FOOD OF POULTRY. 173 



in some suitable place by their roots, so that the fowls may 

 pick them themselves. This practice, by furnishing amusement, 

 is deemed conducive to health ; and there can be no doubt that 

 innocent amusement is as beneficial to fowls as recreation is to 

 man. When green food cannot be easily obtained, turnips or 

 potatoes will answer as a substitute. These must be prepared 

 by slicing them in moderate sized pieces, and never given 

 whole. 



One circumstance connected with the feeding of poultry, and 

 that an important one, is not sufficiently well known, and that 

 is the necessity they are under of obtaining azotized, or, in other 

 words, animal, food. Of course, when the birds possess the 

 advantage of an extensive run, they can themselves pick up 

 worms, snails, or slugs; and, as in the case of ducks, &c., 

 frogs, and other small reptiles ; but in cases where they do not 

 possess this advantage, it is necessary that you cater f9r them. 

 I have always experienced the best effects, especially as mani- 

 fested in greatly increased laying, of giving scraps of animal 

 food about twice or thrice a week to the fowl ; the best mode 

 of doing so is throwing down a bullock's liver, leaving it with 

 them, and permitting them to pick ad libitum; of course, care 

 must be taken that cats or dogs do not steal it ; the liver is bet- 

 ter given raw than boiled. Lights or guts, or any other animal 

 refuse, will be found to answer the same purpose, but these 

 substances require, or at all events are the better for, boiling. 



Several substances have been at different times recommended 

 as calculated to increase the fecundity of the various classes of 

 the feathered inhabitants of the farm-yard ; amongst these, per- 

 haps, hempseed and buckwheat are preeminent. There can 

 exist no doubt of the peculiar efficacy of these seeds in this 

 respect, when properly used. 



When a hen pines, or seems disposed to be thin, there need 

 be no hesitation in giving buckwheat with even a liberal hand ; 

 15* 



