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December 1 1909 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
88 
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whether they are black, white, brown, or 
red, were the red jungle fowls of India. 
These fowls resemble the Indian game in 
size and shape. ‘The home of these fowls 
was in the forests and thickets, where 
they live generally in small colonies, and 
after the harvests they would roam the 
cultivated fields in search of stray heads 
of grain. The hen would lay fro. ten to 
fourteen eggs on the ,round in the th ck- 
et, where she would hatch her little brood 
twice a year, such a thing as an unfeitile 
egg being unknown. 
Compare this natural poultry breeding 
with our poultry farms of to-day, where 
thousands of hens are kept, some of them 
laying over two hundred eggs a year, and 
on many farms the hens are not allowed 
to sit at all. Incubators are used for 
hatching and brooders for brooding, while 
the hens are kept steadily grinding out 
eggs. Some poultrymen go as far as to 
Bay that chickens hatched in an incubator 
for three or four generations have tho 
desire to sit bred ont of them. 
Some of our best egg yields are made 
by flocks owned by beginners, the begin- 
ner often beating the old-time poultry 
keeper by a long way. There is a reason 
for this: the beginner generally has a new 
building, and the most up-to-date 
fixtures; his runs are on new ground, and 
his fowls are not run down by inbreeding. 
As poultry keeping is a new thing to him 
he takes better care of his fowls, fights 
the lice harder, and gives a greater 
Variety of food than does his brother who 
is an old hand at the business. 
I think inbreeding weakens more flocks 
than any other one thing except lice. At 
the same. time, I believe in. inbreeding, 
but it must be, done systematically and 
According to well-defined principles, or 
the result will be swift deterioration. 
Do not allow, your fowls to ‘run out’ 
from neglect, bréed from your best, keep 
your houses clean and free from lice, do 
hot allow your runs to become contamin- 
ated, supply a sufficient amount and 
Variety of food, give them your best care 
. and you will have no chance to complain 
of a ‘run out’ flock. 
We post ‘The Australian Gardener’ 
direct for 3s. Gd. per annum, 
Poultry Brevities. 
Don’t tolerate mongrels. 
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Tsolate at once all sick birds, 
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Keep the water in a cool place. 
et 
Give a little linseed occasionally, 
tieat seer! 
Don’t crowd the growing youngsters, 
tect nce 
Leg color is best preserved by moisture 
foe cast 
Maize is the food most relished by 
fowls. ; 
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Confined birds shonld have plenty of 
green food. 
sa aa 
Remember the chicks need constant 
attention from birth till disposed of. 
teat 
Never try to raise deformed chicks. 
They should be killed as soon as hatched. 
Pett ts 
Eradicate the fox and see that the 
roosting places are securely fenced with 
wire-netting. 
Hatta t 
Culling the flock of youngsters is one 
of the most important duties. Weed out 
the useless ones often. 
hecitegiial: 
Before finally, closing down the 
incubator, fumigate it with sulphur. 
Many a good egg is spoiled by mustiness 
at a time when every egg counts. 
Tatas Cec ba 
The Simplex Incubator, one of the 
best in the market, can be procured from 
Mr. D. Lanyon, Rundle-street, Kent 
Town. See advt. 
‘bran and pollard, 
Don’t let the chicks roost too early. 
| eee 
It is time and effort wasted to try to. 
’ bring to maturity chicks that have been 
hatched from eggs laid by debilitated 
_ parent stock. 
Ff ae ee hy 
Keep a good supply of cool, clean 
drinking water, and see that it is well 
shaded, Erect sun shelters so that in 
-hot weather the birds may have some 
protection. 
Peegstparst 
Grow green food wherever possible. If 
not, use. wheaten hay chaff steeped in hot 
water. for a few hours and then mix with 
This saves cost. of 
feed and gives more eggs, 
Tot cat 
With the approach of warm weather 
vermin will increase if not checked. The 
poultry tick must be eradicated. The 
carelessness of some people over this 
matter in the past has led to the spread 
of tick in many localities. Under the 
provisions of the Stock Act tick must be 
destroyed—there are penalties for not. 
doing so, 
nl 
INCUBATOR 
Simplex "oo" 
D. Lanyon 
RUNDLE ST., KENT TOWN, S.A. 
OMMERCIAL AND ORNAMEN- 
TAL PRINTING of every descrip- 
tion in first-class style, on the shortest 
notice, and at cheapest rates, at the 
“ Australian Gardener’ Office, corner of 
Pirie and Wyatt streets. 
