The practical poultry keeper : a complete and standard guide to the management of poultry / [Lewis Wright].

  • Wright, Lewis, 1838-1905.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The practical poultry keeper : a complete and standard guide to the management of poultry / [Lewis Wright]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/294 (page 28)
    The reason has puzzled wiser heads than ours, but it is a fact that any real quantity of snow-water seems to reduce both fowls and birds to mere skeletons. It is well in winter to add to the water a few drops of a solution of sulphate of iron (green vitrol), just enough to give a slight mineral taste. This will in a great measure guard against roup, and act as a bracing tonic generally. The rusty appearance the water will assume is quite immaterial, but may be avoided’by adding a few drops of sulphuric acid. The best plan, perhaps, is to keep a large bottle of the celebrated Douglas # mixture,” respecting which we can speak with un- qualified approval, as a most valuable addition to the drink in cold weather of both fowls and chickens. It consists of half a pound of sulphate of iron and one ounce of sulphuric acid dissolved in two gallons of water; and is to be added in the proportion of two table-spoonfuls to each pint of water in the fountain. Whilst the fowls are moulting, the above mixture, or a little sulphate of iron, should always be used; it will assist them greatly through this, the most critical period of the whole year. With this aid, and a little pepper on their food, with perhaps a little extra meat, there will rarely be any lost. With hardy kinds and good shelter such precautions are scarcely necessary ; but they cost little, and have their effect also on the early re-commencement of laying. In addition to their regular food it will be needful that the fowls have a supply of lime, in some shape or other, to form the shells of their eggs. Old mortar pounded is excellent; so are oyster-shells well burnt in the fire and pulverised; of the latter they are very fond, and it is an excellent plan to keep a “ tree-saucer ” full of it in their yard. If this matter has been neglected, and soft shell-less eggs have resulted, the * So called because published in the Field newspaper by Mr. John Douglas, then superintending the Wolseley Aviaries.