FEATHER-EATING

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 17 February 1915, Page 7

FEATHER-EATING

The vice commonly called feather-eat-ing is liable to give the poultry-keeper trouble during the moulting season links- strict measures are taken' to prevci:t its acquirement by the birds. When •ho ; new feathers are bursting from tJifir sheaths the birds will be noticed a .vnging them, and it is then that the

:;; rler quills are liable to be broken, v.-jui the result that the rich blood secreted in them is tasted, and so the habit of feather-eating begins, and continues., in some cases till the self-vic-timised birds present a pitiable appearance. But that is not the sole cause of the trouble, the latter being traedable in the majority of cases to the presence of blood-sucking insects on the' birds. I have examined feathers taken from the bodies of feather-pluckers, and have, in nine cases out of ten, found them to be infested at their roots with insects. These insects were undoubtedly at the bottom of the mischief. The poor birds had' plucked ont liioir feathers in the vain endeavour -<i i\d themselves of the pests, and in doing; so had tasted the animal sub?'ance secreted in the quills—a sub-

franco that so appealed to the palates vi Lhe birds that the latter became confirmed feather-eaters. The vice,

when once acquired, is not easy to cure, the surest one being in the prevention of it by keeping insect. pests off the birds during the moulting season, and, of course, at all other times. For this purpose -.the_ well-prepared dust-bath will be useful, as will also periodical applications of insect powder to the birds. A cheap and effective powder can be made by mixing equal parts of airslaked lime and flowers of sulphur together. The lime, however, after being slaked, should be exposed to the air in a dry place for a fortnight to rid it of its burning properties, otherwise it will be liable to cause skin irritation. Other Causes. During the moulting season too many poultry-keepers allow the male birds to stay with the hens instead of removing them to other pens and keeping them there till again required for breeding purposes. The result of this is that the male birds, being inactive owing to the moult, stand idly about the runs whilst the hens peck at their newly-forming feathers. Many of my readers will no doubt have seen male birds in a pitiable condition through allowing themselves to be pecked about the head and throat. When the vice of feather-eating is acouired in this way the removal of the

•.ales from their harems will not always v ifect a cure, as, after the males are r< moved, the hens begin to peck one another. The poultry-keeper will do well to have no male bird with the hens during the moulting season, and so obviate the risk of feather-eating setting in. Another cause of feather-eating is inactivity in small runs. In such limited quarters, should the vice break out and the birds be unprovided with means of exercising themselves, it often spreads throughout the whole flock. Fowls at all times, and especially during the moulting season, should have litter to scratch amongst. Better, a small covered run well littered than a large open one on which the fowls oave no means of exercising themselves. The object of the attendant should be to keep Iris fowls' attention centred upon healthy exercise rather than upon ach other. As stated above, the vice under notice, when once established, is not easy to cure. The effect of moistening the parts attacked with a strong solution of quassia may be tried, as quassia is distasteful to fowls, but the best cure for the vice is the prevention of it.