POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 6 November 1890, Page 5

POULTRY NOTES.

CHICKEN HEARING.

In my last artiole I advised that the ben should be left alone for the few hours while the chiokenß are coming out of their shells ; but I am well aware. that many of our readers will not follow that fiouftßel. Most amateur breeders are too eager to see how many little balls' of down are coming out, bo they goto the nest and lake a peep under tbe hen every hour or two. But while such a course is very natural, itjiß not very advisable. The poor hen is disturbed and flurried, and often' treads on a poor little ohioken or two incohsoquence. 'Some breeders recommend a different course. Tpey Bay it is beßt to takd" each chicken away frjom the hen as it is hatched, until the whole' bi.ve oome out of their shells. They should be kept in a box lined .with flannel by the fire, and w ben: the entire brood has hatched out they may be carefully placed under the hen again. Tpe advantage of this plan is that it prevents any possibility of tho ben trjeading on or injuring those ohiokens whioh are hatched out, waile trying to assist, the others out of their stella. This may be a good way to adopt when tie mother is a very wild or clumsy; hen, but ifjshe is carefulthere is no need to do so. j Occasionally i especially when, the brood is weakjy, it is necessary to assist a chicken or tvjro to release itself from its qase, - Semetimflß the Httle, thing has not strength to knock away tl c shell, so it dies, inside | whereas if a .little, assistance waß ifenderedjo it, jrt life might have b^en saved. If a Bh'ell is slightly cracked abd| re mains in that sta|e fqr several b.our^wjithgut. , tl c graoks growinea^y, larger or mo^e numerous, tlien, let, %, breeder a carefully in h s band and gently, tak|?' s out ajittle piece, or , two of the sheir.in tjße centre, of the, egg, ajb~ baok under the ben .again, and, in a little whije the bird will, probably force ita way out. } Sometimes a 'chicken oply 'get .half -way ; out of the shell, owjng to some of its"d.pwn bbing glued agamst.jts.prjson. ' In this bifse the down oareful|y ( removed mtftu sharp, pair 'of sdsßor^ or -it may be softened With warm 'watSr' I ' ltis 1 V^ry delißay worfeftb tir and meddle witin the'ohieks, and 'to 'try, ahd ' assist them " in coming hut. ' ft .should 3 never be done unless absolutely' necessary, ahdtbTenonly'ftrlittleaß-poß^iJlie.;, ~ . Ghiokens require no .food for 24 .hours after ' they leu? e tbe shell. Their first meal should be Hard-boiled efega, chopped' up and mixed with preadbf bribs' OifoatmeaK One> difficulty in~ giving thuM that , the greedy mother very often "eats nearly of itberself, ajnd leaves; .very 1 [little of jt. i for her brood. This is difficult to prevent, but the hen will not d^t sotohch if she i«'giVen asmuoh bard conTaVshe T can swallciw immediately before the ohioke'ne'fopd la brought butf.' This egg' and 1 bread food maybe' doritinu'e'd for as' long bb the ' bifee'der' thinks' he can' afford it.' ' ' Some' discontinue 1 it after" the first day; while fathers keep it oh for a 1 Week. 1 ' There is only brie objection to egg food, 'and that' is', it is very binding.' Thiß may be odu'nte'raoted by mixing' a, little fine bran or pollard with it. ; When the chickens are 24 hours old move them and their mother into a coop. Unless there is a plot of ground whioh the brood oan have all to themselves, the mother must tea shut up in the coop, and the chickens be'given a 1 little run in f rent of it. Tbe run can easily be made with three or four boards and a piece of wire-netting, so that the ohiokens oannot get out, and no oats or suoh-like thieves oan get in. The coop and run Bhould be continually shifted on to fresh ground, in order to prevent the earth underneath it becoming i foul.

After the egg-food is discontinued give the chicks oatmeal, groats, the household sbraps, and such like things. Too much wet food must not be given, a* it induces diarrhoea ; neither must the food ever be allowed to be come stale. A little meat given occasionally is a very good Btimulant. There should.be a continual supply of green food and pure water, but care mußt be exercised in selecting a water yessol, as, if it is deep,' the ohiokens will get in and drown. There are some water fountains made which prevent this by only giving the birds one little spot to drink out of. — F.A.M., in Amateur Gardener.