The Portland daily press., 1883-05-14
Care Of Young Chicks.


The following hints on the management
of young chicks are from THE Complete
Poultry Book" by G. Il, Thorne, one of the
latest as well as one of the best of the many
books on the breeding and care of poultry
The young chick, when first hatched, has
just filled itself with the egg yolk, and will
need no other food until that Is fully digest
ed, or from twelve to twenty-four hours. As
the first food of the young human or quadru-
ped is its mothers milk, so there is no other
food so suited to the wants of the newly
Matched chick as that which has heretofore
sustained it, or eggs. To give this food in
the best condition beat up an egg with two
tablespoonfuls of milk and set it in a warm
place until it coagulates, or 'sets' into a
custard, and feed it in this condition. This
is much better than boiling it hard, This
food should be continued for three or four
days, adding gradually a larger and larger
proportion ef bread crumbs soaked in sweet
milk (sour food is injurious to yoang
chickens, hence only so much should be giV-
en- as will be eaten clean at each feed dl,--and
of oat meal, or mixture Of bran, oat meal
and Indian meal, scalded and fed cold.
Ii the chickens are confined in coops
very little finely chopped meat should be Civ
EN- once day,-a piece as large as walnut
will be sufficient for dozen chicks-and al
so some form of green food, as chopped
grass, cabbage leaves, or lettuce. Whether
confined or not little cracked corn or
wheat screenings should be added to their
food after they are few days old, and the
quantity gradually increased as they grow
older. Soaked bread should only be given
in very small quantities, as it tends to pro-
duce diarrh@a. Milk should be given but
sparingly at first, and then only in the shape
of cottage cheese, but the quantity may be
increased as they grow older, and for fowls
two months or more of age it may be given
sweet or sour, and will be found cheap and
acceptable food.
Ii the hens are quiet, and other circum-
stances do not forbid, the chickens will be
more thrifty If allowed to range at will; bat
if the hens are inclined to take them so far
from the house as TO worry them out, or 10
expose them to hawks and vermin, or if
neighbors are so close as to render eonfine-
ment necessary to prevent trespass, it may
be necessary to coop the hen. In this case
the coop should be located upon grass land
if possible; but it will be found an advan-
tage to have plot of plowed land near by.
by stirring which occasionally, and placing
the coops upon il in dry weather. the chick
ems will soon be taught to hunt for worms.
The coops shonld be moved daily, as the
souring of the food and the excrement of the
chickens very soon renders the ground un-
der them propagator OF disease. Fresh
water should be given daily, and if given in
shallow iron dishes or in dishes containing
iron scraps, the rust which forms will be-
beneficial to the chickens in preventing dis
ease. No straw should be placed under the
coops, as the young chicks will be more Ii
able to become eItanged in it and trampled
by the hen. 1t will be well, however, to
place fresh sand or sifted ashes under them
frequently, especially if they cannot be NOV
ee every day.