186 



MRS. BASLEY'S WESTERN POULTRY BOOK 



being economically inclined, I found 

 the milk-fed, uncaponized eight- 

 months youngsters paid me best. 

 Since then the market for capons has 

 improved here, and if you had more 

 room and could buy up young cock- 

 erels, caponize them at about three 

 months of age and turn them off in 

 the following spring, just when tur- 

 keys go out, you might make some 

 profit on them. It has been found 

 that the Brahmas or crosses of the 

 Brahmas are the best for capons. 



same time. Some chickens will eat it 



earlier than others; mine, a large 



breed, usually will take it at three 

 weeks. 



From Far Away Alaska Commenc- 

 ing with the first of March for the 

 last three years my chickens begin 

 to lose their feathers in front of their 

 neck. I feed them wheat, corn, shorts, 

 cooked potatoes and cabbage. They 

 have no lice. I also give them plenty 

 of charcoal and grit. I have a chick- 

 en house 30 x 30, logs with moss be- 

 tween, lined inside with shakes. I 

 also keep fire in a stove to keep out 

 dampness. H. C. C., Sumdum, Al- 

 aska. 



Answer Not knowing your climate, 

 scarcely like to venture an opinion, 

 about the reason for your hens los- 

 ing their feathers. Your rations 

 seem good, all except there is no ani- 

 mal food in it. I think you should 

 give them fish with their cooked po- 

 tatoes. Do not feel alarmed about 

 their losing their feathers, as it may 

 be on account of the climate. 



Technical Names Will you please 

 tell me how old "friers," "broilers" 

 and "springs" are? When is it safe 

 to feed wheat and mash to chicks? 

 Mrs. M. N. 



Answer It is not by the age that 

 we decide upon the size of the chick- 

 ens, or their names. "Squab broil- 

 ers" weigh one pound and are usually 

 from a small breed, fattened as quick-, 

 ly as possible, the age being about 

 six or seven weeks. "Broilers" weigh 

 from one to two pounds, the age be- 

 ing about eight weeks. "Friers" weigh 

 from one pound to two and a half 

 pounds; age, about ten weeks. Young 

 "roasters" from two and a half to 

 three or four pounds, age about three 

 months. 



Feed the wheat to chicks as soon 

 as they will eat it, commencing to 

 add it to the chick feed. I com- 

 mence also to add Kaffir corn at the 



Henpecked Husbands I cannot 

 keep my hens from picking the combs 

 of the roosters. Could you tell me 

 the reason for it? Also a remedy for 

 it? I have tried everything I know 

 for it. I feed meat twice a week. 

 R. M. 



Answer This habit or vice usually 

 comes from a lack of green food or 

 meat in the ration. Very often the 

 habit is acquired by imitation and 

 thus it may be introduced into a flock 

 by a new bird which had contracted 

 it elsewhere, or it is spread through 

 the flock from a bird which is led to 

 it by indigestion or other disease of 

 the stomach. It is sometimes started 

 by lice. The hen sees one crawling 

 on her mate's comb and tries to peck 

 at it, wounds the comb, tastes the 

 warm sweet blood and keeps up the 

 habit. The others imitate her until 

 the poor henpecked husband is in a 

 sorry plight. The preventive is plenty 

 of green food, plenty of exercise and 

 animal food. The cure, the hatchet 

 for the worst hens, or if they are too 

 valuable, let them run without the 

 male bird, only admitting him to the 

 pen for an hour a day in the after- 

 noon. Give the hens a good run in 

 a grass-covered yard. Feed plenty of 

 green vegetables; onions chopped are 

 particularly efficacious. If the . yard 

 is small, prepare a scratching shed, 

 covering the floor deeply with straw 

 and scatter grain in the straw for the 

 morning meal, so the fowls will be 

 compelled to scratch and work to find 

 it. Add bi-carbonate of soda to the 

 drinking water in the proportion of 

 about 20 grains to the quart; put a 

 small quantity in the food, or nail up 

 a piece of salt pork for the hens to 

 peck. 



Will you kindly tell me if painting 

 the brooder on the inside with crude 

 oil will injure little chicks? 



We have ordered 100 Brown Leg- 

 horns for March 15, and have got a 

 second-hand brooder. Of course, we 

 want it perfectly clean, as we are 

 beginners and are striving for success. 

 A friend of ours, gave us five gallons 

 of crude oil and insisted on our using 

 it, but I thought it wise to ask some 



