iTS^ri^^^j^i MV^ ret m- LIBRARY OF THE NO. MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE _*__ DATE5i.r_'2._'] ~.12. Source tr^ 437 S58 i<^: a^-s^fe^^sifS^sm&^j This book may be kept out TWO WEEKS only, and is subject to a fine of TWO CENTS a day thereafter. It will be due on the day indicated below. 9, M ftB ?? ipyj '^^no mM z:^^n ^%1 S's^i Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from Boston Library Consortium IVIember Libraries littp://www.arcliive.org/details/standardperfectiOOslioe FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO., Publishers, Chicago. Standard Perfection Poultry Book THE RECOGNIZED STANDARD WORK ON POULTRY, TURKEYS, DUCKS AND GEESE, CONTAINING A COM- PLETE DESCRIPTION OF ALL THE VARIETIES, WITH INSTRUCTIONS AS TO THEIR DISEASES, BREEDING AND CARE. INCUBATORS, BROODERS, ETC., TOE THE FARMER, FANCIER OR AMATEUR, . . BY C. C. SHOEMAKER. ILLUSTRATED. Chicago Frederick J. Drake & Company Publishers ^2:> Id .^ SA7 COPYRIGHTED, 1902 BY FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. CHICAGO, ILL., U.S.A. CONTENTS PAGE. Advice to Poultry Raisers 16 Brood Coops 42 Breeds and Breeding 51 Belgian Hares 178 Brooders 132 Capital Required 12 Caponizing 138 Construction of Houses 19 Diseases and How to Prevent and Cure Them . . 159 B'ISEASES — Bumble Foot 172 Cholera 172 Crop Bound 174 Dysentery 171 Gapes 169 Kanker .168 Leg Weakness 171 Lice 175 Mites 176 Miscellaneous 176 Roup 166 Scaly Legs 170 Dressing and Shipping 142 Drinking Fountains 26 Dust Boxes 27 ot>59'7 IV CONTENTS. Duck Hatching and Eaising 144 Feeds and Feeding 117, 123 Fattening for Market 141 Geese, Care of 149 Green Food 120 Grit 121 Handling Eggs ' 140 How and What to Feed 162 Incubators 127 Introduction 5 Land Needed 13 Marketing Eggs and Poultry 140 Meat Foods 122 Nests 25 Perches 24 Poultry Maxims for Memory 8 Poultry Easy for Market 15 Poultry Houses 29 Raising Poultry for Profit 11 Sites for Buildings 17 Success Due to Skill 12 Turkeys 150 Ventilation . 24 Yards or Parks 28 CONTENTS. BREEDS AND THEIR VARIETIES, American Dominiques 89 Buff Cochins 63 Black Cochins 66 Barred Plymouth Rocks 67 Buff Plymouth Rocks 69 Black Sumatra Games 79 Black Breasted Red Games 81 BroAvn Red Games 83 Black Langshans 85 Buff Langshans 86 Buff Cochin Bantams 86 Black Javas 91 Black Wyandottes 96 Buff Wyandottes 97 Blue Andalusians 100 Black Minorcas 103 Buff Leghorns 105 Cornish Indian Games 77 Dark Brahmas 60 Emden Geese 157 Golden Spangled Hamburgs 115 Golden Polish 113 Golden Wyandottes 94 Golden Seabright Bantams 87 Saudans 99 Imperial Pekin Ducks 156 Light Brahmas 60 VI CONTENTS. Leghorns 104, 106 Mottled Javas 92 Mammoth Bronze Turkeys 153 Partridge Cochins 65 Pea Comb Barred Plymouth Rocks 73 Pea Comb White Plymouth Rocks 75 Rose Comb White Leghorns 109 Rose Comb Brown Leghorns 110 Red Pyle Games 78 Red Caps 98 Rouen Ducks 155 Silver Spangled Hamburgs 113 Single Comb Brown Leghorns 107 Single Comb White Leghorns 108 Silver Laced Wyandottes 93 Toulouse Geese , 158 White Cochins 64 White Plymouth Rocks 71 White Wyandottes 95 White Minorcas 101 White Crested Black Polish Ill White Face Black Spanish 116 CONTENTS. Vll ILLUSTRATIONS, Andalusiacs 100 Bantams 86, 87 Brood Coops 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 Brahmas 59, 61 Brooders 126, 134, 135 Belgian Hares 179 Cochins 62, 64, 65, 66 Ducks 154, 156 Dominiques 88 Games 76, 78, 79, 80, 82 Geese 157, 158 Hamburgs. 114, 115, 116 Houdans 99 Incubators 130 Javas 90, 92 Leghorns 104, 106, 108, 109, 110 Langshans 84, 86 Minorcas 101, 102 Poultry Houses. .29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 40, 41 Plymouth Rocks. . , 67, 68, 70, 72, 74 Polish Ill, 112 Red Caps 98 Turkeys 152 Wyandottee 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 Introduction. WHAT MAKES SUCCESS. There is no royal road to success, even in chicken raising. It's a simple, plain road, and all who would reach the desired object must travel the road. Because it is looked upon as of small account, the poultry business has been neglected on many farms and allowed to fall behind other branches of farm husbandry. As a writer in the New York Sun says: ' ' On the farm, poultry raising has not been kept to the front ; has not, in fact, began to keep pace with agricultural progress. Other branches on the farm are yearly improved ; new methods and imple- ments have been introduced that have materially increased the yield of the various products. Poul- try raising, however, is at a standstill. It is no new thing to hear complaints of 'worst kind of luck' with poultry 'ever experienced,' etc." What is necessary to do to improve poultry rais- ing on farms 1 It may be answered by saying, fol- low the methods of the successful poultrymen, or, as farmers delight to call them, "poultry cranks." How do these "cranks" manage their flocks? What is their secret of success? Wherein does their method differ from that in vogue on most farms? These questions can easily be answered, and will 6 STANDARD PERFECTION show quite a contrast with the farmer's way. First— The poultryman erects a comfortable house on a dry and elevated site. The roosts must all be on one level. Windows are arranged so the fowls will not be obliged to roost in a draught be- tween them. Second— The stock must be sound, healthy, act- ive, vigorous and of some pure breed. Crosses, they know, are not to be depended on for general results. Occasionally they make a cross when it is desired to increase size — when they may be breed- ing from the smaller breeds. This cross is gener- ally to fill an order for broiler chicks, or something of the kind. The cross breeds are never bred f rom^ or rarely ever allowed to live a whole season through. Third— Feeding is brought to a real science. The poultryman feeds his flocks with some aim— therp, is no ''guess'* work about it. He knows what to feed to induce egg-laying ; he knows that to fatten and get ready for market quite a different ration is necessary. He has found out that growing chicks which are making flesh, bone, muscle and feathers at one and the same time, need a varied diet of the most nourishing foods. Sloppy, cold-water-mixed cornmeal he considers almost a poison, and espe- cially so when it is made quite an exclusive diet. Fourth— Cleanliness is a necessity. Neglect to observe cleanliness will quickly outdo all other work. Clean quarters are as necessary as food, POULTRY BOOK. 7 and just as essential to health. Fowls cannot breathe vitiated atmosphere continually at night and remain long in health. Unclean surroundings debilitate and render the fowls more subject to dis- eases. Vermin results from filth and neglect to keep the poultry houses in proper conditiom. Fifth— The stamina of the flock is the anchor rock of success in poultry raising. It is secured by care- fully selecting the best of each brood. Any unus- ually promising cockerel or pullet is carefully looked after. There is a distinguishing mark made in the web of their feet. A record is kept of those marked, making it easy and sure to select them when wanted for breeders. Eggs are saved from these best hens for incubation. This careful method of selection can soon be made to build up a flock's uniformity and at the same time wonder- fui/y increase utility. STANDARD PERFECTION Poultry Maxims for Memory. A brooder is preferable to a hen for raising chickens, as they can return to the brooder at will, and will not be dragged around unnecessarily when tired. Do not crowd, and give them plenty of fresh water at all times. When your space is limited, be all the more care- ful to keep the quarters clean, especially if the chickens can not get out much. During the warm summer months it would be better to clean out well at least every other day. Geese are more distinctively grazers than any other fowls, and will keep the grass eaten off as close as sheep. Besides the value of their flesh for food, the feathers are an item of considerable profit and should pay keeping expenses. Scientific analysis tells us there is as much nutri- ment in a new laid egg as in a four-ounce mutton chop. It is unwise, therefore, to neglect fowls and feed them nothing but screenings. The birds must do more than simply live. The raiser of scrub chickens sells his surplus stock at from two to three dollars per dozen, while the breeder of thoroughbred fowls sells at from twelve to sixty dollars per dozen, and often with little trouble to make the sales. Which do you think the more profitable? It is especially true of the poultry yard that POULTRY BOOK. 9 whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. An intimate every day and every hour acquaintance with the fowls is what leads to the profits. Do not become disgusted with their appearance at moult- ing time, but give them all the more care. A Massachusetts farmer is reported to be making $4,000 a year out of his poultry, because he has caught on to the knack of doing tilings in the right way. The farm is the right place for chickens, and men or women with the right qualifications can make money if they make the effort. A beginner in the poultry business should start with a few fowls, and gradually enlarge as he learns the requirements of the business. If one begins with a large number, he is liable to bring roup, lice, cholera and other undesirable things into his yards, which will bring disaster. To make good layers, hens must have a regular and sufficient supply of egg-forming material. "While they have free range in summer they can generally find this for themselves, but when shut up in winter they can not be expected to do well unless their feeding is well looked after. Small waste potatoes, boiled or steamed till soft, form a cheap and useful occasional food; but the fowls soon become tired of them, and they should only be used at intervals. Water fowls, ducks, geese, etc., do not require large bodies of water, as has generally been sup- 10 STANDARD PERFECTION posed. Some of the most successful duck raisers provide no water save for drinking. Turkeys require and must have considerable range, and they must also be allowed full liberty with their young after they begin to feather, else they will surely not be kept in good health. One of the secrets of success in poultry raising is loving the work. It should be a pleasure to take care of fowls. If your chicks are not doing well, examine them closely and see if they are not infected with ver- min. Very fat fowls are poor breeders, and are liable to lay soft shelled eggs. Always avoid having your breeders fat. To get eggs, avoid overfeeding, but do not starve. Green cut bone, scalded bran, oats and barley ai'e good feeds. Give plenty of milk, if you have it. POULTRY BOOK. 11 Practical Poultry, CHAPTER I. RAISING POULTRY FOR PROFIT. Few of US realize how important a busine^ poul- try-raising is. It considerably exceeds in total market value the whole output of coal, iron and mineral oil in the United States. As a usual thing the poultry business is underestimated rather than OA-^erestimated- Thousands of people raise chickens merely to supply their own tables. They keep no re-cord of the number of eggs they get or the chick- ens they kill. So this item in the total is neglected altogether, or is greatly underestimated. The United States Census for 1890 gives the fol- lowing figures for ' ' farms only. ' ' To complete this summary, the poultry products of towns and vil- lages should be added: Chickens 258,871,125 Turkeys " 10,758,060 Geese 8,440,175 Ducks 7,544,080 Dozens of eggs 819,722,916 The value of these products, estimating chickens as worth 40 cents each, turkeys and geese as worth 60 cents each, ducks at 45 cents each, and eggs at 15 cents a dozen, amounts to $241,418,660. 