HATCHING MANAGEMENT COOPING. 93 



soon as hatched, and kept very warm. It is a very 

 old and very general custom, to plunge them instantly 

 into cold water, and then give them each a whole pep- 

 per-corn, with a small tea-spoonful of milk. This bap- 

 tism is used by way of a prophylactic against catching 

 cold, to which young chicks are so peculiarly liable ; 

 but it is a practice which I have never used, and from 

 which, in severe weather, I should suspect danger ; 

 however, their being instantly thereafter wrapped in 

 wool or flannel may secure them. The turkey, from 

 sitting so close and steadily, hatches more regularly 

 and quickly than the common hen. 



The hen and brood must be HOUSED during a 

 month or six weeks, dependent upon the state of the 

 weather. First FOOD, curd or eggs boiled hard and 

 chopped, and oat or barley-meal kneaded with milk, 

 and frequently renewed with clear water, rather than 

 milk, which often scours them. In case of the 

 chicks appearing sickly and the feathers ruffled, in- 

 dicating a chill from severity or change of weather, 

 we generally allowed half ground malt with the 

 barley-meal, and by way of a medicine, powdered 

 caraway or coriander seeds. Also ARTIFICIAL WORMS, 

 or boiled meat pulled into strings, in running after 

 which the chicks have a salutary exercise. It is to 

 be noted, that the above diet is beneficial for every 

 other species of chicks, equally with the turkey. 



Superfluous moisture, whether external or inter- 

 nal, is death to chickens, therefore all slop victuals 

 should be rigorously avoided. The utmost CLEAN- 

 LINESS is necessary, and a dry GRAVELLED layer is 

 most proper. A fresh TURF of short sweet grass 



