MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



201 



breasts. Kindly tell me if that trouble 

 will be handed down if I breed from 

 them. Mrs. C. R. 



Answer As a rule, the chicks take 

 their size from the mother. If your R. 

 I. R. hens have a good size, the chick- 

 ens will be larger than the cockerel, if 

 you feed them for large frame. If the 

 hens are under weight and size, you may 



have difficulty in increasing the size of 

 the offspring. Some people think that 

 crooked breastbones come from chick- 

 ens roosting on a narrow perch when 

 they are young; however, I think it is 

 generally conceded that crooked breast- 

 bones are often hereditary. You will 

 know if your chickens have roosted at 

 too early an age. If not, it is hereditary 

 and you had better change the strain. 



MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



SHIPPING YOUNG CHICKS Do you 

 think I can order eggs incubated 31 

 miles from here and have the young 

 chicks sent by stage with perfect safety? 



We are feeding corn of our own 

 growing which is quite musty. I have 

 been afraid of it, but so far cannot see 

 that it has hurt them, although yester- 

 day a hen sat around all day droopy like. 

 I wondered if the musty corn affected 

 her. 



Last summer I brought into the house 

 some small chicks that seemed about to 

 die, and seeing they had lice, I dusted 

 them thoroughly with buhach. The lice 

 soon dropped off of them, but the 

 chickens died. Can too much powder 

 be put on them? Mrs. C. S. 



Answer Chickens could travel a 

 thousand miles before they are twenty- 

 four hours old if packed in a box care- 

 fully. That is, of course, before they 

 are fed. Last year I sent some from 

 Los Angeles to Berkeley. They were 

 out 36 hours, but arrived in perfect con- 

 dition, all vigorous and ready for their 

 first meal in their new home nearly a 

 thousand miles away. 



Musty wheat or corn is very unwhole- 

 some for chickens. Buhach would not 

 kill the most delicate chicken or turkey, 

 but is death to all insect life. The 

 chickens were doubtless dying before 

 you powdered them. 



CASTOR BEAN BUSHES I have been 

 thinking of planting castor bean bushes 

 in the chicken yard for shade, but was 

 advised by a neighbor not to do it, as 

 the beans would drop off and if chick- 

 ens ate them they would be poisoned. 

 Would like your advice, please. The 

 bushes grow quickly and make good 

 shade, so would like to try them. Do 

 you think it would be O. K? J. H. S. 



Answer Castor beans are poisonous 

 to both ducks and chickens if they eat 

 them, so I would advise you to plant 

 something else. Get cuttings of fig trees, 

 about ten inches long, bury the whole 

 length except one inch, water well, and 

 you will have shade in a few months 

 and fruit in two years. I find figs ex- 

 cellent in the chicken yard, and the 

 chickens do not eat the leaves and bark. 

 Would advise planting also other fruit 

 trees and the quantities of fruit you will 

 have will soon repay the trouble. In the 

 meantime you might plant sunflowers. 

 They make good shade and their seed is 

 excellent food for the chickens. 



CAPONS Will you kindly give us an 

 article on capons? What is the demand 

 for them, if any? What do you think 

 of the difference in profits between them 

 and broilers? If there is any truth in 

 the statements published in regard to 

 capons in the Eastern markets, they 

 ought to be money-makers here. Am 

 fitted for the business, but desire more 

 information in that line before attempt- 

 ing much. I think the R. I. Reds would 

 make extra good ones, and I should like 

 marketing mature birds instead of those 

 a few months old. Capons for the Phil- 

 adelphia market have to be a year old to 

 command the best prices. H. J. K. 



Answer Capons bring a good price 

 now in Los Angeles, especially if you 

 can make a contract with some of the 

 large hotels for them. This you can 

 only do by having a large and regular 

 supply. The price last year was from 

 30c to 35c per pound, which is a paying 

 price. Broilers pay about as well when 

 you take into consideration that you can 

 turn them off at eight weeks of age. 

 This would be your better plan, as you 

 are limited for space and you would 

 not have the expense and trouble of car- 



