7:^6 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Sept. 2, 1908. 



Tlic cvkIciiccs ot tcatlic! catiim arc. that one oi' inoic ot tin- tlock will be 

 seen to have hare patches, the (Icmided parts beintj usually tin' \u'vk. l)reast. 

 and thitjlis. hut the hain'ful habit is sucli. that in.stances are coiuuhui where 

 the hiiils have been plucked almost to the last feather: the peculiar part 

 being that the subject usually lends itself to the cannibalistic habits of the 

 culprit, and s(>enis to enjoy the operation. "^ , 



The causes are varied, soinctimes due to overcrowdinj^. when the fowls 

 have to stand about all day with nothing to engage their attention ; one of 

 them may see an insect on its neighbour, and pecking it off accidently brings 

 a feather with it. If this be a young growing feather the blood in the ijuill 

 end attracts the fowl, which eats it. finds it palatable, and the habit com- 

 mences. 



Sometimes it is due to an insufficient supply of greenstuff, but more often 

 to a shortage of animal food. Instances are in evidence where the habit was 

 due to the male bird having torn some feathers off the hen. and which were 

 iit once seized on by the other birds, and the habit acquired. 



Unsuitable dieting is also responsible, particularly where there has been 

 an insufficiency of animal matter in the food. In all Hocks of fowls there 

 are always one or two who tyrannise over the others, which is more pronounced 

 at feeding time. In pecking at them the feathers are drawn and eaten, the 

 objectionable habit being, in this way, acquired. There are also cases where 

 it is difficult to exactly tell what induced the feather plucking, but the great 

 proportion of imported fowds which arrive with bare patches show that con- 

 finement, and nothing to do in the way of scratching is responsible for the 

 greater number of cases. 



The remedies are simple. Observation will soon determine whether one 

 or more of the flock have the habit ; if it is confined to oiu' or two the 

 best plan is to get rid of them. If a number are addicted to the vice, 

 then the runs should be thickly strewed with cdiaff. hay, straw, or litter of 

 some sort. The morning food should be given of wheat or other grain, well 

 scattered amongst the litter. This shoukl be given by dayhght. or as soon 

 as the fowls leave their perches. Immediately on coming into the run they 

 will commence to scratch for their morning meal, and if the (|uantity given 

 is too small for their needs, thev will continue scratching until every grain is 

 found. After this there should be a cabbage, lettuce, or other green food 

 hung \ip in their run at a height so as to oblige them to jump up a little for it. 



There should be a fair supply of meat, such as boiled liver, or any sort of 

 meat scraps thrown into the run at midday. This will keep them occupied 

 until the evening meal, which should be again grain, or if soft food is given at 

 evening, such should be withheld until just before roosting time, when the 

 fowls will eat their meal heartily and go to roost forgetful of the feather diet. 



A more effective way still of combating this vice is to wait until the fowls 

 have all gone to perch, and then scatter their breakfast grain for the following 

 morning amongst the litter, so that the fowls, when they alight off their 



