56 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
hackle and tail feathers, they should immediately be drafted off and placed together in colonies, in 
number according to the space at command, and if unrestricted liberty can be given they will do so 
much better than if at all confined. The pullets may be similarly dealt with, but it is just as well to 
change their quarters occasionally, so as to retard maturity. The masculine characteristics of a cockerel 
will be quickly developed by turning him down with a few old hens, more especially if he is fed on a 
partly flesh diet and a tonic used in the drinking water, but this would be at the sacrifice of ultimate 
size and stamina ; a cockerel under these conditions never makes a big one, and vigorous progeny could 
scarcely be e.vpected. To produce those well-developed, sound-constitutioned cockerels — likely Show 
ivinucrs and tlic best nf hire ding cocks — they should be kept in the celibate state as long as possible, all 
their growth being nursed, so that when the time arrives for their final development they will make 
strong, healthy, vigorous sires. Rearing the sexes together encourages precocity to such an extent that 
both cockerels and pullets are considerably retarded in growth and full development — two vital points 
which, if neglected, are likely to prove disastrous to the Fancier in these days of keen show competition. 
To D. F. Laurie, Esq., of Adelaide, S.A., we are indebted for the following on the feeding of 
chickens hatched in Incubators and on Foster-mothers, which will, no doubt, be of great assistance to 
beginners in Poultry-raising. Mr. Laurie states : " If the first chicks of the season, place them on a 
flat board, piece of brown paper, or clean spot of ground, and drop rough oatmeal dry in front of them, 
tapping the ground and clucking after the manner of a hen, so as to attract their attention. An 
inquisitive chick will e\'e Ihc proceedings, advance cautiously or with a spasmodic rush, and tackle a 
mighty morsel, with which it Avill wrestle until swallowed ; as a rule, this completes the lesson, and the 
rest soon follow suit. When they have mastered the art of consuming dry oatmeal they may be fed on 
the same damped with water or milk, and also mixed with hard-boiled egg ; this will do well for a week 
or ten days. Fine-chopped lettuce mixed with this food is much appreciated, and very advantageous. 
It is very convenient to have a series of small tin-lined bins for the various sorts of foods suitable for 
chicks, which are at first oatmeal, barley meal, and wheat meal, and later on cfacked wheat, to be 
followed as they grow by occasional feeds of barley, oats, or split peas. Bread and milk is a very good 
occasional food, but I am not sure that I agree with a too free use of milk. Canary seed is much liked 
by the young ones, and may be their first grain food, but only to a limited extent, as it has a very hard 
shell. After a fortnight, boiled wheat may be given twice a day with good effect, also a little boiled 
bullock's liver, cut up fine. I find it an excellent plan, if time permits, to dig up a piece of ground each 
day for the little ones to scratch in, and, even if worms are scarce, it is surprising the amount of edible 
matter they seem to find, and the work they do makes them very hardy, and they grow well. A 
well-contested tug-of-war between two sturdy chicks over a tough worm is not devoid of the comic 
element — in fact, it is good fun on a nice spring Sunday morning. Cleanliness with chickens is the 
most important point of all. Place all the food in troughs, or on clean boards or sheets of iron, which 
must be kept clean. If food is thrown on the ground, especially if the latter is at all foul, it stands to 
reason that there must be great risk that the bird will consume offensive matter to its detriment. Fresh 
water, kept in the shade, should be provided, and changed at least twice a day, as well as a plentiful 
supply of finely-chopped green food. For the latter, lettuce, cabbage, etc., are good, and for summer 
thousand-headed kail, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and silver beet are to be recommended ; last, though by 
no means least, lucerne, or, if obtainable, clover. A few rods of ground, well manured, will produce 
enough green food for a large number of fowls. Plant in rows, use the hoe frequently, and water 
occasionally with liquid manure, giving plenty of water in summer. It is a good plan to make large 
frames with wire-netting tops, and plant mustard or rape ; the chicks can eat it without damaging the 
roots. As the chicks pass three months, give bone-meal made of dry bones (not \vith the oil in them) 
each day with the food. Powdered charcoal is very good for the digestion, and enables the bird to 
completely assimilate its food. Chicks are better if not allowed to roost ; keep them on straw, in cat 
and rat-proof houses. As regards artificially-heated Foster-mothers, I do not believe in them, as there 
