124 



THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



The top of the inclosure must be covered with boards, 

 or otherwise, only having an opening with a lid, suffi- 

 ciently large to drop through their food. 



FOOD OF THE CHICKS PREVIOUS TO WEANING. 



As to the food of the young brood, let them have any- 

 thing which is not absolutely poisonous. Sloppy matters 

 are better avoided till the little things are old enough to 

 eat a few grains of good wheat, of the best sample, which 

 will then not be thrown away upon them. Meat and 

 insect diet are almost necessary ; but raw vegetables 

 chopped small, or Indian -meal dough, containing no salt, 

 so grateful to young turkeys, are caviare to chickens. 

 But whatever be the bill of fare, the meals must be given 

 at short intervals ; as much as they can swallow, as often 

 as they can eat. The reader will please to remember 

 that when he came into the world, all that was expected 

 of him was to grow and be good-natured. He had not 

 to provide his long clothes out of his mother's milk, nor 

 to elaborate pinafores from a basin of soaked biscuit ; 

 but for poor little chickens, the only known baby-linen 

 warehouse is situated in their own stomachs. And with 

 all their industry, they are only half-clad, till flesh and 

 blood stop growing for a while, and allow down and 

 feathers to overtake them. 



The period at which they are left to shift for them- 

 selves depends upon the disposition of the hen. Some 

 will continue their attentions to their chicks till they are 

 nearly full-grown, others will cast them off much earlier. 

 In the latter case, it may be as well to keep an eye upon 

 them, lor a few days, till they have established themselves 

 as ino pendent members of the gallinaceous community. 

 For c. .ickens, in this half-grown state, are at the most 

 critical period of their lives. They are now much more 

 liable to disease than when they were apparently tender 

 little weaklings crowded under their mother's wings. 

 It is just before arriving at this point of growth, that 

 artificially-hatched chickens are so sure to fail, whether 

 hot air, hot water, or sheepskin, be the substitute for the 

 mother's care. 



