3OO THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



as beneficial for cold or chill as for the diarrhoea itself. 

 Repeat this next morning, and in many cases the disease, 

 whatever it is ; will be checked ; care being of course taken 

 to give the invalid warmth and good shelter. 



VICES. 



Egg-eating is generally acquired from the breakage of 

 soft eggs, which creates an appetite for the delicate food ; 

 we do not believe it ever due to a craving for lime. Some 

 think that eating broken-up egg-shells leads to the habit, 

 and possibly whole or half shells might do so. Whatever 

 the cause, the vice is most inveterate when once acquired. 

 The only possibility of real cure depends upon isolating the 

 criminal, which is also necessary to prevent her con- 

 taminating the others. She should be provided with a 

 regular supply of egg-shells carefully emptied and refilled 

 with nauseous materials, if possible of a yellow colour. 

 Sometimes fresh-made mustard is rejected, but we have 

 seen hens eat it unconcernedly ; carbolated vaseline, how- 

 ever, is always, we think, turned from with loathing. There 

 should always be such an egg near the nest ; and on the 

 other hand, the nest itself should be so constructed that 

 the egg rolls down out of reach as soon as laid. An easy 

 way of managing this is to make a false bottom to it of a 

 rather slack or hollowed piece of carpet, in the back region 

 of which a cross cut is made through which the egg dis- 

 appears on to a cushion of hay below. Half a nest-egg 

 should be cemented to the carpet by the flat side. Thus 

 deprived of the real delicacy, and every trial resulting in 

 the nauseous carbolate, experience proves that many hens 

 can be cured ; but the necessity of having only one bird 

 to deal with, and the patience and perseverance needed 

 even then, are obvious. 



Feather-eating is a far more common vice, especially 



