THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



usually has little appetite and should not be 

 forced at all. And too poor condition is bad 

 for them, though over-fat is still worse. Very 

 special care should be taken in mixing their 

 food, and the system kept cool by plenty of 

 green food, which will enable the rather extra 

 food to be better assimilated. A little malt- 

 dust is also exceedingly beneficial in this way, 

 and it is a comparatively recent discovery that 

 a good pinch of powdered sulphur to each bird 

 thrice a week, or every day if the growth of 

 new feathers seems very rapid, has a good 

 effect in helping the new plumage, when it has 

 begun to grow ; rape-seed, which contains sulphur, 

 is said to have the same effect. Whether or 

 not animal food has been used before, unless the 

 birds have ample range a little should be given 

 now, and some sunflower-seed will be exceed- 

 ingly beneficial. The birds should be constantly 

 examined, and endeavour made to graduate the 

 feeding so that, if in the proper condition at first, 

 they slightly and slowly increase in weight. 

 Iron tonic should be given as above, right 

 through the process. This is all that is neces- 

 sary for a successful moult ; some special points 

 regarding exhibition stock must be dealt with in 

 the proper place, and it need only be added 

 here that it is very desirable only to keep 

 fowls which moult fairly early. Late moult 

 brings the process into cold and bad weather, 

 when the birds suffer more in any case ; late 

 moults are also apt to be prolonged, and then 

 it is very late before laying is resumed. Late- 

 hatched birds, which moult late, are therefore 

 never profitable, and should be displaced as 

 soon as possible by others which are more 

 likely to be so. 



Cleanliness in both house and run must be 

 the object of constant, unremitting care, which 



is perhaps most likely to be neg- 

 Cleanliness. lected in affairs of the smallest 



size. It is just where only a few 

 birds are kept, that it is likely to be thought of 

 little consequence, whereas to such a few, if 

 penned up, and especially if entirely within a 

 covered run, it is most of all important, even 

 vital. Large establishments will be, of course, 

 attended to systematically, and the easiest way 

 of keeping the loose material in a number of 

 sheds properly clean from the droppings of the 

 fowls is to rake them daily with such a small- 

 toothed rake as already described, made with 

 about one-eighth inch wires set three-eighths 

 inch apart; and once a week to cast all the 

 material through a mason's riddle. One small 

 shed should be treated similarly, but using a 

 circular wire sieve instead of the riddle. The 

 earth, or ashes, or road-dust should, if possible. 



be sifted in the first place : if so, and it is kept 

 dry, the covered run can be then kept in good 

 order, and no other dust-bath will be required, 

 though a bare place should be fenced off for the 

 fountain and for feeding. Our own plan used to 

 be to keep away the loose stuff from a feeding 

 place about four by three feet, by laying on the 

 hard ground two pieces of timber, three by 

 four inches, over which the fowls could step 

 easily, but which fenced back the loose earth 

 on the other side. Concerning the roosting 

 house nothing need be added to what was 

 said in Chapter I. 



The chief thing is that, even on a small scale, 

 all this be methodised. It is not easy always to 



do so, but it must be done, including 

 Poultry the disposal of the manure. When 



Manure. there is even a small garden there 



will be no difficulty, as fresh earth 

 can be got as often as required to replace that 

 discarded, and the manure from a few fowls can 

 readily be used. The collected manure should 

 be stored in an old cask or some vessel where it 

 will be kept dry, and some time before using 

 it should be mixed with dry earth, and any soot, 

 or fine dry ashes, or burnt weeds that may 

 be available. It is excellent for nearly all 

 things if not used too strong, as it generally is. 

 Another way to use it at home is to put some in 

 a watering-pot, fill up with water overnight and 

 stir, and use the liquid. In spite of its real 

 value it is not a saleable article as a rule ; but 

 twice, in different localities, we found a nursery- 

 man who allowed us 4s. per hundredweight 

 for ours, against such small things as we needed 

 from him.* If some such arrangement can be 

 made it will help matters, but of course the 

 manure from only half a dozen birds is not 

 worth anyone's while to take away, and should 

 be used on the garden plot, or smuggled into 

 the dust-bin. Owing to the need for clean 

 material and for disposal of manure, some plot 

 of garden ground seems almost necessary in 

 connection with a pen of fowls. If there is none 

 such at all, the best plan is to keep the main 

 part of the covered run hard and smooth, 

 cleansing this with a scraper, and supply a dust- 

 bath in one corner from the household ashes 

 sifted fine, which can be discarded in the dust- 

 bin periodically. The difficulty in such a case 

 is likely to come from want of scratching 

 material and exercise. It is in precisely such 

 circumstances as these that feather-eating is 

 most likely to follow the least neglect, and 

 should be guarded against by keeping even 

 fewer birds than usual, by the most sedulous 



* Respecting the real value of poultry manure, see Chapter 

 VIII. 



