Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1904-12-29
PATCHING TO ADVANTAGE.

Mr.. Felch Takes Issue with the Aa.
vccstes of March Chicks.
1t Is safe to say that nine-tenths of
all the chickens raised in the northern
half of our country are Matched be-
tween April 10 and July % Of each
year; that the May hatch will come to
laying full month younger in life
than the March and April Matched
chicks from the same pen Of ances-
tors, and that August Matched chicks
will lay at younger age than either,
but of course arr not desirable, be-
cause we have to mature them In the
winter months, and the spring infu-
ence upon them brings them to lay
ing before they have fully developed,
and they never reach mature growth.
Again, how often have I asserted
that March produces the chicks with
the weakest vitality. and If they are
at all precocious in laying they usually
become broody early and many Of
them mott into premature old hens,
having grown three full coats Of feath.
ers before they are a year old, and are
reduced to culls and useless as high
class breeders.
| Chickens Matched in May and kept
growing, with no setback, until Christ
mas time form the majority Of the ex-
hibition winners. The four most noted
Brahmas that ever raised-birds that
won for no less than five different
breeders and grew to the large record
weights for the breed-were Matched in
June, and 1t is an absolute fact that in
all my years Of experience In poultry
culture nine-tenths of all the Brahmas
ever raised have been Matched be-
tween May 10 and June 25..
The best Brahma cocks ever exhibit
ed, and those that have made remark
able records as producers, have been
late Matched males that were kept
through their cockerel period in cell.
bacy and In the following February
mated to pullets, yet in the face OF
all this do we see Asiatic breeders
force the season to secure extra early
matches that they may have early fal
layers, and the consequence Is that the
pullets are exhausted before the sea
son to hatch and rear their progeny
commences.
1t matters not what the locality, W,
must adapt ourselves to its demands
Were you in Texas, where the condi
tons are favorable for growing fresh
green vegetation every month in tn
year, then you could produce chick
q the year around,
q The most vigorous and healthy chick
q come from the forty eggs pu ct pro
. duces after the first eight Or ten sh
lays and from the forty eggs the he
' lays after molting-when the eggs al
large, firmly shelled and of even colo
J From these we get the phenomen'
e birds that lay the most eggs and b
come the prize winners for us. Thus
/. will be seen that the chickens chance
- are controlled before 1t is born, so
speak, for its real birth Is the egg.
Chicks Matched from such eggs ar
fed judiciously from the time they al
y twenty-four hours old until ready Il
j the show pen will be strong, vigoro,
and hardy, providing the parent stot
is properly bred and judiciously mate
They should be fed good, clean cracke
corn, oats, barley and wheat. an
, sweet ground beef scraps, and IL var
{ ed should be furnished with green foo
!. Ths. xbe Isis Feed should Be n the pr
e portion Of Is per cent sweet meat,
|, per cent grass or vegetable matter ar
. 90 per cent grain. Milk is whole foe
r. and drink, but 1t should be scalded Il
their use until they are two weeks Of
!, and they will seldom have bowel cor
plant.
We have before now hatched II
Brahmas and raised 101 Of ther
among which were single specimen
I. that brought us 500. Clean waite
clean grain, clean quarters, cleanline'
!. everywhere and in everything, mean
clean profit and pleasure In poultl
culture.-I. X. Felch In Commerce.
Poultry.