282 DISEASES OF ANIMALS. 



constantly by them, but not much at a time. Give them 

 boiled potatoes also ; mash them while hot, and stir in 

 cvheat bran and Indian meal. This is an excellent dish 

 for chickens. In winter, give green food, such as cab 

 bage-leaves, large slices of turnips, potatoes and apples 

 In winter, and when confined in summer, give anima, 

 food, and keep by them constantly gravel, old lime mor 

 tar, pounded bones or oyster-shells. When closely con 

 fined, they often suffer for want of exercise ; bury theii 

 grain in dry earth, and let them scratch it out. This 

 promotes laying in winter. 



Diseases. The Croup, or Catarrh, is the most destruc- 

 tive. There is a running at the nose and eyes ; the eyes 

 swell and are closed ; the whole head, mouth and throat, 

 become affected. It is a slow, lingering disorder, some 

 times continuing in the same subject a whole year. It 

 is caused by dampness, foul air and close confinement. 

 Last fall we had some fine Dorking chickens, running a» 

 large. We shut up only five or six in a house not very 

 close. In a few weeks, they had the croup. We gave 

 them a few pills of powdered charcoal and lard, washed 

 their heads and mouths in soap suds, gave them a few 

 doses of Cayenne pepper, and turned them out, and they 

 aeon recovered. This is the best treatment. Allow 

 chickens exercise in pure air, pure food and water, with 

 a little asafoetida in the water, and they will seldom be 

 sick. For the Pip, take the scab from the tongue, and 

 apply fine salt. For Looseness, give lard mixed with 

 charcoal powder. For Costiveness, give lard. 



Lice. For large lice that appear on chickens' heads 

 soon after hatched, apply lard, new rum or yellow snuff*. 

 For the very small lice, or ticks, a most insidious and 

 formidable enemy, apply yellow snuff or new rum. 

 Giving a little sulphur in food is good. By all means 

 whitewash the hen-house as warm weather comes on, 

 and repea it, filling all the cracks and crevices. Put 

 much salt n the whi ewash 



