The Meeker herald., 1910-10-15
SUCCESS IN LITTLE CHICKS
Proper Feeding 10 the Great Secret
Hail Dozen Methods, Any One
Of Which 10 Good.

Wy I-pNSloJ
Do not allow anyone to convince
you that there is only one way to rear
little chicks successfully. Some meth
DDS may be better than others but the
fact 10 that there are half = dozen
methods. any one of which Is ~ good
- many Of the others.
Several times have known some
young and enthusiastic fancier to set
out to show that feeding dry feed
was better or worse than feeding
moistened feed. In not . single in.
stance has the trial proved anything.
was called upon to decide which
Of two focks of chicks were the best,
after one Of them had been brought
up Oh moistened feed and the other
ON dry feed exclusively. and found
It impossible to detect any difference
worth mentioning. In point of econo.
my there docs not seem to be any
difference.
The result in my case has been that
feed dry feed all the time because
It 10 easiest to do SO. When chicks
are fed dry feed there 10 NO mussy
work a mixing mashes nor is there
any fermented feed left over.
The whole secret Of rearing chicks
successfully, rs far as feeding 10 con-
cerned. seems to be to see that they
are kept full all the time.
reared q flock OF chicks last sum-
mer on wheat and rolled barley ex-
clusively. The only feed beside these
two grains they got was some green
mustard tops and sprouted wheat. as
green feed was exceedingly scarce.
The mustard tops grew up along an
irrigation ditch and were fed to the
chicks. No beef scraps. no milk. Just
wheat and barley. Most of the time
the chicks had sprouted wheat to dig
for. Wheat was scattered thickly, COW
cred lightly and the soil kept damp.
To prevent the chicks from getting It
too soon, and to prevent too rapid
evaporation. the bed was covered with
burlap sacks until the wheat began
to throw up green sprouts.
Then the chicks were turned on
and they would eat nothing else as
long as they could have this wheat.
In the course of termination the
starch In the wheat is changed to su-
gar Of q sort which chicks like.
This process also partially digests
the starch, making 1t easily digestible
by the chicks.
think sprouted wheat, barley or
oats make about the best combfna-
ton Of green feed and grain that the
poultryman can use and they thrive
beautifully on It.
Preferably, 1 feed cracked corn and
cracked wheat for the first two weeks.
At two weeks Of age I begin to feed
good quality Of dried beef scrap
and always keep grit. charcoal and
clean water where the chicks can
help themselves.
II any one tries to argue with me
that ground grains. moistened enough
to make a thick dough, is better than
cracked grains, fed dry, I do not ar
que the case, because 1 do not believe
it is worth while.
On principle. feed sound and
sweet grain. because would not want
to eat musty feed myself. The chicks
that run at large around farm yard
pick up a lot Of grain in the course
of the year that is anything but
sound and sweet but I haven't noticed
that this interferes with their health.
Feed often and feed plenty and the
chicks will do the rest.
An average of one pound Of grain
a week will supply chick for the
first ten weeks q its life.