Added  as  a Monthly  Supplement  to  the  “ TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST '.,J 
THE  MAGAZINE 
OP 
TfiG  SCHOOL  OF  AGRICULTURE, 
COLOMBO. 
Vol,  IV.]  MAY,  1893.  [No.  IV. 
HINTS  TO  POULTRY  KEEPERS. 
OULTRY  should  not  be  cooped  up 
at  night  in  ill-ventilated  rooms. 
Nothing  can  be  better  it  is  said 
than  to  let  fowls  roost  in  the 
open  air — the  plan  adopted  by 
many  poor  native  families  more  from  necessity 
than  choice,  because,  forsooth,  they  have  not  the 
means  of  building  hovels,  such  as  they  build  for 
themselves,  for  their  poultry,  The  only  objection 
against  this  plan  being  adopted  with  us,  is  the 
danger  from  wild-cats  and  such  predatory  beasts ; 
but  the  fact  is  that  those  who  have  been  bold 
enough  to  let  their  poultry  find  open  air  roosts  for 
themselves,  have  discovered  that  in  this  natural 
method  there  is  in  the  end  really  more  safety  both 
from  wild  animals  and  poultry  thieves.  The 
birds  are,  moreover,  less  subject  to  cold  and 
seldom  or  never  contract  roup,  when  allowed  to 
remain  in  the  open  air  than  when  kept  in  a 
close  shut-up  roost  all  night.  If  necessary,  the 
protection  afforded  by  the  roof  of  an  open  shed 
in  the  open  might  be  provided,  but  under  any 
circumstances  if  health  and  vigour  are  to  be 
maintained  refrain  from  shutting  up  your  birds 
in  a Black  Hole  of  a poultry-house.  See  then 
first  that  fowls  have  plenty  of  fresh  air  at  night, 
and  that  their  houses  are  kept  scrupulously 
clean.  They  ought  to  be  thoroughly  cleaned  out 
once  a week,  indeed  oftener  if  the  time  could 
be  afforded,  and  a little  paraffin  diluted  in 
water  and  sprinkled  over  the  perches  and  floor 
will  prove  a capital  preventative  against  vermin. 
Then  with  regard  to  water,  never  use  zinc 
drinking  vessels  so  commonly  advertised  for 
watering  poultry  ; they  are  said  to  cause  half 
the  diseases  to  which  poultry  fall  victims.  Even 
stone  fountains  must  be  deprecated.  The  old- 
fashioned  open  saucers  are  the  best  watering 
vessels.  These  can  be  kept  thoroughly  sweet  and 
clean,  and  though  they  do  not  hold  sufficient 
water  to  last  for  a day  or  two,  one  can  at  all 
events  see  when  the  vessels  are  dirty.  It  has 
been  pertinently  remarked  that  if  a man  is  too 
lazy  to  fill  the  water  vessels  when  they  require 
replenishing  he  has  no  business  to  keep  poultry. 
See  then  that  the  water  vessels  are  kept  thoroughly 
clean:  a good  plan  is  to  empty  them  at  night 
when  the  fowls  have  gone  to  roost  and  replenish 
them  in  the  morning.  It  is  very  advisable  to 
float  a lump  of  camphor  in  the  drinking  dishes, 
as  it  is  a great  preventative  against  cold  and 
scouriug.  Green  food  should  always  be  accessible 
to  fowls,  and  the  refuse  greens  from  the  kitchen, 
such  as  cabbage  leaves  and  the  like,  should 
always  be  thrown  to  them.  A supply  of  nice 
sharp  grit  is  most  necessary  to  ensure  proper 
digestion.  Pieces  of  limestone,  crushed  oyster 
shells  or  broken-up  china  is  also  most  essential 
in  every  poultry  yard  for  supplying  the  material 
which  goes  to  form  the  shells  of  the  eggs.  A 
warm  feed  in  the  morning  is  an  excellent  thing 
for  poultry,  and  grain  should  be  given  at  night. 
To  feed  too  often  is  very  inadvisable.  Many 
people  who  start  poultry-keeping  think  that 
the  more  they  feed  their  birds  the  better  it  is 
for  the  birds  themselves  and  also  for  the  egg 
basket.  Thousands  of  birds  die  annually  by 
diseases  brought  on  entirely  by  over-feeding. 
Moreover,  fowls  that  are  too  fat  will  not  lay. 
Be  careful  then  in  feeding  your  birds,  only  just 
to  give  them  as  much  as  they  will  eat  with  a 
relish.  Directly  they  cease  to  run  with  eagerness 
for  the  food  you  throw  down,  stop,  and  you 
will  find  your  birds  in  better  health,  no  food 
wasted,  and  the  egg  basket  better  filled. 
During  the  hot  months  an  occasional  tonic 
is  very  useful  in  keeping  fowls  in  active,  healthy 
condition.  A simple  and  cheap  one  is  sulphate 
of  iron  or  green-vitriol.  To  one  gallon  of  water 
add  60  drops  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  then  half 
a pound  of  sulphate  of  iron.  When  this  is 
thoroughly  dissolved  bottle  off,  if  possible  in  a 
spirit  jar,  and  cork  tightly.  About  one  ounce 
of  the  tonic  should  be  added  daily  to  each 
gallon  of  the  drinking  water.  The  drinking 
water  for  fowls  should  be  kept  where  the  ducks 
cannot  get  at  it,  and  may  be  placed  on  a box 
18  in.  to  2 ft.  off  the  ground.  It  is  of  great 
assistance  in  fattening  ducks  to  give  them  their 
grain  in  water.  It  is  the  natural  way  for  water- 
fowl  to  take  their  food.  Every  poultry-keeper 
should  grow  sunfloMrers.  A few  of  the  seed 
fed  occasionally  to  the  laying  hens  will  have  a 
most  beneficial  effect  on  their  egg  production. 
All  table  scraps  aud  kitchen  waste  should  b%. 