12 STANDARD PERFECTION SMALL CAPITAL REQUIRED. The poultry business is peculiar in that a small capital will start a person, and it is a great deal better to start in a small way and gradually rise to larger things as one gets experience and comes to know just what the market is and out of what kind of fowls one can make the most money. In no other kind of stock raising can a good start be made with so small an outlay at the beginning, since full blooded stock of other kinds is very expensive. An ordinary farm is suitable for any poultry ex- periment, and no expensive tools or machinery are required in the conduct of the busainess. In other lines the expenditure for tools is large at first, and when the business increases, the old machines must be discarded for larger and better ones in order to produce economically. With poultry, this is in no sense true. The first cheap coops may be made over into better ones, and as the business grows the equipment is sdded to gradually and often out of the first profits of the business. SUCCESS DUE TO SKILL. Success in poultry raising is due largely to the skill and care of the raiser— more so than in almost any other line of farm production. Failure v/ill almost inevitably be the lot of the inexperienced and careless person. The business must be learned, and learned thoroughly, and a person must have a love for it, if it is to prove a paying venture. So POULTRY BOOK. 13 we advise the novice to begin in a small way, so that he cannot make costly mistakes, for he is sure to have some trouble. HOW MUCH LAND IS NEEDED. Very little land is really required, unless you in- tend to raise all the grain the fowls will eat. If you can do that, of course, it will add to your profits. Chickens, even laying hens, will do well in a small yard if it is kept clean by cultivation; but turkeys demand more room to rove about in. Five acres will be sufficient for 800 hens, and allow space to raise the necessary green stuff. If the room is limited, however, the space should be di- vided up and the hens allowed to run only in small flocks as closely graded in size and vitality as possible. A larger range is, of course, often useful when it can be had. Growing fowls require a great deal of exercise, and so do laying hens, especially young ones. The young fowls should have the largest pos- sible run; old hens, which are laying, need less room, while fowls that are being fattened are not injured by close confinement— indeed they do better in confinement, if the confinement period of inact- ivity is not continued too long. POULTRY GIVES QUICK RETURNS. One remarkable fact about the poultry business is that it gives relatively quick returns. Years are required for cows, sheep and horses to grow, and 14 STANDARD PERFECTION pigs require a considerable length of time; but even if poultry-raising is begun by selecting eggs for hatching, the product in the form of broilers, ca- pons or mature fowls should be ready for the mar- ket in from five to eight months. Again, poultry raising is a business in which wo- men may engage successfully ; and many men who are not strong enough for more active farm work, or who need outdoor employment, after long con- finement in the city, will find poultry raising a su- perior occupation. Even persons of leisure often find this a pleasant and healthful employment, which yields a large return in something beside dol- lars. CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALTY. Success in poultry raising depends to a consider- able extent on the selection of the proper branch, for it offers a variety of specialties. Persons about to engage in the business should study well their own tastes and capabilities, and also their situation and means. Some will choose egg production, others will make a specialty of raising broilers, and still others will choose the raising of fancy fowls, or breeding. Thus if the space is limited, so that only a few hundred fowls can be kept, it will be advisable to confine oneself to egg-production (es- pecially during those months when eggs are high in price), or to breeding fowls which will command a high price. Thus a profitable business may be done in the small space available. So, too, the POULTRY BOOK. 15 various kinds of fowls, such as chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, etc., allow the poultry raiser a selection which he should make with care and reflection. POULTRY EASY TO MARKET. Poultry products are among the easiest to mar- ket of all farm produce. Eggs may be shipped hundreds of miles by express, and yet be indistin- guishable from fresh ones, when a week later they are served as food ; and meat fowls may he sent by freight or express for long distances. Of course, the farther they must be sent, the higher should be their grade, if the transportation charges are not to more than offset the profits. It may be said that in the poultry business the best products are always more saleable and more profitable than the poorer and cheaper varieties. The demand for the best is strong and steady, while that for second grades is unreliable in the extreme. It is, therefore, manifest that skill and good work are the chief sources of profit in the poultry busi- ness. 16 STANDARD PERFECTION CHAPTER II. Extracts from the United States Department of Agriculture's Farmers' Bulletin No. 41: The wide distribution of domestic fowls through- out the United States, and the general use made of their products make poultry of interest to a large number of people. Breeders are continually striv- ing to improve the fowls for some particular pur- pose, and to excel all predecessors in producing just what the market demands for beauty or utility ; but the mass of people look at the poultry products solely as supplying the necessary elements of food in an economical and palatable form. For a con^ siderable time each year eggs are sought instead of meat by people of moderate means, because at the market price eggs are a cheaper food than the various kinds of fresh meat. Large numbers of the rural population live more or less isolated, and find it inconvenient, if not im- possible, to supply fresh meat daily for the table aside from that slaughtered on the farm; and of all live stock, poultry furnishes the most convenient means of supplying an excellent quality of food in suitable quantities. This is particularly true dur- ing the hot summer months, when fresh meat will keep only a short time with the conveniences usu- ally at the farmer's command. POULTRY BOOK. 17 The general consumption of poultry and poultry- products by nearly all classes of people furnishes home markets in almost every city and town in the United States at prices which are remunerative if good judgment is exercised in the management of the business. Although fowls require as wholesome food as any class of live stock, they can be fed perhaps more than any other kind of animals on unmerchantable seeds and grains that would otherwise be wholly or partially lost. These seeds often contain various weed seeds, broken and undeveloped kernels, and thus furnish a variety of food which is always ad- vantageous in profitable stock feeding. There is less danger of injury to poultry from these refuse seeds than is the case with any other kind of ani- mals. SELECTIONS OP SITES FOR BUILDINGS AND YARDS. Frequently the other buildings are located first and the poultry house then placed on the most con- venient space, when it should have received consid- eration before the larger buildings were all located. As poultry keeping is wholly a business of de- tails, the economy of labor in performing the neces- sary work is of great importance. Buildings not conveniently located and arranged become expen- sive on account of unnecessary labor. Visits and operations must be performed fre- quently, so that any little inconvenience in the ar- rangement of the buildings will cause not only ex- 18 STANDARD PERFECTION tra expense in the care, but in many cases a greater or less neglect of operations that ought to be per- formed carefully each day. To exclude rats and mice it is generally best to locate the poultry house at some distance from other farm buildings, especially if grain is kept in the latter. Provide cement walls and have the foun- dation below the frost line. Convenience of ac- cess and freedom from vermin are desirable points, and depend largely upon the location. Everything considered, it is safest to have the house quite iso- lated. A dry, porous soil is always to be preferred as a site for buildings and yards. Cleanliness and free- dom from moisture must be secured if the greatest success is to be attained. Without doubt, filth and moisture are the causes, either directly or indi- rectly, of the majority of poultry diseases, and form the stumbling block which brings discouragement and failure to so many amateurs. It must not be inferred that poultry cannot be successfully reared and profitably kept on heavy soils, for abundant proof to the contrary is readily furnished by suc- cessful poultrymen. The necessity for cleanliness, however, is not disputed by those who have had ex- tended exeperience. When the fowls are confined in buildings and yards, that part of the yard near- est the buildings will become more or less filthy from the droppings and continual tramping to wh'-(?h it is subjected. A heavy or clayey soil not POULTRY BOOK. 19 only retains all the manure on the surface, but by retarding percolation at times of frequent showers aids materially in giving to the whole surface a complete coating of filth. If a knoll or ridge can be selected where natural drainage is perfect, the ideal condition will be nearly approached. Where natural favorable conditions as to drainage do not exist, thorough under drainage will go a long way toward making the necessary amends to insure suc- cess. CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES. The material to be used in the construction and the manner of building will necessarily be governed largely by the climatic conditions. In general, it may be said that the house should provide warm, dry, well-lighted, and well-ventilated quarters for the fowls. These requirements are a good roof with side walls more or less impervious to moisture and cold, suitable arrangements for lighting and ventilating, and some means for excluding the moisture from beneath. Cheap, efficient walls may be made of small field stone in