220 POULTRY CULTURE 



Special-constructed nests have been resorted to. These 

 boxes are provided with an incHned bottom, which allows the 

 egg to roll down into another box just below it and so arranged 

 that the birds cannot get at it to break and eat the eggs. 



The feather-pulling habit is also sometimes contracted. 

 The birds may pull out and eat its own feathers or those of 

 its associates. The habit is most often acquired during molt- 

 ing time and spring time. At times it will be noted that the 

 feathers of the reddened bare back, which is the result of molt- 

 ing and exposure, have been attacked and bleeding. The 

 feather-eater prefers the young, tender, succulent feather. 



Give the birds plenty of exercise by throwing their grain in 

 deep litter. Give them plenty of green feed, also animal feed, 

 as meat meal, and plenty of range. If only one or two birds 

 are affected, remove them from the flock for a while. 



Toe picking has been noted to develop in chicks kept con- 

 fined in close quarters. Once they get a taste of blood and a 

 fresh wound established between the toes or wing it may be 

 difficult to break them. 



Give them animal meal, green feed, and lenty of range and 

 succulent feed. Encourage exercise by throwing grain in 

 deep litter and requiring them to scratch for it. 



PESTS 



Dogs under certain conditions are known to rob hens' nests 

 and suck the eggs. Fill an egg with tincture of capsicum. 

 Once will do him. 



The pests of the young chicks, in addition to mites and lice, 

 are cats, rats, crows, hawks, opossum, polecats and skunks, 

 mink, and weasles. 



The baby chicks may be protected from cats by confining 

 them in quarters wired in with 1-inch mesh chicken netting 

 or by killing the cats. The kind of runs, illustrated elsewhere 

 in this volume, consists of runs about 18 inches liigh, 2 feet 

 wide, and 6 to 8 feet long. These runs can be made movable, 

 so that they may be set over grassy lots as often as necessity 

 demands. 



The quarters at night must be amply provided with ventila- 



