The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-01

box. seeking shade lit was a very
warm, close day., and having out at
tention diverted just then. when we
returned in a short time we found
one of the chicks overcome and the
others sprawled out like pan cakes.
We took them out of the box, put
them in a shady place on the floor.
where there was free circulation of
air; gave them fresh water, and pour
ed some down the throat of the one
that was nearby gone. In half an hour
this lot had recovered, and they are
as lively chicks now as one could wish.
This you would learn If you attempt
ed. as we did this morning, to catch
several members of this bunch.
One of the secrets of raising every
chick is to keep them just a little
keen for their food. Feed enough to
fill their crops moderately full, but,
for the first month. do not give the
chick at any time, all the food they
will clean up of any kind of whole or
cracked grain. Though the chicks
may have dry mash before them all
the time and, not oftener than once
day they NAV be given all the moist
mash they will clean up. A very good
mash may be made OF two parts
shorts, two parts wheat bran, one part
alfalfa meal and one half part ground
~ and then moistened to thick stiff
dough. This mixture should not be
so moist that any unabsorbed water
can be seen around the sides OF the
bucket When made to water 1t brings
on indigestion. Whether the mash be
dry or moist, care, should be exer-
cised not to make 1t too high in pro-
their bones. When this occurs the
chicks will first he noticed to kneel
down while. eating; then the wings
will drag down, and the chicken will
look perfectly we'll. but will appear
weak in it's legs. For this condition
the remedy is TO put in the mash less
cottonseed meal and beef scrap. and
put in more wheat bran and supply
PLENTY of oyster shell and cracked or
ground bone.
We wish to warn against the too
free use of cottonseed meal in the
mash or otherwise. Not only is this
meal a high protein feed. but when
fed too heavily twill cause the grown
fowls to nnoult. We attribute this lat
ter property to the presence of sui
phuric acid in the meal. This acid is
said to be mixed with the cottonseed
at sorne stage of its handling, and no
n ethod has yet been found by which
oil of the acid can be extracted from
the seed or meal. We do not know
how this acid operates to cause a
n1oult. 1t may cause starvation by
derangins the digestive organs, as we
have noticed that both fc3r or sulphur
and oil of ssssafras will produce a
moult. and both of these are agents
that have the effect of thinning out
the blood. 1t is known that a meult
can he PRODUCED by starving the
chickens for a week or ten DAYS. and
then feeding heavily with both fat
tenjng and animal foods. Glucose in
candy is very injurious to the digos-
tive organs of people. Not because OF
any harmful substs nee in the corn cut
of which it is made, but because of
its containing a small per cent Of sui
phuric acid, put in at some stage in
manufacture of corn starch, of which
glucose is a by-preduet. Whatever
be the method of operation, the point
is that SULPHUR will cause hens to
moult. We have had the hens to start
moult Just from our sprinkling of
sulrhuT literally on the dropping
boards and roosts. And if you wish
to test this. choose time when the
price of eyes is at lowest mark and
mix a tablespoonful of flour of sui
phur in a gallon of moist mash and
give to yours hens every evening for a
week during dry warm weather. And
after you have given them all they will
eat once doy of this mixture for one
week, the floor of your hen house will
be covered with feathers and your egg
basket will be about empty. We do
not advocate this method of produc-
ing a moult. as it is unnatural. and, to
the extent that we have tested 1t. we
have found it satisfactory.
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