The coop should be frequently moved to fresh ground, or this w'.ll Boon become tainted. again is another source of disease, for many people neglect to move the coops, and the ground soon becomes foul, and the air, especially during the night, is most injurious for the chickens. With feeding, plenty of exercise, cleanliness, and well ventilated houses, the mortality amongst chickens should be very small.— Mark Lane Express.