Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1880-04-08

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til all are hatched. Then remove the
shells and hopeless eggs, if any remain. so
as to give the chicks plenty of room, return
the chicks to the nest, and let them alone
tor twelve hours more. At the end OF that
time the hen is ready to leave the nest, and
the chickens are us lively as crickets, and as
hungry as wolves. Then take the moth
er hen and dust carbolic powder well into |
her feathers AS preventive against lice.
snuff can be used instead of the carbolic
powder Next | gather up the little chick
ems in-well suppose might say basket,
but truth compels me to say that l general |
ly use my apron-take the old hen under
my arm, and start tor the ''nursery" as we
call the building where we raise the early
chickens. When move them into the nur-
sery generally double up the broods. |
don't want any more old hens around in
the way than is necessary, so give each
hen from fifteen to twenty chicks, accord
ing to size. | never have any trouble about
making the hens own all the chicks that |
see fit to give them.
The nursery is a building OF 30 feet long,
II feet wide, u feet high in front and 5 feet
in rear. The front is nearly all glass, and
slants backward so that the chicks get as
much sunlight as they would in building
with windows in the roof 5&.
The mother hens are confined in slat
coops placed along the rear, and at the ends
of the room, while the chicks run about the
room as they please.
Icommence feeding stale bread crumbs
soaked in milk, cooked rice, and hard boiled
eggs. Feed five times a day on this food
for the first three days, then for the next
i oat meal, and curds. ] prepare the cnrds
by putting a kettleful Of thick sour milk on
the stove where il will keep just warm nn-
til the whey separates then turn into a
bag and drain off the whey. tits little
trouble to prepare this food, but the chicks
like it so well. and thrive so well upon it
that it pays. The third week we COM
mence adding corn meal to the cooked po-
tatoes, and feeding corn bread. This bread
is made by stirring corn meal into skim
milk until quite thick, sailing little and
Taking in pan for an hour or more, accord
ing to the size Of the Loaf. After the fourth
week we feed cracked corn, and wheat
screenings at night and cooked food of all
kinds during the day. The food is cooked
every day, fresh; never feed soured ,od to
young chicks. We keep up this course of
! feeding, five times day, from the first day
OF feeding until they are sent to market at
ten or twelve weeks Of age. AT all
times supply them with plenty of skim
milk. Sometimes when the home supply
runs short, | buy skim milk of the neigh
bors, and consider my money well invested.
Twice a week give cayenne pepper in
the food-not strong, but about as would
i'll were going to eat il; and twice week
give tablespoonful of bone meal to every
quart of soft food. AS often as once week
a little sulphur is mixed in the food, and
four or five times week a good handful of
powdered charcoal IL mixed with every two
quarts of food. The free use of charcoal
helps early chicks iii their growth and tends
TO keep them in good health. The floor of
the room is covered with gravel SO that the
chicks can help themselves at all times.
i Green food is absolutely necessary to the
i well-being of these early chicks. TO sup
ply this in the most natural manner SOW
oats and grass seeds in shallow boxes of
earth, and when three inches hig cut and
feed to the chicks. Chopped cabbage ant.
onion Is good for change, and lettuce rais-
ed in boxes is greedily devoured. When
the ground is soft enough in the spring we
cut up sods and throw In the room. AS
soon as the new grass starts we open the
door and let the chickens out on warm and
pleasant days, and ON other days good
, supply is cut and thrown into them. This
regular supply of green food is one of the
most essential things to be observed towards
keeping early chicks in good health Fan.
, ny Field, in Prairie Farmer.
Eggs for incubation should be kept In a
cellar, rather than Lear hot stove.