The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-03-31
CARE OF LITTLE CHICKS

may be able to get along without a
great deal of attention when they are
on a farm and have chance to
wander without restraint, but where
there are lot of incubator chicks
together, it means work. Many
amateur poultry keepers do not rea-
lie the amount of care lot of little
chicks require. They do not stop
to follow the methods of the mother
hen who takes her chicks out and
keeps them scratching and eating for
little while and then hovers them
for rest. The resting period may
be from half an hour to an hour and
again she is on the move with them.
They work some more. she scratches
and finds here worm, there q seed
and now stray grain. This means
that the chick without a mother
should be fed little and often. She
should be made to get in where it is
warm and dark so that she will be
obliged to rest and sleep. When
the chick is made to do these things
and the attendant is ever watchful,
there is not nearly the mortality as
where the chicks are left to them
selves and fed once or twice in the
forenoon and the same in the after
noon. They need constant atten-
ton and if you are not in a position
to give them that which will be for
their best good then better not
attempt to raise any.
Remember that when the chick
is Matched it has enough food sup
piled by nature in the yolk Of the
egg to last it several days. 1t is,
therefore, not necessary to crowd a
lot of food into the chick for fear
that it will die from hunger. There
seems to be an inclination on the
part Of beginners to force the little
chick to eat. l have seen people
open the chicks bill and poke food
into the mouth. When asked why
they did this they said the chicks
were not eating as they should and
they had been Matched twenty-four
hours and they thought that at that
time they should begin to eat some
thing. Now I think that the cause
of SO great morality among baby
chicks is simply because they are
forced to eat at a time when they
have plenty of nourishment and do
not need further food. They are
overloaded. 1t has been demon
strated that chick will live with
out food for five days, but on the
sixth will begin to droop and finally
die from starvation. 1t simply
means that it is rot necessary for
chicks to he forced to eat before the
third or fourth day. At the end Of
twenty-four hours or even thirty
six, it may be well to give them "A
little water or milk slightly warmed
and then little egg and bread
crumbs mixed together and placed
where they can get it if they want
it. If they do not care to eat or do
not seem to know enough to eat
just let them 60. Don't force them
to stay out and keep putting them
back where the food is when they
want to take rest and sleep. They
are little and look as though they
did not know what to do, but ma
ture has provided some intuitive
power that makes them want to eat
a little and then rest and doze for
time. They are like baby who
eats little and then sleeps only to
awaken to eat a little more. Little
and often is the rule for feeding the
baby chicks.
Cleanliness is an essential factor
in having success with baby chicks.
The brooder house mnst be kept
clean and free from litter that has
been soiled and droppings that have
not been absorbed. Many diseases
will crop out through foul con-
ditions. The runways should be
well spaded daily to insure fresh
ground and pure conditions. The
The best litter for young chicks to
work in is cut clover and later when