West Tisbury, Dukes Co., Mass., 1871.
HENS—THEIR DISEASES AND CURE.
Human, do understand how to raise up sick hens to health. Some folks do not know how to doctor hens, they doctor them wrong, it hurts them, and it is dreadful cruel to let them die. It is as distressing to dumb creatures to undergo sickness, and death, as it is for human, and as distressing to be crueled, and as distressing to suffer. God requires human to take good care of dumb creatures, and be kind to them, or not keep any. Now do understand, and I will tell you exact.
Stoppage in Stomach.—If a hen has stoppage in her stomach, her corn stops in her crop, hard and swell large, and she sick, first work with your fingers carefully, get it soft, then take a small teaspoon and measure it full of epsom salts, and dissolve it in water, and give it to her with a teaspoon; you must keep to work with your fingers often, to keep it from hardening again, and the next day, if her breath smells bad, there is a rottenness in her stomach, then give her most as much of epsom salts again. Put a little flour porridge in her mouth with a teaspoon, three times a day, and a little soaked cracker, soaked in water; put a little in her mouth if she can swallow it, in five days she eat with the hens and be well. This is the way I cure them. Folks bring hens to me in this disease, to the point of death, been sick a long time, I cure them in five days; they must not have any milk in this disease, it will kill them, do as I tell you and you can cure them. Once in a great while one of my hens have stoppage in their stomach; I cure them with only my fingers, because I take her as soon as the corn stops. Milk does not agree with hens in sickness nor health, it keeps up in their stomach, and they vomit it up. I think strange it does not agree with hens, because milk is so good for human. You must not give your hens any castor oil, nor rhubarb, in not any disease whatever; it is poison for them, my reason tells me so, and I hear of folks killing their hens by giving them such stuff. My hens all keep healthy, because I keep them clean, and keep victuals and clean water standing by them, and take good care of them. I can cure a good many diseases for hens, but I cannot cure every disease. Every once in a while a sick hen is brought to me, to the point of death, been sick a great while, most dead, some ail one disease, some ail a number of diseases; I receive them into my care, I doctor them, and take care of them, I raise them up to health, I am unable to do anything, but I must take pity.
Froth in Throat.—If a hen has froth in her throat and crop, measure a small teaspoonful of epsom salts, dissolve it, put in a little black pepper, and give it to her with a teaspoon, it will cure this disease; but if she make a screaming noise with it, and distressed with it, then a sore growing in her, then no cure.
Gapes.—If a hen or chicken gapes a great deal, and sick, and complains of her throat, make pills of black pepper, cream, white flour, and put a pill in her mouth and make her swallow it till she takes down enough; the black pepper kills the worms. I cure them so.
Bag Stone.—This is a seldom case, I have known this case once in a while. If a hen has a bag of stones grow in her, hang down under her, you must give her the best of good cake to eat, the stones will consume in a few weeks, then she will eat corn and oats with the hens, and lay you eggs; but if you do not give her the best of cake she will certainly die, she cannot eat anything else then, in this disease, but best of cake. I cured them so.
Skin in Hen.—If a hen goes on her nest, and try to lay an egg, and cannot, and there most all day, then a skin of an egg is in her, she will certainly die if the skin of egg is not took out of her; some one has a small finger, and common sense, take the skin of egg out of her, then she is all right. I cure them so.
Bones.—If a hen is wounded in her hips, or any of her bones, bathe freely with McQuesten's Extractor a number of times every day, put on a good deal, till she gets well; I have cured a number of hens with this Extractor, they could not stand nor walk, their bones was so spraint, and so wrenched, &c. If their bones stiff too, then put on Dr. Job Sweet's Sprain Liniment, if any sore, then put on castile soap. I cure them so.
Wild.—I bought a young hen last year, she was dreadful wild, and when one week was at an end she came to me, and let me take her up, she keep still, and eat out of my hand, she remains gentle ever since, and a good hen to lay eggs.