98 MAKAGEMENT OF CHICKENS. 



Eats must be w£^ed war against They are the greaxesi en». 

 mies to young ducklings, also chickens. Keep steel traps 

 prepared, putting them down when the fowls are shut np for 

 the night in the runs outside, and baiting them with cheese or 

 bits of meat, only drop a little oil of rodhim on the bait. In 

 time, if yon will ijersevere, you will either frighten them away or 

 else catch them; but yoa must of course, keep yonr traps oat of 

 the way of the fowls themselves. Boiling coal tar poured down 

 the holes, and followed by a deluge of water, is said to be very 

 effectual in making rats desert a yard. lam averse to poison, 

 because, if it is used in a fowl-house or yard, it is next to im- 

 possible to prevent an accident sooner or later. Ferreting every 

 now and then will do good, unless your houses are adjoining 

 bams or extensive outhouses, in which case you are more likely 

 to lose your ferrets than destroy the vermin. The holes should 

 be carefully stopped with a mixture of ground glasEi, bits of glass 

 broken up, and ordinary plaster. Rats will not often attack 

 glass mixed in this way. If you do use poison yon must nail it 

 up somewhere out of reach-of thel>iids. This you can do by 

 getting a small bit of meat, soaking it witii the poison, and nailing 

 it on to a bit of wood, nailing that again to the wall. Myself I 

 should be afraid of the rat, in his efforts to get off the meat, 

 dropping little bits of it on the floor, when of course the fowls 

 'would be the sufferers. 

 I Cats are enemies also. Dogs one has not much reason to 

 fear, but in the vicinity of a town cats of all ages and sizes win 

 sooner or later visit you, and if there is one delicacy ibey prefer 

 to another it is a young chick or duckling. ' They are so cunning 

 too, it is hard to catch them. 



Traps are not much goi)d. Poisoned fish put down near where 

 you fancy they get into the run is the only thing; but of course 

 it must be taken away without fail before you let yonr fowls 

 outof the house, and it should also be nailed to apiece of wood. 



