The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-05
ARI OF FEEDING
YOUNG CHICKENS
Six Rules to Govern Success
full Poultry RaiserS
OVERRIDING A FAULT
Care of Hens and Other Topics
of interest
OVERRIDING A FAULT

those that are laying, but the feeding
should be different, declares James f.
Rice in Country Life. Grain should be
left where they can get il whenever they
desire 10 come off the Il est. This is done
not only as matter Of convenience out
also to insure the hens getting all they
want to eat, and also to get them into
the habit OF coming of regularly; when
they will be more apt to do If they know
the food is always obtainable. 1t is better
to feed all whole grain in good variety,
such as corn oats and wheat. The rea-
son is that all the food a sitting hen re-
ouires is for her bodily maintenance. She
is q non-producer and will therefore be
able TO satisfy her needs without soft
food. vegetables or meat. though little
of these will be of benefit The danger
lies in feeding so much vegetable food as
to loosen the bowels or 50 much as to
stimulate a desire to discontinue sitting
and go to laying.
The young chickens should be fed little
and often The great danger in feeding
chickens up to the time they are feather
ed is from overlooking. 1t occurs far
more frequently than undertaking. Over
feeding is more apt to occur with brooder
chickens that have little chance to eXer-
else than it does with chickens that run
with the hen. There is far less danger Of
overlooking with whole or cracked food
than there is when all ground food is fed,
for the reason that digestion must take
place more slowly. 1t therefore follows
that as between hard and soft food, where
both are fed, the larger the proportion OF
ground food the chickens eat the faster
they wnI grow; and, conversely, the
larger the proportion of cracked or whole
grain they eat the slower they will grow
and the less will be the dangers from
digestion troubles. It really becomes
question of seeing how fast We can grow
them without feeding them off their
feet''-which means without injuring their
digestion. Most feeders viii prefer to
keep on the side of safety and not try to
force them too fast.
The first food should be given about
twenty-four hours after Matching has
been completed. The yolk sack, which
has been enclosed within the body few
hours before Matching began, contains
all the food that is required until the di-
gestive system is in working order. The
mistake is sometimes made Of leaving the
chickens so long without nourishment
that they have weakened-but the mis-
take is more apt to be made in the other
direction. Hens pay more attention to
keeping their little ones warm than they
DO in hunting for a big dinner. We
should do the same.
The best results that we have ever had
IN raising little chickens were had when
we fed wheat bread soaked in skim milk
squeezed dry and fed crumbled-for the
first day or two. For the next few days
this was supplemented with fine cracked
grain. principally wheat and oatmeal. I
believe that a large variety of seeds and
fine grain is an advantage. They can be
purchased in quantities of poultry-supply
houses and a mixture made to suit con-
ditions. Several combinations of these
grains are upon the market which We
have found very valuable We have had
weII-grounded suspicious that good deal
more grit is often put into these foods
than is really necessary.
All grain should be fed in a hitter Of
chaff, where the chickens will have TO
scratch for 1t, if they are confined. This
should form the first and the last feeding
of the day. During the day they should
be given what they will eat up clean OF
soft food. which should be dry and crum-
bly, After four weeks this may be fed
quite literally.
The best combination which we have
ever found Is to make corn meal John
ny cake" by mixing sour milk and soda
to make ii light. 1t must be thoroughly
cooked all the way through. II it is sod
den or only partly baked It is a danger
Gus food. When taken from the oven II
should be covered with a damp cloth so
tnat il will steam and soften. With this
should be mixed a little pot-cheese or
custard. The custard is made by adding
half dozen infertile eggs to a quart Of
milk and the whole beaten thoroughly
and placed in the oven and allowed to
cook by slow heat. This custard takes
the place OF meat which in some form
IS q necessity in feeding chickens No
kind Of grain or vegetable can take its
place. II custard is not fed some kind Of
meat must be provided. such as green cut
bone, fresh meat-which is better cooked
or meat scraps, which may be sifted
and the coarser particles mixed with
grain. about one-tentn 10 one-ffth by
weight. If skim milk is TO be had IT can
be fed freely as a drink or IN the form OF
pot-cheese-or both. II the chickens can
not get grass. green food must be pro-
vided.
The six things TO keep in mind when
raising chickens are:
]. Keep them warm.
2 rep them dry.
8 Keep them clean.
4. KEEP them busy
8. Keep them hungry.
& Keep them growing.