the following manner: Dig trenches for the walls below the frost line; drive two rov/s of stakes in the trenches, one row at each side of the trench, and board inside of the stakes. The boards simply hold the stones and cement in place until the cement hardens. Rough and uneven boards will answer every purpose except for the top ones, which should have the upper edge 20 STANDARD PERFECTION straight and be placed level to determine the top of the wall. The top of the wall can be smoothed off with a trowel or ditching spade and left until the cement becomes hard, when it will be ready for the building. The boards at the side may be removed, if desira- ble, at any time after the cement becomes hard. For the colder latitudes, a house with a hollow or double side walls is to be preferred on many ac- counts, although a solid wall may prove quite sat- isfactory, particularly if the building is in the hands of a skilled poultryman. Imperfect build- ings and appliances, when under the management of skilled and experienced men, are not the hind- rances that they would be to an amateur. A cheap, efficient house for latitudes south of New York, may be made of two thicknesses of rough inch lumber for the side and end walls. This siding should be put on vertically, with a good qual- ity of tarred building paper between. In construct- ing a building of this kind, it is usually best to nail on the inner layer of boards first ; then put on the outside of this layer the building paper in such a manner that the whole surface is covered. Where the edges of the paper meet, a liberal lap should be given, the object being to prevent as far as pos- sible drafts of air in severe weather. Nail the sec- ond thickness of boards on the building paper so as to break joints in the two boardings. In se- lecting lumber for siding, it is best to choose boards POULTRY BOOK. 21 of a uniform width to facilitate the breaking of joints. In constructing a roof for a house in the colder latitudes, one of two courses must be pursued, either to ceil the inside with some material to ex- clude drafts or to place the roof boards close to- gether and cover thoroughly with tarred paper be- fore shingling. The fowls will endure severe weather without suffering from frosted combs or wattles if there are no drafts of air. Hens will lay well during the winter months if the houses are warm enough so that the single comb varieties do not suffer from frost bite. Whenever the combs or wattles are frozen, the loss in decreased egg produc- tion cannot be other than serious. Figure 1 represents a cheap and efficient method of building a poultry house with a hollow side wall. The sill may be a 2 by 6 or 2 by 8 scantling, laid flat on. the wall ar foundation; a 2 by 2 strip is nailed at the outer edge to give the size of the space between the boards which constitute the side walls. A 2 by 3 scantling set edgewise forms the plate, and to this the boards of the side walls are nailed. These boards may be of rough lumber if economy in building is desired. If so, the inner boarding should be nailed on first and covered with tarred building paper on the side that will come within the hollow wall when the building is com- pleted. This building paper is to be held in place with laths or strips of thin boards. If only small 22 STANDARD PERFECTION nails or tacks are used, the paper will tear around the nail heads when damp and will not stay in place. The cracks between the boards of the outside boarding may be covered with inexpensive battens if they are nailed at frequent intervals with small nails. Ordinary building lath will answer this pur- pose admirably, and will last many years, although they are not so durable as heavier and more expen- sive strips. The tarred paper on the inside board- ing and the battens on the outside make two walls, each impervious to wind, with an air space between them. In preparing plans for a building, one of the first questions to be decided upon is the size and form of the house. If the buildings are made with the cor- ners right angles, there is no form so economical as a square building. This form will inclose more square feet of floor space for a given amount of lumber than any other, but for some reason a square building is not so well adapted for fowls as one that is much longer than wide. It is essential to have the different pens or divisions in the house so arranged that each one will receive as much sun- light as possible, and to secure this, some sacrifice in economy of building must be made. The writer prefers a building one story high, and not less than 10 nor more than 14 feet wide, and as long as circumstances require. In most cases a building from 30 to 60 feet long meets all require- POULTRY BOOK. 23 >aents. If this does not give room enough, it is better to construct other buildings than to extend one building for more than 60 feet. It must be remembered that each pen in the building should have a separate yard or run, and that a pen should not be made to accommodate more than 50 fowls, or, better, 30 to 40. The building should extend nearly east and west in order that as much sunshine as possible may be admitted through windows on the south side. The windows should not be large nor more than one to ^ery 8 or 10 feet in length for a house 12 feet wide, and about 17 inches from the floor, or at such height that as much sunshine as possible will be thrown on the floor. The size and form of the windows will determine quite largely their loca- tion. In all poultry houses in cold latitudes the windows should be placed in such a position that they will give the most sunshine on the floor dur- ing the severe winter months. One of the com- mon mistakes is in putting in too many windows. While a building that admits plenty of sunlight in the winter time is desirable, a cold one is equally undesirable, and windows are a source of radiation at night unless shutters or curtains are provided. Sliding windov^s are preferred on many accounts. They can be partially opened for ventilation on warm days. The base or rail on which the window slides should be made of several pieces fastened an inch or so apart, through which openings the 24 STANDARD PERFECTION dirt which is sure to accumulate in poultry houses may drop and insure free movement of the win- dow. VENTILATION. Some means of ventilating the building should be provided. A ventilator that can be opened and closed at the will of the attendant will give good results if given proper attention, and without at- tention no ventilator will give the best results. Ventilators are not needed in severe cold weather, but during the first warm days of early spring, and whenever the temperature rises above freezing dur- ing the winter months some ventilation should be provided. Houses with single walls will become quite frosty on the inside during severe weather, which will cause considerable dampness whenever the temperature rises sufficiently to thaw out all the frost of the side walls and roof. At this time a ven- tilator is most needed, arranged with cords, so as to be easily operated. Figure 2 represents an effi- cient and easily operated ventilator. PERCHES. Perches should not be more than 21/2 feet from the floor, and should all be of the same height. Many fowls prefer to perch as far above the ground as possible, in order, without doubt, to be more se- ''Aire from their natural enemies; but when fowls i^i protected artificially from skunks, minfcs, foxes, etc., a low perch is just as safe and a great deal better for the heavy-bodied fowls. Convenient POULTRY BOOK. 25 walks or ladders can be constructed which will en- able the large fowls to approach the perches with- out great effort, but there are always times when even the most clumsy fowls will attempt to fly from the perch to the floor and come down with a heavy thud, which is often injurious, when the perches are too high. There is no reason why all perches should not be placed near the floor. Movable perches are to be preferred. A 2 by 3 scantling set edgewise, with the upper corners rounded, answers every purpose and makes a satisfactory perch. The perches should be firm and not tip or rock. Underneath the perches should always be placed a smooth platform to catch the droppings. This is necessary for two reasons : the droppings are val- uable for fertilizing purposes, and ought not to be mixed with the litter on the floor ; then, too, if the droppings are kept separate and in a convenient place to remove, it is much easier to keep the house clean than when they are allowed to become more or less scattered by the tramping and scratching of fowls. The droppings should be removed every day. NESTS. In constructing nest boxes, three points should be kept constantly in mind; (1) The box should be of such a nature that it can be readily cleaned and thoroughly disinfected; if it is removable so that it can be taken out of doors, so much the bet- 26 STANDARD PERFECTION ter; (2) it should be placed in the dark, or where there is only just sufficient light for the fowl to dis- tinguish the nest and nest egg; (3) there should be plenty of room on two or three sides of the nest. It is a well-known fact that some hens in seeking a nest will always drive off other hens, no matter how many vacant nests may be available. If the nest is so arranged that it can be approached only from one side, when one hen is driving another from the nest there is likely to be more or less of a combat, the result of which is often a broken egg. This, perhaps, more than any one thing, leads to the vice of egg-eating. To the writer's knowledge, the habit of egg eating is not contracted where the nests are arranged in the dark and open on two or three sides. DRINKING FOUNTAINS. One of the difficult problems for the poultryman to solve is how to easily provide pure, fresh water for his fowls. Many patent fountains which are on the market are automatic and keep before the fowls a certain quantity of water. A simple, wholesome arrangement may be made as follows : Place an ordinary milk pan on a block or shallow box, the top of which shall be 4 or 5 inches from the floor. The water or milk to be drunk by the fowl is to be placed in this pan. Over the pan is placed a board cover supported on pieces of lath about 8 inches long, nailed to the cover so that they are about 2 inches apart, the lower ends POULTRY BOOK. 27 resting upon the box which forms the support of the pan. In order to drink from the pan it will be necessary for the fowls to insert their heads be- tween the strips of lath. The cover over the pan and the strips of lath at the side prevents the fowl from fouling the water in any manner, except in the act of drinking. Where drinking pans of this kind are used, it is very easy to cleanse and scald them with hot water when occasion demands. See Fig. 3. DUST BOXES. It is necessary to provide dust boxes for the fowls during the winter months if they are to be kept free from lice. If the soil in the yards is naturally dry and porous, abundant opportunities will be had for dust baths during