MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS 



77 



containing several inches of dry earth, are placed for the birds' 

 dust baths. Fresh earth must be provided frequently or they 

 will not use the bath as freely as is desirable. For use in 

 winter the earth must be so dry that it will not freeze, but the 

 birds prefer earth that is slightly moist. The first function of 

 the dust bath is to clean the feathers, and damp earth does 

 this much better than earth that is very dry. In wallowing to 

 clean their plumage fowls also rid themselves of lice. When 

 it is not convenient 

 to store much earth, 

 the same material 

 may do double serv- 

 ice first in the 

 dust bath, then on 

 the droppings board. 



In a bare yard 

 the soil should be 

 turned over often, 

 all the matter that 

 can be raked up 

 with a fine rake hav- 

 ing first been removed. A yard that is in grass requires little 

 care except near the house, where the ground may be bare. 

 Here it should be forked over occasionally. 



Feeding. The feeding of a small flock of fowls is a very 

 simple process. The table and kitchen waste of an ordinary 

 family will furnish all the soft food that they need, and usually 

 enough green food to prevent their suffering for lack of such 

 foods if no other provision is made for supplying them. This 

 waste should not be carried from the house as it is made, and 

 thrown on the ground for the fowls to pick out of the dirt. A 

 better way is to provide a covered jar large enough to hold the 

 accumulation of this material for a day. Into this may be put all 

 the leavings from the table, except such things as orange and 



FIG. 74. Small houses in back yard 



