Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13
Rearing Chicks.

The tlme-worn saving that "the early
bird catches the worm" applies nicely
With regard TO the rearing of chicks.
In our experience we have found that
our early broods cost the least care and
.abor and give the best satisfaction.
Unless early broilers for the market be
the object in view, there is no need TO
employ artificial means of Matching and
rearing chickens, as for the majority of
people 'old biddie" will DO Il in season
and attend to it with much less trouble
to the owner. Chicks Matched the lat
ter part Of March, in April or even Nav
VII mature into fine birds before cold
weather, if they have good care; and
as the American standard of excellence
does not now demand such heavy
weights as formerly, exhibitors even
need not make such great haste to have
their show birds out of the shell before
the time above mentioned.
Manage some way. if possible, to sit
several hens at once. so that the hroods
can come off at the same time There
are several things to be gained by this.
First, then, if some of the hens are
careless or N some manner happen to
lose half their eggs, your broods can
be doubled up and the chicks given to
the best and most careful mother, while
the careless one, which otherwise must
fool away" her time on half a brood,
can 90 back to business agair. Another
thing TO be gained is, the chicks of the
same age can be fed the same kind of
food and grow right along together,
while with broods of all ages, mingling
promiscuously together at feeding me,
the younger ones are trod upon by the
older and the weaker ones fare rather
poorly, unless considerable care and
tact is displayed by the attendant. For
the first week or so we always feed hard
boiled eggs, crumbled right up, shell
and all. mixed with stale bread. crack
ers and may be little boiled potato,
seasoned slightly with salt. Occasion
ally little pepper may be added and
little powdered C arcoal, bone meal.
or crushed oyster she Is. can always be
added with profit. also to keep them in
hea tn little sulphur. Gravel should
always be within their reach Author
tiles differ in regard to giving young
chicks water, but it is usually conceded
that it is an unne .essarv adjunct tC
their bill of fare until large enough t.
eat grain, and then it should be given
in some manner that they be not com
pletely drenched while drinking, as in
that case in cool morning the drink
does them more harm than good.
A little milk in shallow vessel. say
saucer, is beneficial at all times, anc
when it is warm enough weather tC
cause the milk to thickeu, our chick:
and turks as well fare upon ''dutcf
cheese" For the benefit of those who
may not understand this term, We
would say it is clabbered milk, scalded
sufficiently for the curd to separate
from the whey, when it is strained
through coarse cloth. This dry curd
can be mixed with the egg. or with oat.
meal, or fed alone. In either case il
makes an excellent and nutritious arti.
Gle of diet. In case this is not at hand,
oatmeal can be mixed with the boiled
egg. or dampened with milk or water
and fed alone. In case milk is used,
only enough should be mixed at once
to keep sweet, as it viii sour very
quickly. When the chicks are two OF
three weeks old wheat screenings and
cracked corn may constitute tn cir ever
ing meal. RerieU.