THE POULTRY RUN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 531, 8 January 1913, Page 2

THE POULTRY RUN.

TOES TURNED UNE<ER.

It sometimes happens that chicks are hatched with their toes turned under. If this is taken in time, it can be easily cured. Take a piece of cardboard cut to the shape of a chicken's foot, with a small piece to go up the leg. Rub the chicken's foot with vaseline, and wrap each toe and the leg in cotton-wool, then sew the toes straight out on to tho cardboard with some soft mending wool, taking care not to prick the toes, and tie the leg-piece round the leg. This keeps it firm. Keep the splint on for forty-eight hours, and, when taken off, the toes will be found quite straight. It is best (0 put the splint on as soon as possible after the chicken is hatched, as it keeps quieter then, and also its toes are more supple; but I did one the other day tfrat was two days old, and had been a day in the foster mother, removing it to the drying box while the splint was on, and now I could not tell you which was the crippled chicken. HOW TO HATCH AND REAR GOSLINGS. .To breed geese plenty : of, space for foraging and bathing water are necessary. % Geese are great foragers, green food forming the principle part of their rations. They

EuDEN Goose. are also good breeders if a pond or stream is available for swimming upon. Without swimming water geese are poor stock birds, and uni der such conditions no attempt should be made to breed from them. • Geese breed up to a great age, individual' specimens _ having been known to lay and breed well during their 20th season. Two geese to a gander should be the order of mating. • v . Making the Nest. The nest to be used-by a broody hen for the incubation of goose eggs should be made on the earfh, a hollow being formed, and this should Be lined with hay or soft straw. Three or four eggs, according to the size of the sitter, will be a sufficient number to place in the nest, and as* *he eggs will be too large for the hen to turn, this •operation should be performed by the attendant at least once daily. If the goose is allowed to sit she may be given from nine to is eggs. The period of • incubation varies from 28 to 30 days, and when the goslings are dye to hatch out, the eggs -need not be sprinkled with water if the n»6ts are formed on the ground, as advised above; indeed, as a rule, no interference is advisable during hatching time, unless it be to remove any empty shell from the nest, or, in the case of a prolonged hatching period, to further break already chipped hard shells, and so assist the imprisoned goslings in their endeavours to escape. Goslings, as a rule, however, if of strong, well-matured stock, need no assistance in that direction..

Treatment After Hatching. When hatched, the goslings will do best in an enclosure for some time to prevent them from being taken to the water by the mother goose. An enclosure can easily be formed by means of a few stakes and a narrow width of wire netting. If a roomy open-fronted coop is placed in the enclosure', the youngsters will be able to find shelter in stormy weather, a desirable thing, as young goslings are liable to become so saturated with wet as to take harm. If a hen is used to brood the youngsters she may be confined to a bar-fronted coop such as is generally used for chicken rearing. In feeding the goslings, they should be given for the first few days some ground oats or biscuit meal soaked. Plenty of chopped grass and other vegetable food should also be given until the youngsters. can graze for themselves. If the meals and bread used can be mixed with skim milk instead of water the birds will do better on it. Pahs of water should be kept in the enclosure, as, like ducklings; young geese like to take ti mouthful of food and then a di'-. of water. . •' Weaning the Goslings.

I When a fortnight old the goslings may leave the hen, as by that ! lime they will require no parental warmth, and will be able to forage for a lot of their food, they should however be sheltered at night and in stormy weather, and should be fed on a soft food dietary fqi several ,weeks longer; %s\Vhen they lopk^^tei^ln^mselves