they have diseases. Be good and kind to them. Think how
good God is. Act up to His will in all your ways and all your thoughts
too. You must keep your hens from suffering with cold, and give them
enough to eat, and keep them clean, and not affrighten them, &c., &c.,
or they cannot lay you eggs. If your hens or chickens have their crops
swelled soft, and a fever, give them a portion of Epsom salts, with a
little black pepper in it, and give them as much warm water as they can
drink; in their sickness take good care of them, they get well. If they
have stoppage in their stomach, their crop swelled hard, take your
fingers and jam carefully till their crop is soft, then give them a
portion of Epsom salts. I have cured them with only my fingers, they get
well. If they have itching feet and scurfy, if mutton tallow will not
cure it, then put their feet in a thing of warm water and wash them
every morning till they get well. When they shed their feathers, their
stomach is weak then, they must have soft victuals then, hard corn will
distress their stomach then. If hen's body comes out, put it back in her
and see to her, she be well by the next day. If it comes more than half
way out, it can be put back if any one has common sense. If a string of
hen's insides comes out, with a egg fast to it, break the egg, and take
it off from her insides and put her insides back in her and see to her,
she be well by the next day. If hen's legs chilled with cold for want of
sun, and they cannot walk, take them by the fire and rub their legs and
feet, faithful, half a day, then rub on black pepper mixed with warm
water, they get well. If a hen is starved she must not have hard corn at
first, give her flour bread soaked soft in milk, till she is able to eat
corn. Hens must not go in snow, it hurts them. They must not have fat
meat. They must not be crowded, their room must be large enough. Their
roosts must not be too high, for them to fly down on hard floor, it
hurts their feet and hips. I know it. Hens want sun in winter and shade
in summer. If hens' feet crack, bleed, and sore places, melt mutton
tallow and white sugar together, rub it on faithful, they get well. If
they bleed great deal, put on warm alum water first, they get well. If
hens' feet swell, put on sweet apple balsam every day, they get well. If
hens' head turns over, give her Epsom salts and black pepper, she get
over it for a while. If hens have diarrhoea, give them boiled rice,