24 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY. 



bean-meal, and is then, for the lighter breeds, an economical 

 and useful food. Potatoes, also, from the large proportion of 

 starch contained in them, are not good in quantity as a regular 

 diet for poultry ; but mixed with bran or sharps will be found 

 useful occasionally, as above noted. 



The smaller and lighter breeds may have more of fattening 

 foods than the larger ones ; but Asiatics particularly are so 

 liable to internal fat, that it is safest never to give them maize 

 at all in any form, and very little of potatoes. 



In mixing soft food there is one general rule always to be 

 observed : it must be mixed rather dry t so that it will break if 

 thrown upon the ground. There should never be enough 

 water to cause the food to glisten in the light, or to make a 

 sticky porridgy mass, which clings round the beaks of the 

 fowls, and gives them infinite annoyance, besides often causing 

 diarrhoea. 



If the weather be dry, and the birds are fed in a hard 

 gravelled yard, the food is just as well, or better, thrown on 

 the ground. If they are fed in the shed, 

 however, it is best to use a dish of metal 

 or earthenware, which should have straight 

 Fi g 3> sides, as in Fig. 3. Such a trough or dish 



must, however, be protected, or the fowls may walk upon it, and 

 waste a large portion. This is best prevented by having a loose 

 curved cover made of tin and wire, as shown in Fig. 4. which, 

 when placed on the ground over the dish, will effectually prevent 

 the fowls having anything to do with the food except to eat it, 

 which they are quite at liberty to do through the perpendicular 

 wires two and a half inches apart. On the whole, however, 

 the best vessel for poultry-food is that shown in Fig. 5. The 

 spreading bottom prevents the vessel from being overturned, 

 and the straight sides and the top make it impossible to scratch 

 food out. Such a vessel needs no cover, and also makes a 

 good and simple water-pan. 



