246 



TEE AOBICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



to rear the pheasants two years in suc- 

 cession in the same field. If he does so 

 it is seriously to his loss. If practicable, 

 the hen should be allowed at large, and 

 the chickens will do much better than if 

 she is cooped. But this plan cannot be 

 followed where there are many broods. 

 In addition to cooping, other plans may 

 be followed. A ring of wire work, 6ft. 

 high, may be made, and the hen, with a 

 box for shelter, placed in the interior. 

 If this is placed on mould or short grass, 

 the chickens will do much better, as the 

 hen will scratch for them, and there is 

 no difficulty is shifting the wire work day 

 by day. Another useful plan is that of 

 tethering the hens, fastening them by 

 means of a long string to a peg driven into 

 the ground, and giving them a box or 

 empty coop in which they can shelter with 

 the chickens at night. This tethering 

 system, where it can be pursued, is much 

 more advantageous than cooping. It en- 

 ables the hen to scratch for the chickens, 

 obtaining insects and small worms, and 

 nothing is easier than to shift her on fresh 

 ground by pulling up the peg and putting 

 it in a new position. The string should 

 not be tied round the leg, but a piece of 

 thin leather or strong \vol)l)ing should be 

 taken about Sin. or Oin. long by an inch 

 broad. Two short slits and a hole should 

 be cut in it, as shown in the diagram. A 



A 



_B_ 



c 







O 



TETIIEK 



FOR )IEN (( 



)XE THIRD SIZE.) 



and B should l)e placed around the leg of 

 the hen, and the end C passed through 

 both slits, and if pulled tight will make a 



secure band round the leg of the hen 

 which can neither be undone by picking 

 or tightened by pulling. The string 

 which is attached to the hole C in the 

 leather should have a loop at the other 

 end, which is placed over the peg, and 

 the box in which the hen roosts should be 

 placed just so far from the peg that the 

 hen can enter into it, and not go behind 

 and twist tine string round it. I have 

 always found that chickens reared under 

 teathererxl hens have thriven much better 

 than those under hens in coops. 



As to feeding the chicken, the clear 

 eggs that were removed from the sitting 

 hen on the seventh day answer admirably 

 for the first food, but they should not be 

 boiled hard and choiijiod up, as is usually 

 done, inasmuch as the yolk is eaten first 

 and the white is very often dried in the 

 sun till it becomes perfectly horny, being 

 useless and uneatable. The eggs should 

 be mixed with a little more than an 

 equal quantity of milk, put into a sauce- 

 pan by the side of the fire until it sets 

 into a crumbly custard, which is much 

 relished by the chicken. I regard canary 

 seed or dari as much superior to chicken 

 grits, which, having been husked, have 

 the kernel exposed to the air, and in all 

 ]n-obabi]ity are stale and rancid, whereas 

 the dari or canary seed is fresh, and the 

 husk contains the mineral materials which 

 are essential to the growth of bone in the 

 yownn fowl. Bread dipped in milk and 

 squee'zed drv is also advantageous, and 

 this in a few days should be followed by 

 small wheat, which, if the chickens are 

 allowed to range on fresh ground, is 

 easily digested, and they obtain stones 

 and grit to ensure the grain being ground 

 in tlie gizzard. 



Veterinary Deparimeniai Report for Aprih 1S0U 



I 



ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTS 



Minister of Agriculture — 

 HFREWITH enclose the Reports of 



the Veterinary Department for the 

 month of April. 



Cases of infectious diseise still continue 

 to be reported from tlie Northern parts 

 of the Colony, thirty-three fresh licenses 



having been issued for the supression of 

 Inngsickness withui the last month by 

 District Veterinary Surgeon Hutchinson. 

 This shows a falling off in the number of 

 licenses issued by eleven, forty-four herds 

 having to be placed in quarantine du-ing 

 the previous month. 



