Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-06-02
Care Of Early Chicks.

alone, severely, until all are out
Sometimes a young and inexperi.
enced pullet don't know any better
than to tramp around in the mes
lust when the chicks are peckinI
their way into the world, and il
that case | take the chicks from TIT
nest as soon as they are dry. an
keep them in a warm place in the
house until all are Matched. Then
| removed 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 then
alone for twelve hours more. A
the end of that time the hen i
ready to leave the nest, and tn
chickens are as lively as crickets
and hungry as wolves. Then l take
the mother hen and dust carboll'
powder we'll into her feathers as
preventive against lice, Snuff cal
be used instead of the carbOli'
powder. Next l gather up the lit
tie chickens in, well, | suppose
might say basket, but truth COM
pels me to say that 1 generally us'
my apron,-take the old hen under
my arm, and start for the nurse
ry' as we call the building where
we raise the early chickens. Wher
| move them into the nursery
generally double up the brOods.
don't want any more old hens
around the way than is necessary:
so 1 give each hen from fifteen tC
twenty chicks, according to size. |
never have any trouble about max
ing the hens own all the chicks l
see fit to give them.
The nursery lisa building 80 feet
long, y feet wide, Z ID feet high
in front and 8 feet in rear. The
front is nearly all glass, and slants
backward; so that the chicks get as
much sunlight as they would in a
building with windows in the roof
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
/ commence feeding stale bread
crumbs soaked in milk, cooked rice,
and hard boiled eggs. Feed five
times day on this food for the first
three days, then for the next week
we feed cooked potatoes mixed with
oatmeal, and curds. l prepare
the curds by putting a kettle OF
thick sour mix on the stove where
it will keep Just warm until the
whey separates then turn into a
bag and drain off the wiley. 1t is
little trouble to prepare this food,
but the chicks like it so well, and
thrive so we'll upon it that it pays.
The third week we commence adj
ding corn meal to the cooked pota-
toes, and feeding corn bread. This
bread is made by stirring cornmeal
into skim milk until quite thick,
sailing little and baking in a pan
for an hour or more, according 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 food
to young chicks. We keep up this
course Of feeding, five times a day,
from the first day of feeding until
they are sent to market at ten or
twelve weeks of age. At all times
l supply them with plenty of skim
milk. Sometimes when the home
supply runs short, l buy skim milk
Of my neighbors; and consider my
money well invested.
Twice a week | give cayenne
pepper in the food-not strong, but
about as ] would if | were going to
eat it; and twice a week | give a
tablespoonful of bone meal to ey-
cry quart of soft food. AS often as
once a week a little sulphur is mix
ed in the food, and four Or five
times a week a good handful of
powdered charcoal is mixed with
every two quarts Of food. The free
use Of charcoal helps early chicks
in 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 them
selves at all times.
Green food is absolutely necessa-
ny to the well-being Of these early
chicks. To supply this in most
natural manner | SOW oats and
grass seeds in shallow boxes Of
earth, and when three inches high
cut and feed to the chicks. Chop
ped cabbage and onion is good for a
change, and lettuce raised 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 in to them.
This regular supply of green food
is one of the most essential things
to be observed towards keeping
early chicks in good health.
FANNY FILD.