THE POULTRY YARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 268, 9 November 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE POULTRY YARD.

Chickens need no food for the firsb-24 hours after hatching. Do nob keep young chickens and old fowls in the same coop. Lice usually come from the old fowls to the chicks.

Chickens and ducklings can be fattened in from twelve days to two weeks if they are kepb in a partly dark place and fed all they will cab. The besb material for fabtening poultry ia sweet potatoos and cornmeal. Do not give young chicks waber unbil bhey have had bhoir firsb morning meal. Separate the sexes aa coon as they begin to mature ; they will thrivo all the better. Many black chicka have whibe flights in the early days. These moulb oub and disappear in bime. A Cheap, Useful, and Desirable Drinking Fountain.—Thia much-tobe-deaired article can be easily made at a very little coßt, and in my opinion is superior bo any other drinking fountain that I have seen in South Australia. Ib is ueeful in many respects, as it prevents young chickens getting drowned, because the pan holding bhe water is not deep enough to allow the chicks to geb in withoub gebbing oub with safety ; bhe waber ie always bhere, and being free from contaminabion ia not liable to bring disease amonget the flock. Being earthenware it ia auperior to other articles used, inaemuch as it will not ruat; and it ia bo constructed that you can always geb your hand inside to clean it. I must confess I have only seen one fountain similar to the one I recommend in South Australia, and bhab is in my own yard. This xc the idea:—Obbain a half gallon flower pot, which will coab aboub sixpence to eighbpence; place a cork in bhe hole ab the bottom of the pot, or cement it over, and with a file cub a piece out of the Bide of the pot ab bhe top aboub half to three-quarters of an inch deep. Having done thia it ia neceßßary to obtain a flowerpot saucer, which to suit the flowerpot intended to be used, will coat about aixpence. See that the pot fita closely to the saucer. Fill the pot with water aB far as bhe aperture in the aide at bhe top of the flowerpot, place the eaucer over it, seeing that the pot is in the centre of came, and turn ib upside down quickly. The water will immediately flow oub into the eaucer until ib reachea bhe top of tho email aperture in the eide of the flowerpot, and as there is abflut an inch between the pot and tho edge Of the eaucer, the water remains in the saucer, and aa fast aa bhe fowls drink ib ib refilla bhe saucer unbil the flowerpob ia empty. If you havte bwo or three more lota of birds penned off ib is advisable to have a fountain for each place, bub of course ib ia nob necessary bo have one of such large dimenaiona. The half-gallon fountain should bo aufficient for 40 to 50 head of poultry.—' Garden ahd Field.' '