SICKENING OF FEMALES WHILE LAYING. 



121 



fattiness, a lack of calcinous substances required for the 

 formation of the egg-shell, being disturbed immediately be- 

 fore laying, during which latter a stoppage of the eggs may 

 also occur. Preventative measures : Nourishing and abun- 

 dant food for the lean females before they are brought into 

 the hatch (not before the middle or the end of April). In 

 the case of very fat females, the egg-food should be with- 

 drawn during six weeks ; and they should be fed with rape- 

 seed only. Eight days before installing them one should be- 

 gin to feed them copiously, and they should, if possible, be 

 coupled with the males in February. All breeding birds 

 should be provided, all the year round, with lime and with 

 good dry sand. In order to avoid the laying-sickness, 

 Bocker gives to every female a morsel of fresh lard daily. 

 This method has been attended with the best results, and is 

 beneficial also to sound females and to males. Cure : A 

 steam-bath. The bird is placed on a cloth, folded several 

 times, over a pot full of hot water, but so that, although 

 thoroughly heated, it does not get scalded ; it is then quickly 

 wrapped in loose cotton which has previously been warmed, 

 and covered with another cloth, so that only the head remains 

 exposed, and in that state it is laid down in a warm spot, on 

 lukewarm sand, if possible, until it is thoroughly dry. It 

 must then be located in a very warm room, near the stove, 

 and must be kept as quiet as possible. Later on, some 

 warmed oil is inserted into the laying-tube, in the same 

 manner as has been indicated for the clyster, but in this 

 case it should be done with the head of a good-sized pin. 

 The tube should be carefully widened until the egg is 

 reached, which must be sought for, if necessary, and must, 

 when found, be gently squeezed out. A projection of the 

 gut or of the intestinal canal occurs sometimes. The pro 

 jected gut of the respective tube must be washed with luke 

 warm lead- water by means of a small piece of soft linen 