the warm summer months, but during the late fall, winter and early spring some artificial provision must be made. A compara- tively small box will answer the purpose if the at- tendant is willing to give a little attention to it each day. These boxes should be placed so that they will receive some sunshine on each bright day, and be kept well filled with loose, fine earth. Road dust procured during the hot, dry months of July and August from much-traveled roads has no super- ior for this purpose. Probably there is no way in which the poultry man can better combat the body louse than by providing dust boxes for his fowls. YARDS OR PARKS. Where fowls are kept in confinement, it will be 28 STANDARD PERFECTION found best to provide outdoor runs or yards for them during the summer months. Give them freo access to these yards whenever the weather will per- mit. The most economical form, everything con- sidered, for a poultry yard, is one much longer than wide. Two rods wide and 8 rods long is sufficient for 50 fowls. AVhenever a poultry plant of consid= erable size is to be established, it will be found most economical to arrange the yards side by side, with one end at the poultry house. The fences which inclose these yards may be made of poultry netting or pickets, and should be at least 7 feet high. In either case it is best to have a board at the bottom, for sometimes it will be desirable to give quite young chickens the run of these yards. If the poultry yards are constructed as described, there is sufficient room for a row of fruit trees down the center of the yard, and still leave ample room for horse cultivation on etiher side, either with one or with two horses. These yards are to be kept cultivated. If thought best, grain may be sown before cultivation to furnish part of the green food for the fowls. POULTRY BOOK. 29 CHAPTER HI. POULTRY HOUSES AND BROOD COOPS. The first thing to be done in establishing a poul- try department on a farm is to select a location, and this is not a trifling matter, by any means, as a great deal depends on whether or not the selection Interior of Poultry House No. 1. is made judiciously and for the best interests of, the fowls. A good compass location would be on the side of some hill that slopes to the south, but as this is not 30 STANDARD PERFECTION always convenient, the cold winds of winter can be kept back or partly broken, at least, by growing a foliage plant of some kind on the north side of the coop and yards. Small trees are the best protec- tion but take considerable time to grow. Bear in mind there is no best plan for a poultry house. The best plan is the kind you prefer. Much depends on the cost, the location, the climate, the breed and the number of fowls. No two per- sons can well agree on the best plan of a dwelling house, nor is it possible to offer a plan of a poultry house that would be accepted by all as the lest. A certain plan may be the best plan for you but not for your neighbor. Knowing these difficulties we have endeavored to give a plan which can be adapted to most locations and can be built of cheap material, or more substantially, as preferred. The ground plan of house No. 1 can be extended to any length desired with the same interior arrangement. The dimensions of the house No. 1 are 14x24 feet. In the ground plan the alleyway at the north side of the building is 4 feet wide, and in the houses of greater length should extend the entire length of the house. F is the feed trough ; placed in the alley to prevent the fowls from getting into it and for convenience in feeding; N is the nest boxes which are placed on a shelf 18 inches from the floor and arranged to open into the alley so that the eggs may be gathered without entering the pens. The cover over the nests should be placed at such an POULTRY BOOK. 31 angle that the fowls cannot roost on them. The space under the nest boxes is lathed up, leaving space enough between the lath for fowls to feed 32 STANDARD PERFECTION through. The partitions between pens and over nest boxes may be made of lath or wire netting. R is the roost which is placed 1 foot above a tight platform, the platform being raised 2 feet from CO a \ a s a false bottom to this coop which extends 8 inches in front of the coop, on which to place the drinking fountain for the chicks; and the mother hen can also drink by reaching through between the slats, which are set 2% inches apart. Fig. 5. You will notice that the sides of this coop extend down over the edge of the bottom and rest on the cleats that are nailed fast crosswise. This device prevents any v-ater from running into the coop; hence the bottom is kept perfectly dry at all times. The roof of this coop should extend 2 inches over the sides, though as you see it in the illustration, the sides are nailed to the side of the roof (an error of the artist) . You notice the illustration indicates the side as being nailed to the bottom ; this also is POULTRY BOOK. 49 wrong. The sides drop down loose on both sides, facilitating the cleaning of the coop. All coops should be cleaned at least once a week and the floors saturated with kerosene oil. This, if properly done, will keep them from being overrun with lice during the warm weather. Fig. 6 is only a store box closed all around ex- cept one side, and on this side are 3-inch slats nailed 21.4 inches apart. This may be set in front of any of the brood coops to allow the chicks to exercise during the first week after coming from the shell. I have found this method very practical. They should not be allowed to run out in the morn- Fig. 6. ing until the dew is entirely off the grass, and this extra compartment serves well for the purpose of giving more room until time for them to be lib- erated. In Fig. 7 we have a feeding coop which is con- structed entirely from 3-inch slats. Tnis device is intended to be used for feeding the young chicks when they are from 4 weeks to 2 months old. The coop may be set where it is most convenient for the chicks. All food may be thrown in this coop, 50 STANDARD PERFECTION the slats being only far enough apart to permit the young chicks to enter, thus preventing the old hens or larger fowls from eating the food from the younger or smaller ones. This feeding coop may be made either large or small to suit the flock of chicks you are caring for. Or you may have a number of them, as it is not best to make them so large as to be unhandy to move from one place to another. Fig. 7. POULTRY BOOK. 51 CHAPTER IV. SELECTION OF BREEDS AND BREEDING. A mistake is oftentimes made in selecting fowls of a breed that is not suited for the purposes for which they are to be kept. If egg production is the all-important point, it is a most serious mistake to select a breed of fowls that is not noted for this product. If, on the other hand, meat is the chief object, an expensive mistake will be made if any but heavy-bodied fowls are chosen. Then, too, if fowls are kept for both meat and egg production, some breed of the middle class should be chosen. These, while they do not attain the great size of the Asiatics, arc sufficiently large to be reared prof- itably to supply the table with meat, and at the same time have the tendency for egg production developed sufficiently to produce a g'oodly number of eggs during the year. The AVyardottes and Plymouth Rocks are good illustrations of this class of fowls. While individuals of these breeds have made excellent records in egg production, the rec- ords of large numbers do not compare favorably with- the egg production of the Mediterranean fowls. All of the so-called Mediterranean fowls have a great tendency toward egg production, and require only the proper food and care to produce eggs in abundance. A serious mistake is also made in selecting fowls 52 STANDARD PERFECTION for breeding purposes and in selecting eggs for hatching. On many farms the custom is to select eggs for hatching during the spring months, when nearly all of the fowls are laying. No matter how poor a layer a hen may be, the chances are that most of the eggs will be produced during the spring and early summer months. A hen that has laid many eggs during the v/inter months is quite likely to produce fewer eggs during the spring and early summer months than one that commenced to lay on the approach of warm weather. Springtime is nature 's season for egg production. All fowls that produce any considerable number of eggs during the year are likely to be laying at this time. It is therefore plain that whenever eggs are selected in the springtime from a flock of mixed hens, com- posed of some good layers and some poor ones, a larger per cent of eggs will be obtained from the poor layers than at almost any other season of the year. A serious mistake is therefore made in breed- ing largely from the unprofitable fowls. Whenever it is possible, fowls that are known for the great number of eggs they have produced during the year should be selected for the breeding pen. While it will be almost impossible, and certainly imprac- ticable, in the majority of cases to keep individual records of egg production, yet a selection may be made that will enable the breeder to improve his flock greatly. The two things necessary to produce large quan- POULTRY BOOK. 53 titles of eggs with the Mediterranean fowls are: (1) Proper food and care, and (2) a strong consti- tution, which will enable the fowls to digest and assimilate a large amount of food ; in other words, fowls so strong physically that they will stand forc- ing for egg production. In this relation, we may look at the fowl as a machine. If that machine is so strong that it can be run at its full capacity all the time, much greater profit will be derived than if it can be run at its full capacity only a part of the time. There is, perhaps, no time in the history of the fowl that will indicate its vigor so well as the molt- ing period. Fowls that molt in a very short time and hardly stop laying during this period, as a rule, have strong, vigorous constitutions, and if properly fed give a large yearly record. On the other hand, those that are a long time molting have not the vigor and strength to digest and assimilate food enough to produce the requisite number of eggs. If it is necessary to select fowls at sometime during the year other than the molting period, some indication of their egg-producing power is shown in their general conformation. It is a rule that fowls bred for egg production are larger bodied than those bred for fancy points. Whenever vigor and constitution form an important part in the se- lection of fowls for breeding, the size of the fowls is invariably increased. 