Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/756

 WOMAN'S WORK 728 NATURAL WAY OF REARING CHICKENS By J. T. BROWN, F.Z.S., M.R.San.I., Editor of " The Eiicycloi>cEdia of Poultry^'' etc. Hints on Suitable Coops — Precautions against Insect Pests— Methods of Feeding the Chickens — Necessity of Pure "Water — The Time for Weaning ^ rearing season, the coop may be placed upon Y7hen the mother-hen has hatched out her ^ brood, and the 4ittle ones are thoroughly dry and active, they should be transferred to a roomy coop placed out in the open. The coop should not be less than two feet square and the same in height. Smaller coops, of which there are many in use, are not to be recommended, as they not only prove stuffy in hot w'cather, biit cramp the hen and brood so much that the former is liable to trample many of the latter to death. If the chickens are hatched out very early in the year, the coop in which they are reared should be provided with a boarded floor, and it should have a roomy wired run attached to it. The sides of the run should not be less than one foot in height, the object being to protect the chickens from cold winds. Should the chickens be cooped out in genial seasons it is not always necessary to have a floor to the coop, but care should be taken that the ground upon which it stands is dry, other- wise the chickens rS. be liable to get cramp. It is advisable to have the coop made with a removable floor, so that it can be adapted to suit the varied con- ditions under which it may be used. before newly-hatched chickens are transferred to the coop, it should Ik: well disinfected, limc-washed inside, and, if necessary, painted outside. It should be allowed to dry thoroughly before being occupied. To coop newly-hatched chickens in damp structures is to court failure, and especially IS this true with respect to birds hatched out early m the season, when the weather is cold, damj), and dull. The location of the coop will depend upon the .season of year in which it is used. In January and February, should the weather l)o stormy, it will l:>e iis well to place the coop under an open-fronted shed facing south, and to niove It mto the open during such days as the weather is favourable. During the spnngtime, which is the chickens' natural When the mother hen has hatched out her brood, and the chicks are thoroughly dry and active, they should be transferred to a roomy coop placed in the open grass land, but in a dry situation, and one open to the full light of the sun. In summer- time, when the sun's rays become very power- ful and the earth is in a parched condition, the coop should stand where the rays of the mid-day sun will not penetrate, whilst in spells of hot weather and drought, it is best placed beneath the shade of a tree or hedgerow. Although chickens can be reared tolerably well in coops placed on ground devoid oi grass, undoubtedly the best method is to move them about a rich pasture, where grass is kept in a short condition with the scythe or mowing-m a c h i n e. When running upon grass, the chickens obtain a great amount of natural food in the Way of insects and tender succulent vege- tation. This conduces to health and rapid growth. Upon bare earth, however, the little ones are depen- dent upon their owner for the whole of their food, and such food being, as it Were, arti- ficial in nature and artificially served up, results in slowness of growth. Before being placed in the coop, both hen and chickens should be well dusted with insect powder, or powdered sulphur, to rid them of any lice that may be upon them. The hen should be first dealt with, the powder being well dusted, by the aid of a dredger, under the wings, about the root of the tail, and among the loose feathers forming the neck hackle. When finished, she should be placed in the coop which, previous to its occupation, should have received a good bedding of sifted ashes on its floor, if a floor is in use. The chickens should be next dusted with the insect powder, and carried to the coop, and given to the hen. It is as well to do this in the evening, so that the mother and her brood may become settled down to their new quarters during the night. Presuming that the little ones have only been out of the shells for twenty-four hours,