Peeding, Rearing, and Management of Chickens. 
55 
food fills the crop, where it becomes moistened and softened, then passing on to the gizzard, and from 
lack of grit in that organ lies there, irritating the gizzard and delicate internal organs, and the tax placed 
upon the gizzard by the violent efforts to manipulate the food excretes the fluids which assist digestion, 
and this excretion of the digestive fluids is frequently mistaken for dysentery. It stands to reason that 
a chicken so situated, even if it survives for a time, cannot come to any ultimate good, and it merely 
resolves into the question of how long its strength can sustain life, eventually becoming a victim to the 
owner's stupid neglect. We have a firm conviction that, next to lice, want of grit is the greatest cause 
of excessive chicken mortality. 
Again, improper food, such as soft food that is sour or filthy, or of a doughy consistency, is another 
of the greatest evils to be guarded against in chicken-rearing. Numbers of careless persons who feed 
chickens throw down in a perfunctory manner a lot of sticky food which the chickens tramp on and 
foul, and that Avhich is left over becomes sour by the action of the sun, being eaten later. This sour 
and filthy food is the very worst thing a chicken can eat, and acts as an irritant poison to their systems. 
It does not supply a particle of nourishment, but at the same time taxes the strength already gained to 
rid the system of it. This will be plainly seen as but poor economy if the chickens are wanted or 
expected to show some return for the outlay. One of the commonest mistakes made by beginners in 
rearing and feeding chickens is to mix up at one time (to save labour) too much food for the one tneal, 
saving that which is left over for a later feed. By this latter time the food is well advanced on its way 
to sourness, if not quite sour, and is then a source of the greatest danger. This is so very simple a 
mistake to avoid that there is no tangible excuse for committing the error. JFeed Just as much^ and no 
more, than ivill be eaten up greedily, and let it be absolutely jresh siveet, and clean. The same remarks 
equally apply to the feeding of adult stock ; and, as an excellent guide to those who have not gained 
practical experience, it is well to bear in mind to feed only what will be eaten up immediately and 
wholly consumed. If any food whatever is left five minutes after feeding, the birds have been overfed, 
With the very young chickens, " feed a little at a time and often " is the certain end towards success. 
A great proportion of the cases of dysentery in young chickens is caused by a chill, either from 
exposure to cold winds or severely wet weather, and also often from getting wet in the dewy grass in 
the early morning, and to prevent this a perfectly dry lodging and a little shelter must be provided. 
With these simple precautions taken the chickens will be kept warm and comfortable, two great aids to 
successful chicken-raising. 
The weeding-out and separation of the sexes are worthy of careful attention when they are from three 
to four months old. This is often neglected, owing chiefly to the diflSculty in providing separate 
accommodation, the general result being that the ground is overstocked, and the birds naturally suffer 
accordingly. Chickens while growing require plenty of room, both by night and day, and if the limit 
of house accommodation be reached, and the runs not possible of further extension, it is wise to at once 
decrease the number of occupants. This possesses a double advantage — that of not increasing the food 
bill, and by allowing those retained to have full and plenty, as to attempt to reduce the expenditure by 
limiting the food supply will surely result in hindering the growth of the young stock. The beginner, 
if he is at all observant, will have less and less difficulty each succeeding season in deciding which of the 
chickens to discard ; and, if he confines his attention and energy strictly to one breed, will meet with 
success much earlier than if his attention is divided among several. There are some structural defects, 
such as roach back, wry tail, twisted beak, crooked toes, etc., which should condemn the bird at once, but in 
breeds in which feather-marking and shape are all-important points more caution is necessary. 
Chickens which appear gaunt, bony, and lean-looking, with few feathers, should be carefully dealt 
with, as in the majority of breeds these unsightly-looking ones mostly turn out the very best 
specimens as adults, and chickens of this description are well worth giving a little time to develop. At 
the time of weeding-out the chickens should be separated according to sex. When the cockerels begin 
to develop their combs and wattles, and make attempts at crowing, and are beginning to develop the 
