GOSSIP ABOUT POULTRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2881, 17 December 1883, Page 3

GOSSIP ABOUT POULTRY.

It is astonishing how housewives or , farmwives will stick to old-fashioned notions about tha treatment of poultry, especially in respect to "breaking up" sitting hens and managing young chicks. Take ducklings for instance. It is a popular error that they want water to revel in almost from the time they issue from the shell. Anxious duck tenders of the female persuasion, therefore, givo the downy youngsters a pan of water to dip $nd splash in before their feathers have the slightest symptoms of appuariug. As a matter of fact and experience, young ducklings no tnoro want water at first than babies want beer. Their soft down is too easily wetted to protect them from the cramp and cold consequent upon immersion in water, and they very soon settle the question by shuffling off the mortal coil. It stands to reason that these little things are not fit, when but a few days' old, to dabble about in the pond. Their down has not the oily secretion which in the full feathered duck keeps the wot from penetrating — which in fact throws off the wet. Their instinct may prompt them to go for the water almost from the nest, but instinct like reason may not always be 1 reliable — at least when its subjects are kept artificially. There may be something different in the constitution of the wild " web footers" which enables them to do , with impunity what their tame relations | would signally fail in attempting. Ducklings are best kept away from the water for some weeks — an occasional bath would do them no harm ; and when very young they should be kept in a dry sunny spot with plenty of grass ; \ and their drinking water put in an empty i tin dish, saucer, or anything too shallow i for them to wallow in. Their food at i first should be somewhat similar to that , given to chickens, and their drinking water would bo better with the chill off. i Soft cooked food with a little salt is the ; be3t for them, but they will soon get to 1 eat grain, and indeed anything the 1 poultry devour. Liver chopped fine is ■ excellent food for them. The American- Poultry Yard says :— "The ducklings ought to be. safely ' housed every night, as they cannot 1 endure the cold ground or damp evoning ' and chill dews. The pen should be in a grassy and sunny place, yet so that they can got in the shade if the sun should bo too hot. It should be moved at least > once a week. They do fully as well withJ out a mother after the first week if kept L in a warm place at night. They like to get, ) once in a while, a good meal of onion tops i and lettuce cut into small pieces for them. ) Older ducks, too, display a rare taste for ' them, so it is well to keep them away I from the garden. But bothers as they J are, if one has erer kept them they will , hardly cease to think with regret of their first pots, and always keep some, if but a few of the cute, knowing creatures. None of the poultry know so much as the ducks. They are the most sociable of farm pets. Although thoy do not like to be handled, they will always respond if addressed." 0 Speaking of feeding poultry the 1 Practical Farmer says : — " All the grains and most of the vegetables raised upon r the farm are valuable for feeding poultry. And all tho root vegetables, such as g turnips, potatoes, carrots, beets, etc., e when cooked and mixed with meal or 0 bran, half-and-half each, are esteemed % economical and healthful for fowl feod. F, The fattening properties of some grains, f and tho undue allowance daily of boiled g potatoes and corn or wheat-meal are est, cessivo, however. Tho Cochins, the " Brahmas, tho Dorkius, and tho Plyd mouth Rocks will very Boon become next 6 to useless ns layers if indulged in over 9 feeding with thost rich grains and e succulent roots. Old hens are moro liable '' to lay in too much fat than pullots or ' hens one or two years' old. Hens that !° become so fat as to interfere with their j'. laying will be precarious breeders, as the „ tendency to fatten not only interferes is with their laying qualities but injures tho li quality of tho egga they do lay for future ia hatching. All our fowla should be well h fed in cold weather. But the breeding :t stock must be cautiously managed in this f particular or their eggs will very fre--18 quently prove infertile from excessive 10 cramming with these hearty sorts ol '" food. Keep a ready supply of oats ; and barley at hand for these birds. Allofl them but little corn, and this crushed, *" and to be given thorn at night only, ° Plenty of green vegetables will be goo< 10 for them if kept in conlinomont, bill r y after tho snow leavoa the ground, a rui upon the ground, when practicable, ai io hour at night, two or three times a weol 3 will be good, for them. If we avoic

st whole wheat and whole corn for oui p breeders they will do much hotter wher we want their eggs for incubation." Thi'sij me points that havo been provoc " in experience here.