54 STANDARD PERFECTION IMPROVEMENTS OF BREEDS. The improvement of breeds is a subject thajt has received most careful study from scientific men. It should receive the attention of all poultry raisers. Either one's flock will grow poorer or it will remain indefinitely as it is, or it will increase in produc- tiveness and so in profit. Now there is not likely to be any increase unless it is brought about by most careful attention, especially to the subject of breeding. Good care except in this particular and the general operation of the law of heredity, will keep the flock at about the same value for a long period ; while neglect in the general care of a flock will cause it to decrease in value. Heredity produces uniformity. Improvement is to be sought only in variation. Some animals will be found to have a capacity for variation from gen- eration to generation, while others will change but little. The breeder who wishes improvement always looks for variation. If any line of descent shows marked variation, he at once begins to experi- ment with that in the hope of improvement. Of course the variation may not be for the better. That is a thing one must take chances upon. But at any rate the only chance of improvement is in variation, and in selecting and breeding fowls that show a tendency to variation. As a rule, males vary more than females, and the young more nearly resemble the female than the male. POULTRY BOOK. 55 IN-AND-IN-BREEDING. Another method of producing better fowls is what is known as in-and-in-breeding. It consists in mating closely related fowls of superior value. Thus if one has one or two exceptionally good lay- ers, their chicks will be mated with the old fowls, or with others from the same stock, thus increasing in a progressive ratio the blood known to be good. There is some difference of opinion as to in-and- in-breeding, some holding that too much mating of near relatives produces deterioration. There is no doubt some truth in this. At the same time, there is probably less objection to the practice in the case of fowls than of any other animals. In-and- in-breeding has played an important part in the production of breeds, and there can be no doubt that carried to a moderate degree it is eminently useful. Of course there will be examples of deter- ioration. Not all experiments of this kind will re- sult successfully, but these exceptions will be found in all methods of improvement by breeding. It is sometimes supposed that by mating two fowls of superior qualities, the good qualities of both will be obtained in the offspring. This is by no means always the case. Often the bad qualities of both will be perpetuated, while the good quali- ties will be lost. However, good qualities differing in kind are sometimes doubled up in this way. CROSS-BREEDING. Cross-breeding, or the mating of two well known 56 STANDARD PERFECTION and distinct breeds with each other, except for spe- cial purposes, is not as popular now as it once was. Very often in cross-breeding the progeny will re- vert to the type of some early ancestor. Darwin speaks of mating a black Spanish and a White Silky and getting a fowl much resembling the wild Jungle Fowl of India, supposed to be the source of all our domestic birds. Reversion is indeed very often likely to occur when a cross is made between very dis- tinct and well established breeds. The blood of the two breeds does not blend well. But cross-breeding is responsible for new breeds in many cases, as for instance the Plymouth Rocks and the Wyandottes. DO THOROUGH-BREDS PAY? The question is often asked if it pays to raise thorough-breds, or pure-bred stock. The answer is that everything depends on the care the animals are to receive. There is no doubt that thorough-bred stock does pay if it is properly cared for ; but if it is not well cared for it will soon relapse into the very ordinary kinds, or something even less valu- able. So the attempt to raise pure-bred stock will result only in a loss. The common stock of mixed- breeding is usually more hardy, and on the whole is better adapted to care for itself where the fowls are turned out to scratch for themselves and no special attention is paid to them. Food has always, and always will, play an im- portant part in the improvement and perfection of breeds. The raiser of common fowls who says POULTRY BOOK. 57 he does not believe in pampering his animals makes a sad mistake, and at least for him thorough-breds have little or no value. And yet the scientific man can undoubtedly get a great deal more out of improved breeds if he vnll take the time and trouble to care for them properly, and has the brain to do so. Well bred stock should always have an abundance of the proper food, warm houses, and clean pens. There is no doubt that they pay when well cared for. 58 STANDARD PERFECTION CHAPTER V. THE DIFFERENT BREEDS. For convenience we may divide fowls into four (glasses, namely: Egg breeds. Meat breeds. General-purpose breeds. Fancy breeds. Of course this division is not hard and fast, for one breed may be considered by one raiser as a meat breed, and by another as a general-purpose breed because it has good egg-laying qualities. Every man must judge for himself, as the result of experiment. In a general way the egg breeds include the small and nervous fowls that have a strong tendency to produce eggs all the year round. They are as a rule of little value as sitters, and while young at least they are too active to fatten easily. Leghorns, Spanish, Minorcas, and Hamburgs are good illus- trations of this type at its best. The meat breeds are usually the largest kinds of fowls, being much larger than the egg breeds, and somewhat larger than the general-purpose fowls. They make the most persistent sitters, being large, slow, and gentle, and not easily frightened. To this class belong especially the Brahmas, Cochins, and Lanshans. POULTRY BOOK. 59 The general-purpose fowls are fairly good for both meat and eggs. Under good conditions they will lay fairly well, and they are of fair size and afford a good quality of meat when it is properly prepared. Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes are the best illustrations of this class. The fancy breeds are raised more for looks than for utility, and are typified by the Polish and Ban- tams. LIGHT BEAHMAS. 60 STANDARD PERFECTION The Light Brahmas are one of the oldest breeds on the poultry list. They have been bred in the Old World cen- turies ago. All through the annals of the history of poul- try dom they have figured prominently as baders in their race, and withstood trying ordeals as no other breed ever has. New breeds may come and go, but the good old Light Brahma keeps pace with the times. They have maintained the foremost position among thousands of scrutinizing admirers down through all ages, and they continue to satisfy all who have tried them. Any breed giving universal satisfaction among so many breeders must have qualities of a very high order. Qualities that are undisputed and rarely possessed in any other variety! They are very large, dress well for market, have a nice yellow skin, will fatten nicely when matured, and they command the highest market price. Eggs are quite large and brown in color. Some are lighter in color than others. The best specimens sometimes laying the lightest colored eggs. The females make good sitters and good mothers. They will thrive well in small enclosures. A fence four feet high will be sufficient to keep them. DAEK BEAHMAS. The Dark Brahmas are one of the most prominent mem- bers of the great Asiatic family. They are very beautiful, especially the female. The plumage of the female is a steel gray with delicate pencilings, except on hackle, where the pencilings are quite prominent, making them a very desirable fowl for the city and town, as the dust and soot will not soil their plumage. The plumage of the cock, although quite different from that of the hen, commands admiration of those who have a taste for the beautiful in nature. No breed is more hardy from the time it picks the shell until ripe in old age than the Dark Brahma. As egg producers they are second to none of the Asiatics. With their great vigor of constitution when young, they feather rapidly and are ready early for the market as POULTRY BOOK. 61 spring chickens or broilers. In weight they are about the same as the Light Brahma, cocks weighing at maturity, when in good condition, from 10 to 12 pounds, and hens, when in good condition, 8 to 10 pounds. DARK BKAHMAS. 62 STANDARD PERFECTION BUTF COCHINS. POULTRY BOOK. 63 BUFF COCHINS. The Buff Cochin is the oldest of the Cochin family. They are pure and princely Asiatics, coming from the Orient — the starting point of all good, where we find the first habitation of the human race and the beginning of the Christian era. Dr. Spaulding says the Buffs were once the awe-inspiring Shanghai, whose clarion crow shook the western continent some 50 years ago. The Buff Cochins are elegant fowls, being compact, good layers, good sitters, good mothers, and are well adapted to confinement in small enclosures or yards. They are very largs and broad, ranking in size with the Brahmas, are very hardy, both as chicks and fowls, it being seldom that sickness of any kind is found among them. They are well adapted to cold climates, being quite heavily feathered, and not having very large combs and wattles, so they are not apt to get frost-bitten in the severest weather. In color they are a rich buff, which makes them a suitable fowl for country, village or city. Thsy are of very quiet habits, will not fly over a fence 4 feet high, which makes them very desirable, as it insures comfort to your neighbors, and you have the satisfaction of living in peace with those around you. They are good winter layers. Early hatched pullets will begin laying in December and lay all winter. Size of cocks, when matured (in good flesh) will weigh from 9 to 12 pounds. Hens from 7 to 10 pounds; however, in many instances they have attained much greater weights Wian those given. 