St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-07-11
RAISING BRoILERs.
Some Suggestions From n Practical

| Some Suggestions From q Practical
Poultry Raiser.
| For thirty-six hours after the chicks
have lett the shell it is best to with.
hold all food, says Farm and Home.
Then l feed old bread finely ground
| through the bone mill, to which is
! added hard-boiled eggs left from the
| second test, about one-fourth; this
may be given for the first two weeks
each day diminishing the quantity of
egg. In the chaff l scatter some mil
let seed which keeps them busy and,
aids IN their development. During the
tlrst two weeks | keep the brooder at
80 degrees. This must not be guess
! work, but good thermometer should
be kept in each brooder about two
inches from the floor.
If the brooder is too cool thew wiz
begin to crowd together, pile on top
of one another, and the under ones will
smother. Nothing but cold will cause
them to do this. Too much heat will
debilitate them, and they will soon
weaken and die. After the second
week you may drop the register to IS
degrees and about two weeks later
to 70.
Broilers should be fed regularly and
no more than they can eat up clean.
Remove the troughs as soon as thew
are through. Feed every two hours
the first week, every three hours the
second, after that the three regular
rations day and between times a bit
OF green stuff and about twice a week
green cut bone. There is nothing can
take the place of this as an animal
food, especially when forcing is
necessary.
After the chicks are two weeks old
L begin a change Of diet At night I
scald four quarts of cornmeal in the
mixing trough and to this add a pint
OF meat meal, handful of salt, two
large tablespoons of cottonseed meal:
then add bran until It is all a dry
crumbly mass. This amount will fill
fiye-gallon can, which I set on the
hot-Water pipes until morning, when
at o'clock it is ready to feed.
Long wooden troughs are used, and
as soon as the chicks have eaten their
fill the troughs are picked up and
scraped clean; the leavings SO to the
old hens. Next, the dishes are filled
in each pen with cold, clean water for
drinking. l have never found any
thing better than the earthen drink
ing fountains. At noon small potatoes
are boiled and mashed and made dry
by the addition Of bran, and often a
dash of black pepper.
At night a feed of cracked corn,
wheat or millet is given, just what
they can eat clean. The grain is
thrown on the floor and they must
hunt for all of it. Planning shavings
are the best litter, as they absorb all
moisture and act as a disinfectant
Gravel should be kept on the floor and
the litter spread above it.
Cabbage is one of the best green
foods and if one has access to brook
where cress grows in the spring, it
will be a great help when cabbage
runs short. Green feed is a necessity
when forcing to prevent leg weakness.
Chicks fed on the above plan will
reach the required one and a half
pounds at the age of ten weeks. The
cottonseed meal is valuable to put the
flesh on. Where it is used the breast
of the broilers will be plump as quail,
but on. account Of it's concentrated
qualities it must be fed sparingly to
produce best results; two tablespoon
fuls are sufficient for five gallon can.
Variety is good for them. Once. in
a while baked johnnycake with gronud
meat in it, is much relisned. usually
cook it very dry, then put through my
bone mill. A few baked potatoes make
a nice change, or some stale bakers
bread. Break open the loaves, then
gather up the crusts, put through
your mill and add to the soft feed.
Keep the chicks hungry so they will
be busy trying to find bit left on
the floor from the last meal.