1883.] POULTRY RAISING. 43 



hen, which is properly a tick, and fastens itself firmly to the head 

 of the chick; and sometimes a dozen of these giants can be found 

 on one little pate. There they suck the blood until the poor 

 victim grows weak and thin, and perhaps dies of gapes, or any 

 other chicken disease that may prevail. To prevent this we used 

 the kerosene in the nest boxes; but lest by chance one should 

 appear, we grease the head of each one before putting it again 

 with the hen, with a mixture of equal parts of lard and kerosene. 

 An assistant, once, intending to make very thorough work, used so 

 much oil it run into the eyes and caused thirty to die of blindness. 



The coops are movable, with board bottoms, and are placed each 

 year in a new spot, in the sun early in the season, and in the 

 shade later. Twelve or fourteen chicks are given to each hen, 

 and for a few days she is confined to her coop, but afterwards 

 allowed liberty in the dry part of the day. She has all the corn 

 she will eat as long as she broods the flock, and so keeps fat and 

 warm, and often begins to lay before she weans her family. 



The first food is bread crumbs, and hard-boiled eggs, with 

 scraps from the table. If the flock is large we make coarse bread 

 and short-cake, of middlings; and soon they can eat, cornmeal 

 cake, or "johnnycake." All food for chickens should be seasoned 

 as highly with salt and pepper as we season that for our own 

 eating. 



As they grow older the chicks can eat corn-meal scalded, 

 seasoned, and shortened with drippings, tallow, or lard. If possi- 

 ble we get something from the butcher; the "lights" of beef 

 make excellent food if boiled until quite tender and chopped fine, 

 and " rough " tallow is good to mix with other food. Chickens 

 will grow in almost the exact ratio in which animal food is given. 

 Cracked corn, or wheat screenings scalded, comes in the next 

 course. A pail of corn or wheat is covered with boiling water, in 

 which a large tablespoon of salt is dissolved, and allowed to stand 

 closely covered several hours, until quite softened. Cayenne is 

 added in greater or less quantity as the weather is cold or hot, 

 wet or dry. 



They are fed three times daily al they will eat, and when quite 

 young we must leave a little food ready for them, unless we 

 choose to go out very early in the morning, for how can the 

 " early bird catch the woim " unless the worm is waiting for him ? 

 When they are older and able to digest it. dry cracked corn and 