64 STANDARD PERFECTION WHITE COCHINS. In a general way the White Cochins are the same as all other Cochins excepting in color. The above cut gives a good representation of this grand old breed of fowls. They possess the same good qualities as the Buff Cochins, and in our long experience in breeding we find them excep- tionally good layers for a large fowl, and we do not hesitate to recommend them as being better layers than some of the other Cochin families. They are very large and have a stately appearance, are quite prolific and vigorous grow- ers; being very hardy they withstand disease better than many other varieties of fowls. Chicks mature rapidly, which is just what is needed for a valuable market fowl. There is no breed of fowls better adapted for small en- closures than the White Cochins, as they bear confinement exceptionally well; but if allowed their liberty they are very good foragers. POULTRY BOOK. 65 PAETRIDGE COCHINS. The Partridge Cochins are the most popular and to us the handsomest of all Cochins. With many it is the favorite breed. In plumage they are rich and elegant, and so dark as not to become soiled when kept in city yards. The hen is a rich brown, with beautiful cross pencilings in black; hackle, golden or yellow, striped with black, having a downy appearance and a satisfied, motherly bear- ing. Cocks have solid black breast, back red, hackle and saddle orange red, with fine, well-built, symmetrical form and proud, aristocratic carriage. They are large; cocks weigh 9 to 12 pounds, hens 7 to 10 pounds at maturity. They are easy to rear, extremely hardy, breed remarkably true to feather, are very fine in shape, have yellow legs and skin and sell well in market. Excellent layers during the greater part of the year, and their flesh is toothsome, being tender, juicy and presentable in color. They are good sitters and good mothers. They are eminently fitted for either the farmer, cottager, fancier or mechanic, or anyone desiring a large and beautiful fowl, quiet and gentle iv '^sposition, and not inclined to roam. 66 STANDARD PERFECTION BLACK COCHINS. Black Cochins are not bred quite so extensively as the other Cochin varieties, which is probably due to their color. Their general make-up is the same as that of other Cochins, and they possess quite rare qualities; are very large, weigh- ing at maturity, when in good flesh, as high as 12 pounds. However, this weight is only attained by some of the finest specimens. Have nice yellow skin, which for market pur- poses is preferable. They are good layers of nice dark- colored eggs, and they lay better during the winter months than many others. They make good sitters, kind and gentle mothers, giving the best of care to their young. Chicks grow rapidly, are strong and hardy. Will mature in about six months. The Black Cochins are easily confined to small inclosures, unlike in any other breeds; when allowed to roam they make good foragers. POULTRY BOOK. 67 BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS. The Barred Plymouth Rocks are so well known the world over that it is almost useless to give them a detailed de- scription. They are found among the breeds of all fanciers generally, and it is with pride that we can point to this variety of fowls, and claim it to be a pure American breed, with qualities for an all-purpose fowl equal to the best. They are vigorous, noted for hardiness of constitution; young chicks grow rapidly and are ready for market at a very early age. "When matured they are large, ranking next in size to the Asiatics; they have clean legs, beautiful blue-barred plumage, are first-class layers, good mothers, but not inveterate sitters, and an excellent table fowl. This breed is undoubtedly one of the most profitable breeds in existence, and is acknowledged the farmer's fowl. As •^•^ market quality, we need not call your attention, as the name Pymouth Rock is all that Js^ecessary. 68 STANDARD PERFECTION BUFF PLYMOUTH KOCKS. POULTRY BOOK. 69 BUFF PLYMOUTH EOCKS. Still the new breeds continue to come, and as long as thej come with merits equal to the Buff Plymouth Eock, we have room for them. This new breed deserves the attention of all who are interested in a fowl with such merits as are found in the other varieties of the Plymouth Eocks. They possess "the same general characteristics as do all their ancestors, mth the exception of color. This is a new breed, its origin dating back to only a few years ago. While not an old variety, we are glad to note their breeding qualities as being superior to most others. The merits of the Buff Plymouth Eock cannot be disputed, as they are in the strictest sense a first-class all-purpose fowl. They are quite large, have nice, well-rounded bodies, and a bright yellow skin. They have clean legs of medium length. Are wel] adapted to both the fancier and the market poultry- man. In our experience we find them better layers than the Black Plymouth Eocks. Their eggs are of about the same color, size and quality as other Plymouth Rocks. They are good sitters and make excellent mothers. Their young are vigorous growers and round up at an early age. 70 STANDARD PERFECTION WHITE PLYMOUTH KOCKS. POULTRY BOOK. 71 WHITE PLYMOUTH EOCKS. The White Plymouth stands to-day, without any exception, at the head of all general purpose fowls. They are exceed- ingly hardy and mature very early. Standard irmght for cocks, 9% pounds; hens, 7^ pounds. They dress excellent, having a fine yellow skin and legs, which are admired rery much in market poultry. They are of fine build, very stylish, and one of the best laying breeds in existence, laying mostly brown-shelled eggs, although the color of them varies from light to a dark brown. For the market poultryman we can recommend no breed suited better to his wants than the White Plymouth Eocks. Our stock is second to none, scoring from 90 to 95 points. Our fowls are of fine build, large and heavy, and stately carriage; we would invite you to give them a trial and be convinced for yourself of the rare qualities which the White Plymouth Eocks possess. 72 STANDARD PERFECTION PEA COMB BAEEED PLYMOUTH EOCKS. POULTRY BOOK. 73 PEA COMB BAREED PLYMOUTH ROCKS. The Pea Comb Barred Plymouth Rocks have been bred fr eomplish a speedy cure; not forgetting to remove all sick fowls from those not aft'ected, to prevent spreading of the disease. A subscriber to the Poultry Keeper gives another 168 STANDARD PERFECTION remedy which he says cures the Roup every time: AVhen the chick first shows sjonptoms of Eoup, open its mouth and with a small glass syringe insert into the throat as far as possible a little finely pul- verized alum. If the disease is in an advanced stage, and the head begins to swell, anoint the swol- len parts with common vaseline, also insert some of the vaseline into the nostrils with a small feather. Feed on a liberal supply of bread and milk well seasoned with pepper ; to one teacup ful of soft food, such as bran or oats, mix one teaspoonful of castor oil. Do not neglect to place those affected in a dry, warm place. Kanker is another disease which may be classed with Roup. This disease is quite offensive, but it is not difficult to cui/e. It forms in different parts of the mouth, but mc stly at the base of the tongu-e, or in the windpipe. Sometimes people call this dis- ease diphtheria, which may be the proper name for it, as it resemblf-s that disease very much. How- ever, diphtheria among children is sometimes very obstinate and difficult to eradicate, while among fowls it yields to proper treatment quite readily. "While some may call this disease among fowls diph- theria, I should prefer to speak of it as kanker, which forms in a white or yellow leathery substance in the mouth, as before stated. Remove this sub- stance with some kind of instrument, which may be a stick, nail or anything with which you can per- form the work, then apply sub sulphate of iron POULTRY BOOK. 169 (powdered form) to the parts affected, which may be obtained at any drug store, and ten cents worth will be sufficient to cure many cases. The above is a positive remedy, and a change for the better may be noticed after the first application, yet it should be repeated until an entire cure is effected^ which usually is only a matter of a few days. GAPES. Old fowls are never afflicted with the gapes. The disease is found only among chicks, and is caused by a worm or worms which infest the trachae-. AVhen once noticed on the premises it can never be e^^tirely eradicated. It appears to be in the soil, and chicks each year will be subject to the gapes more or less after the place has once become con- taminated therewith. Gapes among chickens may be cured by the use of a horse hair. Twist one to- gether so as to form a small loop at one end ; insert this end down the wind pipe and if you turn it around several times, the w^orms get caught in the loop and can be drawn out. Here is another remedy which, it is claimed, never fails to relieve the chicks of the gapes, and with proper care you will not lose a bird. Take a tight box about three feet long, one foot high, and one foot wide ; place a partition crosswise about twelve inches from one end, made of lath or wire screen. Then place a brick or stone on the floor in small end of box; after this take a piece of iron and heat it red hot. While the iron is heating catch the chicks that have the gapes and 170 STANDARD PERFECTION place them in tlie larger end of the box. Take the red hot iron and place it on the stone or brick and pour a spoonful of carbolic acid on it. Close the box for a minute or two, then open and stir the chicks around so that they all can inhale some of the gas, which will kill the gape worm. If some of the chicks are overcome, lay them out and they will soon revive again. Do not leave them in the box too long or the gas will suffocate them. The first application usually cures, but should there be any that has not been cured with the first dose, repeat the second time, and it will never fail to cure them. SCALY LEGS Is usually caused by the chicks or fowls sleeping in filthy quarters. It is also caused by a small par- asite which works underneath the scale of the leg. I have seen fowls with scaly legs thai; were twice their natural size. If the legs of« each fowl were anointed once each month with equal parts of sweet oil, kerosene oil and alcohol they would never be- come scaly, but would remain in a fine, healthy con- dition. A good remedy is lard and kerosene oil, equal parts; add enough pulverized sulphur to make a paste, then apply this to the legs and band- age them, leaving the bandage on for a week. If at this time the scales are not all healed off, repeat the application of the same ointment, as it is a sure cure. The bandage may be sewed on so that it can- not be scratched off by the patient. POULTRY BOOK. 171 DYSENTERY. Dysentery in chicks is invariably brought on by irregular heat. If quite young chicks get chilled, bowel complaint will be the result. If overheated the same disease will follow, which is fatal in most instances; at least it retards their growth. Never allow chicks to get chilled or overheated if you wish them to do well. Usually during the warm summer months the most difficulty is experienced in this line, owing to the warm days and cold nights we often have at this time of the year. Cure : To a pint of soft food add a tablespoonful of finely ground raw bone, which should be fed at least three times a week to the healthy chicks as well as to those affected. Boil two ounces of ginger and one ounce of copperas in a gallon of water. Moisten the food with this fluid, but avoid feeding corn in any form when chicks have the dysentery. LEG WEAKNESS Is found chiefly among chicks raised in a broodei: warmed hj under heat. Or it is sometimes brought about by high feeding; in this case their bodies grow too fast for the strength of their legs. If the bottom of the brooder is slightly warmed it will do no harm, but the most of the heat should come from above, and then you will scarcely be troubled with leg weakness among chicks. Those that have leg weakness will in course of time come out all right, without the aid of mcrlicine, ar.d they usually make 17-2 STANDARD PERFECTION the finest specimens, as only the most vigorous chieks become affected. Feed finely ground raw bone in the soft food daily, which will strengthen their legs and will be the means of their rapid recov- ery. BUMBLE FOOT. This disease is caused by fowls running on hard, dry ground when confined