186 DISEASES AND CURES. 



washing with lime, warm situation, good ventilation, and pure 

 water ; and that the hens set to hatch be placed in a quiet, rather 

 dark, retired place, in a separate apartment from the laying hens. 

 The cottager is well aware of the advantage of the comfortable 

 keeping of his poultry, near his fire, so as to be in possession of 

 eggs at all seasons. But if he wish to erect a poultry-house out- 

 side his cottage, he may take a hint from the annexed, and let it 

 be at the gable end, next his kitchen fire, so as to economize 

 the heat, and dispel the damp. 



CHAPTER X. 



DISEASES AND CURES. 

 THE DISEASES OF POULTRY 



ARE mostly attributable to bad keeping, or improper food, to 

 prevent which, house dry and warm, with good ventilation, and 

 feed with as much variety as possible, and with pure water to 

 drink. If immediately attended to, there is a chance of recovery ; 

 but, if neglected for a time, the doubt and difficulty of recovery 

 would not be compensated for by the value of any ordinary fowl, 

 and their recovery, in most instances, is so tedious, that a whole 

 season may pass over without the convalescent hen laying a 

 single egg ; under these circumstances, it is a consideration as 

 to whether it may not be a mercy to dispatch the fowl, before 

 it becomes unfit for table use. However, in order to give my 

 favourites a chance, and indulge those who may wish to practise 

 on their poultry, I give the experience of myself and others, as to 

 the best mode of treating them. 



VERMIN 



Occasionally engender in the feathers of fowl, and collect in 

 quantities in the down of chickens, and become so troublesome, 

 as to prevent them thriving, to dislodge which, sprinkle through 

 the feathers fine, Scotch snuff, or digitalis dried and powdered, 

 or flour of sulphur applied in the same way ; and to prevent a 

 recurrence, furnish the fowl with dry, fine sand or ashes, to roll 



