The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-06-27
POULTRY POINTERS
BY II. l.. Blanchard Assistant Superin-
tendent, Western Washington Ex-
pertinent Station, Puyallup. Wn.

The Matching for the season being
practically over with, the poultrymen
ana women are now turning their at
tention to the successful rearing OF
the chicks that they have succeeded in
Matching. The mistakes of incubation
and brooding(whch from reports COM
| ing to us have been many should
prove a valuable asset when plans are
being laid for another years work
The fact ought not to be overlooked
that similar mistakes are most likely
to be followed by similar misfortunes
another year. Hence, it would be very
unwise not to try and make provision
against repetition of the same.
One of the common mistakes made has
been poor management of the breed
ing pens such as unwise mating OF
birds, improper feeding, and filthy and
poorly ventilated ooops. Such mistakes
would naturally result in weaklings a
nonS the chicks many culls owing to
unthrftineses and vermin-any or all
OF which results means heavy per-
centaSe of loss before the chicks are
month old. OF course there are 9TH
er causes of such losses, like improp-
erly feeding the chicks when very
Young, exposure to weather conditions
and extreme brooder temperatures Ma
ny such losses could be averted by
greater watchfulness and better nurs-
ing the first month of the young
chicks life. The successful rearing of
flock of young chicks calls for eter-
nal vigilance ON the part of the care
taker. Each neglect demands prompt com
pensation, in the form of greatly de-
pleted flock, usually.
ss&
Many are just now being confronted
with the problem as to what to do
with the young cockerels. The general
practice is to let them "eat their heads
off, and then in a fit of desperation,
force them onto a glutted market with
out any profit if not an actual loss,
The commission house will Kill dress
and place the birds in cold storage, and
await an Improvement in market con-
ditions, and thereby reap a nice prof
it, while the producer reaps nothin &
Whose fault is it? We are in the hab-
it of blaming the commission man for
many things, and no doubt with much
justice, but in this particular instance
lie certainly steps in and saves the
producer from otherwise unavoidable
and serious loss. The cockerels should
be fed in common with the rest of
the chicks until about a month old.
Then they should be separated from
the rest of the flock and fed not
less than five times daily. Moistened
nashes are best for them. Use milk
for moistening the meal. Skim milk
will do. Have mash just crumbly, not
too wet AT first use equal parts of
bran, cornmeal and rolled oats BY
measure, gradually change the bran TO
middlings until six weeks of age when
the middlings should be about one quar-
ter of the mash. After this, add corn
meal, with a little proteina added. Linn
it each flock to not more than ten
chicks. Give green food ad libitum Al
SO some alfalfa each day. Let these
chicks run an earth floor. Early
morning feed grain in litter and brah
in hopper. Ten o'clock: what they will
eat of green food. At noon: the crumb-
ly mash. AT 80. green food, ana at
four, mash again. Just before dark: all
they will eat of cracked corn.
To mature the puliets feed as FOL-
lows: These should not be forced like
the broilers, but fed for development
and growth.
Feed dry equal parts of corn meal,
bran, and ground oats, by measure, Tor
one half of the ration and alfalfa meal,
one half 1t is permissible TO moisten
with sour milk and season with SAT-.
This can be the first feed in the morn
ing and the last feed ut evening. An
hour prior to the evening mash, give
full feed of cracked corn and wheat,
eoual parts. Keep bran before them In
hoppers. DO not keep the pullets coop
ed but on the range.