28 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jan, 1900) 
GENERAL INFORMATION. ; 
By “CORINDA.” 
Ir is particularly necessary in Queensland during our hot summers to provill 
shelter for our fowls, so that during the intense heat of the day they can escap 
the sun’s fierce rays. I very often notice how many people who keep fow 
forget that they, like ourselves, require this protection. A few short sapling 
as uprights and two or three crosspieces, to form a rough support on which can} 
thrown a lot of well-leaved branches or some old sacks or bags sewn togethe! 
are all that is necessary; and your fowls will be very grateful for the little troubl 
it gives you. Their water must also be placed in a cool spot, as water contaull 
nated by the hot sun is very injurious, and almost sure to give them diarrhe® 
which is often the forerunner of other fatal diseases. I might here mentid 
that, for such attacks, their food should consist of scalded rice, and they shoul! 
get a teaspoonful of brandy and powdered camphor, if available, with a littl 
water. Flour and water made thick is very effective. 
In feeding fowls, nothing is better for the morning meal (which, by tH! 
way, should be as early as possible) than all the household scraps, potat! 
parings, &e., boiled in the bottom half of a kerosene tin with a wire handle kep 5 
or the purpose, and mixed with two parts of pollard to one of bran, until it ® 
what might be termed “crumbly moist.” Never give itin a sloppy or stick! 
state. ‘lo avoid the latter, the water used for boiling the scraps in must Mf 
boiling when the pollard and bran is added. In the evening their meal shoull 
always be grain—I prefer a mixture of maize and wheat—spread well about, 8 , 
that all the fowls get a fair share. If they have not got a grass paddock @ 
roam about in, lettuce or green stuff of some sort must be provided, and, = | 
a change, liver chopped up fine is wholesome and greatly improves the eg - 
supply, particularly in cold weather. Do not feed your fowls at the front @ | 
back door, or they will cause a lot of trouble with dirt, apart from the annoyant i 
of their continually begging instead of scratching about for insects and gril 
which are so very essential to their good health. j 
If you have only a small enclosure for your fowls, do not keep many. i 
you have, say, a cock and six hens and they lay a fair average number of egg* 
for you, do not imagine that by getting another six hens you will double you! | 
supply of eggs, as that has been proved over and over again to be a mistakel | 
idea. To lL acre of ground I should recommend 40 fowls. If you do not want 
broody hens, purchase Leghorns or Andalusians. The Black Hamburg, if puré_ 
is also a splendid layer and shows no disposition to sit. I prefer the Black 
Hamburg to either silver or golden spangled, as they are hardier and la ‘il 
larger egg. I may, however, state my opinion that the Leghorn (eithet 
brown or white) is the most reliable and consistent layer, particularly whet 
they have plenty of room, of any breed of fowls obtainable. 
Many people lose a lot of their fowls during the moulting season, which!” 
will soon be here; so, for the benefit of the amateur, I will give a few hint& 
that, if acted on, will assist the birds to have a quick moult and reduce the risk 
of losing any through illness very considerably. Feed well, and every other day 
mixa small quantity of cayenne pepper with their food, and give plenty of choppe i 
raw onions. Supply a sulphur dust-bath, and put a piece of old iron or some 
rusty nails in their water. Before concluding this contribution, I must lay” 
eat stress on the absolute necessity at this time of the year for keeping th@_ 
owlhouses particularly clean. A good bucket of lime, with about a wineglass \) 
of carbolic acid mixed with the wash, should be applied to all the interiot 
including the nests and perches, which should be wiped over with kerosen@| 
Do not allow any broody hens in the fowlhouse in the hot weather, or it will be” 
almost impossible to keep insect pests away. Sprinkle dry soil or sifted ashe’ 
on the ground under the perches, and rake out at least once a week. If people 
wish their fowls to be healthy, and the occupation to be interesting and lucrative 
this small amount of labour is, as I stated before, absolutely necessary. 
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