REPORT OF THE POULTRY MANAGER. 233 



Symptoms. — Great general weakness. Bird gets into a corner, or lies down in a 

 listless manner with feathers ruffled. Eyes are nearly closed. The bird is hot, in fact 

 there is general fever. It seems to shiver and is restless. Discharges are watery with 

 mucous, stringy matter, sometimes tinged with bile or blood. It is quite common for 

 fatal cases to show stupor, or wildness when well advanced with the disease. 



Treatment. — Remove cause. Give teaspoonful of castor oil. Stop feeding hard 

 food or grit for some days. Give mash of stale bread and milk with rice water or 

 boiled milk for drink. 



The foregoing description of the ailment is given at length for the benefit of 

 numerous inquirers and others, who are feeding for eggs in winter. 



A TRYING MONTH. 



The month of March seemed to be the most trying to all the laying stock. It was 

 at that time that the Spanish breeds seemed more predisposed to e^% eating and feather 

 picking. This was attributed to the long period of artificial life and treatment, in com- 

 paratively limited quarters, and it was so stated in the annual report of 1893. But 

 later observation, the results of which are given in this report, showed that the main 

 oause was not such as was supposed at that time. 



It was also noticed that, when the ground was free of snow in spring and the fowls 

 had outside run, all trouble ceased. 



CONCLUSIONS ARRIVED AT FROM THE FOREGOING. 



The conclusions arrived at from the foregoing experience and that of correspondents 

 are : — 



1. That there had been too many and not variety enough in the rations fed during 

 winter. 



2. That the warm morning mash had been fed in too liberal quantity, if not too 

 frequently. 



3. That more exercise and more green stuff were necessary. 



4. That lime for shell should be conveyed, if possible, in the form of a ration, as 

 well as being before the layers in the shape of crushed oyster shells. 



5. That it is of paramount importance to have the winter layers over moult early ; 

 of the proper age and into winter quarters neither too fat nor too lean. 



6. That the handling of the winter layers, so as to have them over their moult early 

 and into winter quarters in proper condition, must begin in summer. 



THE REMEDY APPLIED AND WHEN AND HOW. 



In the summer and fall of the past three years the handling of the laying stock, so 

 as to procure an early moult, was successfully carried out, as described in the reports of 

 those years. But it was not until the fall of 1896 that it was decided to reduce the 

 number of rations. Accordingly, when the laying stock went into winter quarters in 

 November, 1896, the noon ration was dropped and the morning ration slightly reduced. 

 The rations were then two in number, viz., morning and afternoon, instead of three, a 

 reduction of nearly one-third. The result was nearly one-third more eggs. Details are 

 given further on. 



The year is dated from the 1st of November of each year named; as winter laying 

 usually begins in that month. 



THE MODIFIED RATIONS. — HOW MADE UP. — HOW FED. 



The number of layers in the fall of 1896, and to which the modified rations were 

 fed, was 204, composed of 151 hens and 53 pullets. The reduced rations were as 

 follows. 