in small runs, as it* is seldom found among fowls that have the run of the farm where they get the wet grass in the morning. Symptoms— They become lame, with inflamma- tion and swelling in the foot. The bottom of the foot is hard and has a scab which should be removed and the core pressed out ; but should it be fast, take a knife and make a deep incision in bottom of the foot and take the core out in pieces. Sometimes they swell between the toes; then the incision should be made where the swelling is. After you have made the incision make a poultice of linseed meal and place the foot therein, which will draw the pus all out. However, should any core form in the wound while under treatment, be careful to re- move it. Apply a fresh poultice every day, and nine times out of ten you can effect a cure. CHOLERA Is more prevalent in warm than in cold climates. It is a bacterial disease and is highly contagious for the simple reason that the bacteria germs are ejected with the excrement and the healthiest and most robust suQcumb to its ravages alike with those that POULTRY BOOK. 173 aj'e more delicate. Investigation by the govern- ment officials shows that the first symptoms of chicken cholera is, in the great majority of cases, a yellow coloration of that part of the excrement which is secreted by the kidneys and which is norm- ally of a pure white. This yellow coloring matter appears while the excrement is yet solid, while the patient presents a perfectly normal appearance and the appetite is good, before there is any elevation of the temperature. In some cases the first symp- tom is a diarrhoea, the excrement being passed freely, and after a day or two it becomes a dark green in color. The comb is pale or bloodless and sometimes of a dark purple or blue. ^he duration of the disease varies greatly ; some- times the bird dies within ten hours of the first at- tack of the disease, and again they will sometimes linger for several days. There are numerous remedies for the cure of chicken cholera. In the first place isolation is nec- essary; give them a warm, dry and comfortable house. Disinfect the premises thoroughly with a solution of eight ounces of sulphuric acid to two gallons of water; sprinkle the ground and every- thing in the house thoroughly with the disinfectant ; remove all the droppings from the house and away from the healthy fowls. To each gallon of drink- ing water add a teaspoonful of carbolic acid. This is also a good disinfectant and will act as a prevent- ative. The following recipe is one that will be found efficacious in the cure of the disease : 174 STANDARD PERFECTION Isolate those affected, and give each a pellet about the size of a grain of corn or a pea, three times a day, made from the following powder (use a little flour and water to make the pellets) : 2 oz. Capsicum, 1 oz. pulverized Rhubarb 2 oz. pulverized Asafetid 6 oz. Spanish Brown, 4 oz. of Carbonate of Iror2 oz. Sulphur. As a preventive, add a tablespoonful of the above powder to the soft food for everj ten or twelve fowls, twice a week. CROP BOUND. There is a disease which exists among fowls and is probably the commonest of all crop diseases. It is caused by their eating more than they can digest. It is easily detected, as a fowl with a full crop, if in a good healthy condition, will carry it up firmly. But Avhen crop bound, the crop will be loose and hang down like a bag, which may only be a ball of hard, coarse food that resists the force of nature in digesting. If not left too long it can be removed by pouring some warm sweet milk down the pa- tient's throat into the crop. Then work the hard substance until it becomes soft, which in some in- stances may take an hour. Repeat this daily until a cure is effected. Feed only bread sopped in milk until the patient has entirely recovered. If the case is one of long standing it will probably require the use of a knife. Make an incision lengthwise near the top of the 'crop and remove the contents through the incision. However the contents is POULTRY BOOK. 175 sometimes so hard that it will have to be broken up before it can be removed. After the sour food has all been taken out, then take a needle and some silk thread and sew the orifice up— first the crop and then the skin. The patient should then be fed on bread dipped in milk or some soft food that may be readily digested; continue this food for five or six days after the operation has been performed. No water should be given as long as the feeding of the soft food is continued. LICE. Cleanliness will usually prevent the appearance of lice. They are first found on the poorer and ^^eaker fowls, and it is believed that they must be introduced by an infected fowl. This is a reason against buying grown fowls rather than raising from eggs. It has been estimated that a single pair of lice in three months will produce 100,000. A few drops of sweet oil or lard on the head, wings and throat of little chickens will prove best. Older fowls should be allowed nature's remedy— dust baths. Powdered sulphur or insect powder dusted into the feathers is good. Some put fowls in tight boxes, with heads protruding, and fumigate with sulphur fumes for a few minutes. This is said to do no harm and kill all pests. If the poultry house is infected it should be thoroughly cleansed —whitewash, sprayed chlorides, or an emulsion of kerosene oil (if spraying is done thoroughly) being recommended for this purpose. .176 STANDARD PERFECTION MITES. These pests are very different from lice and live by sucking the blood. The red mites are fre- quently seen in poultry houses about perches, etc. As they live in cracks and go on to the fowls at night, they can be killed by a free use of kerosene or kerosene emulsion about the perches, etc. MISCELLANEOUS. Fowls often die from frosted combs and wat- tles. Remedies are not so satisfactory as preven- tion. If fowls are discovered before frost has come out, applications of cold water or snow, till the frost is out, and then an application of vaseline, will sometimes save them. Fowls become very fond of eating eggs if they once begin, and the habit spreads from fowl to fowl. Great care should be taken to prevent giving them a taste, through frozen or broken eggs. An egg-eat- ing fowl, when discovered, should usually be killed. Feather-eating sometimes becomes a habit like egg-eating, and is most objectionable- The cure is often effected by a change of diet and wide range of food. A few bad cases may be treated by filing, the beak so that the back and front will not come together, but not so as to prevent ordinary eating. Sometimes chickens are poisoned by eating salt meat or fish, or picking up grains of salt. Whites of eggs and liquor of boiled flaxseed are recom- mended. Laudanum and finely powdered chalk POULTRY BOeK. 177 mixed with water, either together or singly, may be given, especially when there appears to be pain. Danger from rats may usually be obviated if the poultry houses are so constructed that the rats can- not burrow under them. Do not attempt poisoning except in extreme cases. When poison is necessary, use a little strychnine in cheese. The pieces of cheese should be dropped into the rat holes and cov- ered with boards to prevent fowls from getting them. The best protection against hawks is covering the yard with wire netting. If there are bushes for the fowls to hide under there will be less danger. 178 STANDARD PERFECTION CHAPTER XII. BELGIAN HARES. The Belgian Hare differs from all ot]aer hares or rabbits in many important particulars. The ears are longer, the eyes larger and more prominent, head broader between the eyes, and they have lighter meat and tougher hide. They are natives of Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Scotland. They are three times as large as our common rab- bits, but very gentle and docile, and thrive best in small quarters. They require but little care, and can be fed on grass, hay, turnips, grain, etc., the same as sheep. They are very prolific, commencing to breed when only five or six months old, producing their young every six or eight weeks, and from six to twelve at a time. Their color is rufus red (red brown), varying somewhat in female to a yellow- ish or dun cast. Their meat is tender, rich and juicy, and of a fine gamey flavor. A full grown Belgian Hare will weigh from 8 to 12 pounds. In France and Germany their skins are highly valua- ble for making imitation kid gloves. They are much more profitable than other rabbits and always command a ready sale in the market when game is in season. An enterprising boy or girl can make money by raising Belgian Hares, faster than in any other way. They can be easily kept on what gener- POULTRY BOOK, 179 tr! 180 STANDARD PERFECTION ally goes to waste about a farm, and their manage- ment and culture make very pleasant and very profitable employment, either for children or grown people. Stop a moment to figure ; under ordinary circum- stances, one doe will produce six litters a year with an average of six youngsters each time; and sup- posing half of them are does, that would make 18 does in one year. The does of the first litter will also have three litters the first year^ which, on the same basis, will give you 27 more. That isn't all. The second litter will have young twice before the first year is up, which will figure 18 more., making a grand total of 63 does the first year from only one with which you started. And yet, that is not all. You will have as many bucks as you have does, which will increase the number to 126 hares from a single doe. Figure the 126 hares to weigh on an average of 8 pounds each, which gives you 1,008 pounds of meat, and at 10 cents a per pound, you will have $100.80. The above average is very low^ and is only what anyone can do if he wishes. In raising hares, it is necessary to get the very best stock if good results are to be obtained. The pedi- greed Golden Bay Strain is acknowledged to be superior to all others in every respect, and the de- mand is so large for them that it is almost impossi- ble to secure enough to supply customers. HOW TO CARE FOR BELGIAN HARES. They should be fed principally with clover hay. POULTRY BOOK. 181 oats and corn. Dry feed is preferable to green food. When grass is fed to hares there is danger of their eating too much, which sometimes proves quite injurious to them. Clover hay is the best food and they are very fond of it. If there is an abundant supply furnished there is little need of anything else. Hares are in many respects about the same as sheep, especially in the food line. They eat anything that a sheep will, cabbage, turnips, plantain leaves, in fact anything in the way of grass and vegetables as well as hay, oats and corn. A box 2 feet high, 3 feet wide and 4 feet long is sufficient room for a doe. Give her plenty of straw or hay, and keep her in nice, clean and comfortable quarters. Provide a box 15 inches wide, 20 inches long and 14 inches high in which she can have her young. This box should have a hole in one side, placed near the top, and should be about five