524 The Rearing and Management of 



Another kind of food for young birds is prepared by boiling- 

 two or three eggs until quite hard, afterwards chop fine, 

 adding two or three handfuls of stale bread-crumbs ; mix Avell 

 together, so that the one cannot be eaten -without the other. This 

 maybe thought expensive food, but as the consumption by young 

 birds is at first very small, I always consider a little extra keep 

 is not thrown away on them ; you are forcing and growing birds 

 that will repay you for all, and at no distant date. 



Another description of food is Indian and barley-meal, in equal 

 quantities, slaked with boiling water or milk, and served cold ; 

 it cannot be surpassed as food for small chickens, and answers 

 admirably, given alternately with the rice and e^^ prepared as 

 aforesaid. The youngest chickens I keep near the house, and 

 feed very sparingly every two hours throughout the day, giving 

 little or no -water, as I find over-drinking spoils the appetite 

 and brings on indigestion, which generally terminates in death. 

 As they grow and become strong, they should by degrees be put 

 upon the same food as adults, and any that promise to make 

 prize birds are then transported to a run specially kept for the 

 purpose, to which of course a little extra feed is carried. 



The adult poultry I feed twice a day with light wheat, oats, 

 or barley, given alternately with boiled potatoes, or turnips 

 mashed up with ground oats or barleymeal, and I will guarantee 

 this feed to keep them in good condition, and to produce plenty 

 of eggs. Care should be taken in not supplving more food than 

 is eaten, otherwise much may be wasted as is often the case, 

 and I think if profit be looked for, more poultry should not be 

 kept than can be conveniently and well cared for and fed with 

 the produce of the farm, except as I have before mentioned, in 

 reference to young birds or those intended for exhibition. 



• TUKKEYS 



Are not so troublesome and difficult to rear as is generally 

 supposed, and taking into consideration the present prices, it 

 is a question if any of our domestic poultry are more profitable; 

 it is not uncommon for a pair of turkev hens to rear thirty 

 young ones during the season, which at an average price of 12^. 

 each, are worth 18/. 



There are several varieties, the two most useful and profitable 

 being the Norfolk, or black, and the Cambridge, of metallic 

 hue ; in size and beauty the latter is pre-eminent. Never keep 

 either male or female for breeding purposes beyond four years, 

 neither depend entirely upon year-old birds ; on a farm of ordi- 

 nary size three hens and one cock will be found a sufficient 

 number with other poultry. Take care to introduce fresh blood 



