Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-04-04
Feeding YounR Chicks.

should be nothing indigestible or any.
thing that can be eaten, for a little chick
Is a very foolish bird and will eat any
thing it can swallow. Whole hocks have
been killed by filing upon. sand, saw
dust or bran. Dry dirt is preferable to
anything else as it is a good disinfectant
and absorbs the %droppings, or cut straw
or sweet clean chaff can be used. All
food should be thrown in this litter to
induce the chicks to exercise.
1t is considered that a healthy chick
passes the danger line at about four
weeks of age, prior to this time its life
can be divided in to three periods, each
requiring different treatment.
/. A continuation of the period Of in
cubation lasting three or four days.
II. The foolish or stuTid period be-
fore the natural instincts develop and it
becomes selective in its food, lasting
from seven to ten days old.
III. The period from the development
of the instinct until it has crossed the
danger liue.
FIRST ERIOD
The first division is the continuation of
the period oil incubation while the yoke
is being assiniilated. During this period
the chicks require almost as high a tent
p~erature as during incubation. Most of
the time is spent in resting and sleeping.
Wien placed in a brooder they should lie
placed under the hover after it has been
warmed to a temperature Of about 100
degrees and left entirely alone for a day
or two. When given to a hen she should
be confined for a few days to prevent her
exercising the little fellows 90 much.
One should he very careful about
giving the newly Matched chick a chill,
nothing is more injurious as it is usually
followed by an attack Of bowel trouble.
Water should be given in a fountain
from the first. Water should never be
given in open dishes, as tile chickens
will get wet and may become chilled, or
it unfit for drinking.
A good water fountain may be made by
puncturing a quart can with a nail, about
| half an inch from top Of can, then fiji it
with water aud invert it over a saucer or
any shallow dish. The WAGER will run
out of the can a, the chicks drink it, and
they cannot get into tn. dish.
Little chickens should never he fed u,-
til they are 80 or 4S hours old, some do
not feed until 60 hours, but | prefer to
feed a little sooner.
80" says SOM one THE idea, the
poor little things will starve." You just
try it aud see if they starve, they would
live one week without a thing to eat, as
the chick, just before it is hatcled, draws
all the remaining yoke of the egg into its
body, and after it is Matched it should be
allowed to assimulate this yolk before 1t
is fed. 1t is a mistake to feed hard boil
ell eggs as the little ball Of down already
has egg enough.
The first feed may be dry bread crumbs
soaked in milk then squeezed and fed in
a crurnbly state. Sprinkle a little fine
grit over this feed. Feed this the frs,
day, then gradually introduce dry feed
made from a mixture Of small grains
ground. Or if one does not have milk
give grit alone for first feed, hen feed
the ground grains.
The latter is our method and we have
avr.lla,,t rnup1tc 1,,t ttA tlilk avn
crumbs washes out the digestive organs
and | should use it If | had it.
Don t feed corr meal and water, AM
don't wear your self out baking corr
bread. If YOU do, nine times out OF ten
you are paving the way for an early NOR
tality of of your chickens.
How would you like to have corr
bread, corn cake, corn pone, etc. etc.
for your dinner, breakfast and supper
Wouldn't your digestive organs soon re
bel? Wei so does those of the delicate
little newly Matched chick.
They will bear it a little longer or
baked corn than raw, but by the tim
they are foar weeks old they begin t
die, and you think it is because they ar
beginning to feather and that 1t is
weak time with them, but it isn't, it i
just because they cant stand the strail
on their digestive organs any longer.
; Little chickens, until they are on
week old, or perhaps ten days, SHOULD
never be given all they eau eat. The.
will eat more than they can digest, an
! sure death will result. Watch thei