inches in diameter, and should have a lid on top so as to make it easy to clean out. Provide plenty of straw or other good material to make the nest. The doe should be bred two weeks after she has had her young. The young hares when about four weeks old, should be removed to separate quarters. Do not put young hares of dif- ferent ages in one pen or yard. Keep each lot sepa- rate if you wish them to do well. The buck will re- quire about the same room as the doe, excepting he will not need tlie small box. Do not let their hutches become wet and filthy. Keep them per- 182 STANDARD PERFECTION. f eetly clean and dry. They may be kept in a barn or any out building convenient for that purpose ; or buildings may be especially prepared for them which is the better plan if you wish to raise them in large numbers. BELGIAN HARE PELTS AND PUR. Owing to the effort to produce fine specimens for show purposes, but little attention has been paid by the majority of the Belgian hare breeders to the economic value of this little animal, and a few points relative to this side of the industry may be of interest. Owing to the cleanly habits of the hare when properly fed and cared for, the flesh is a table delicacy, rivaling chicken and turkey. The pelt of an animal less than a year old is not sought by the f urrier'although when properly tanned it is suitable for rugs, capes, etc., and a buggy robe made of the well-selected and well-tanned pelts of animals from five to seven months old, suitably lined, presents an elegant appearance. The pelts of young animals, however, find a ready market in New York. The fur is removed from the pelt and is used for hat felt, and the pelt is after- wards melted into glue. The price paid for the en* tire pelt is ten to twenty-five cents per pound, be- ing regulated by the amount and quality of fur on the pelt. Fur of a good quality is worth seventy- five cents per pound. The hare can be raised to five months of age properly and sufficiently fed for three cents per pound actual cost, and as the meat will bring from ten to fifteen cents per pound dressed, it can be readily seen that the balance is on the right side of the ledger. CATALOGUE OF FREDERICK J. DRAKE & COMPANY PUBLISHERS. CHICAQO. I TPON receipt of the price, any book advertised in the following pages will be sent by mail, postage paid, to any Post Office in the United States, Canada, or the Universal Postal Union. As to our financial standing, we respectfully refer you to any bank or business house in Chicago, Not Respopnsible for Money or Books sent by Mail, unless Registered. Parcels will be registered on receipt of Ten Cents in addition to the amount of the order. No orders whatever will be filled unless suf- ficient money accompanies them. Write your name plainly. Give full Address, with Post Office, County and State. A complete Descriptive Catalogue will be mailed free on application. Send for it. We will be pleased to consider for publication any manuscripts sent us. We desire one or more good agents to represent our books in every county in the United States. Write us for terms, etc. HOW TO SEND MONEY. 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It gives in a simple ana easily understood language every thing you should know about Gal- vanometers, Batteries, Magnets, In- duction, Coils, Motors, Voltmeters, Dynamos, Storage Batteries, Simple and Practical Telephones, Telegraph Instruments, Rheostat, Condensers, Electrophorous,' Resistance, Electro Plating, Electric Toy Making, etc. The book is an elementary hand book of lessons, experiments and inventions. It is a hand book for beginners, though it includes, as well, examples for the advanced students. The author stands second to none in the scientific world, and this exhaustive work ^ill be found an invaluable assistant to either the •tudent or mechanic. Illustrated with hundreds of fine drawings; printe4| on a superior quality of paper. l2rao Cloth. Price, $J.25. Sent postpaid to any address upon receint of prio FREDERICK J. DRAKE £» CO., Publishers,. CHICAGO, ILL. The Up-to-date Electro- plating Hand-Book J^ MANUAL of useful information for platers and others who wish to become acquainted with the practical art of the electro-deposition oi metals ctnd their alloys, including Eiectro-deposition of Metals, Electro- deposition of Alloys, Electroplating Dynamos, Electroplating Solutions, Electroplating Apparatus. This book has been written to meet the requirements of platers desiring a practical and yet non-technical work on elec- troplating. The informatioB given therein has been ob- tained from platers of practical experience, and the construc- tion and operation of the differ- ent devices used in the electro- deposition of metals are fully described and illustrated. Pocket size, 4 x6!4. Over?00 pages and over 50 illustrations. With numerous tables and use- ful formulas, by James H. Weston, M. E., illustrated by L. Elliott Brookes. 16mo. Popular Edition. Full cloth. Price net, S1,0O Edition de Luxe. Full leather limp. Price net, $i.60 Sent Postpaid to any Address in the World upon Receipt of Price FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. PUBLISHERS 'CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ALL TECHNICAL TERMS AVOIDED TELEGRAPHY SELF TADGHT A Complete Mannal of Instrnctlon By THEO. A. BD150N, M. A., Instructor at the American Scho*l of Telegraphy, illustrated. In this valtiable volame will be I found everything that is necessary to the study of telegraphy. Though telegraphy is essentially a matter of practice, it has been the aim of the author to present to those who aspire to master the art of teleg- raphy a book treating the subject in as concise and clear a manner as possible, without eliminating any- thing that is important, and without putting in things that are detri- mental, and which would have a tendency to confuse. There is no money-making occupa- tion which admits of greater advan- tages than Telegraphy. Telegraph operators are always in demand by railroad corporations, telegraph companies, newspaper offices, etc. This is the latest, most concise, authentic, and altogether the best book on the subject published. Everything is treated in a clear, concise manner; explains all about the batteries, operating keys, Morse Code, Block Signals, commercial messages, earth as a conductor; how to count the words In a message, order of transmission, provision, grain and stock abbreviations. Railroad rules for telegraph operators and movement of trains by telegraphic orders. Train order form, numerals, sentences used in railroad and commercial telegraphy, definitions, etc., also contains unsurpassed essays on electricity, illustrating in a simple manner how it is adapted to the different instruuenta and its function as applied to the telegraph. 13 Mo Cloth, illustrated, price (postage 10c extra) .,., u5U69 Frederick J.Drake & Co. PUBLISHERS CHICAGO ALL TECHNICAL TERMS AVOIDED Practical Telephone Hand Book and Guide to Telephonic Exchange === HOW TO CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN TELEPHONE LINES By T. S. BALDWIN. M. A. lUustrated. Containingr chapters on "The Use of the Telephone. Series and Bridg- ing Phones, Line Construction, Ma- terials to be used. Locating and Cor- rection of Faults in Instruments and Lines." This is the best book ever published on Farm Telephones and has been the sensation of the past year in telephone circles. It is the only book ever issued which treats the subject exhaustively and comprehensively. It is of inestimable value to promot- ers of rural party lines, because it contains all of the arguments that are yl|i^=$^^*''!L-*'^ necessary to show the advantages of ^^^^^^""^ rural party lines. It also tells how such lines should be constructed and cared for. The great growth of the telephone industry during the past few years, and in response to the demand for a comprehensive book, giving a clear, terse idea of the different principles govern- ing the construction, installation, care and management of the various telephones and their appliances, the Practical Telephone Hand Book has been compiled. It is written in a most clear and careful style and aims to give a complete review of the subject of telephony. No expense has been spared in gathering valuable information, and it has been the aim of the author to make this treatise the most complete elementary book ever written on this subject for all per- sons interested in this great achievement of modern science. The text is profusely illustrated by cuts of commercial appa- ratus and carefully prepared diagrams of circuits. No diagram is given without a full explanation. The apparatus and methods used in making all the tests required in commercial telephone work, in- >cluding the exchange, are fully treated. Price, $1.00 Postpaid. FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. CHICAGO. Ibot Ijeatiitdt Stsam and 6as fittiitd By WM, DOJ^JiLDSOM 2k MODERN treatise on Hot Water, ^^ Heating, and Steam and Gas Fitting, Steam and Furnace which is in- tended for the use and information of the owners of build- ings and the mechanics who install the heating plants in them. It gives full and concise information with regard to Sieam Boilers and Water Heaters and Furnaces, Pipe Systems for Steam and Hot Water Plants. Radiation, Radi- ator Valves and connections, Systems of Radiation, Heating Surfaces, Pipe and Pipe Fittings, Damper Regulators, Fit- ters' Tools, Heating Surface of Pipes. Installing a Heating Plant and Specifications. Plans and Elevations of Steam and Hot Water Heating Plants are shown and all other sub- jects in the book are fully illustrated. 256 pages, 121 illustrations, 12 mo, cloth, price, $1.50 Sold by Booksellers generally or sent postpaid to any address upon receipt of price by the Publishers FREDERICK J. DRAKE €? CO. PUBLISHERS CHICAGO. U.S.A. Gypsy Witches Fortune Telling Cards By Madame Le Mormand (Gypsy Witch) Mmlle. Le Normand has left behind such a reputa- tion, the memory of so unusual a talent, that we believe we shall do a favor to the admirers of her system, by pub- lishing the cards which were found after her death. ^ They are the same cards with which she prophesied to Napoleon I. his future greatness, and the downfall of many princes and great men of France. Thousands of the nobility recognized, during her life, her great talent, and often confessed that her method was full of truth and accuracy. ^What makes this publication of interest, is the fact that we give the explanations as Mmlle. Le Normand left it behind her. We have arranged the game in such a manner that every lady or gentlemen can lay the cards without help from anyone else. Each pack contains fifty-two fine illustrated cards, lithographed in colors, with inscrip- tion telling your past, present and future. Can also be used for playing any card game. Full directions with each pack. Price per package of 52 cards in neat case, * ^ SO cents Sent postpaid to any address upon receipt of price. FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. , PUBLISHERS ===== Chicago Illinois