Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-22

Probably more little chicks are
killed by over feeding in the hrst few
days of their lives than from any
other cause. When the chick comes
into existence it has taken into Its
body large part Of the substance
contained In the yolk OF the egg.
Time should always be allowed for
this food material to be assimilated
before any feed Is given. This will
usually take from "a to 3'6 hours.
During that period no feed whatever
should be given. The first feed may
be the yolk Of a very hard boiled egg
crumbled quite fine. After one or
two feeds Of this material have been
given the whole egg is given. she'll,
white and yolk may be ground or
crushed up quite finely and used.
Along with this, or in the event that
one does not have eggs to use for
this purpose, very stale bread may be
moistened with warm water and
crumjbled up very finely. Care should
be taken not to make the bread too
wet or sloppy, but just wet enough
to crumb nicely.
After q few days one may begin
feeding ground feed comprising corn.
peas, and wheat screenings. A
great many growers get very good
results by making the ground feed
into a sort of cake, simply mixing 1t
with water or milk and baking quite
dry. It Is then crumbled quite fine
ly and used for feeding.
As soon, as the chicken becomes
large enough to run about, dry
mash comprising cracked corn, steel
cut oats. cracked peas, millet seed
and wheat screenings should be
kept constantly before them. When
this Is done there is no tendency in
the young birds to gorge themselves
as is the case when the feed Is given
them only two or three times day.
The dry character of this feed also
prevents them from over-eating. Oats
for young chickens should always be
cut or ground. 1t is not good plan
to feed whole oats because the hulls
irritate the digestive tract and lead
to bowel troubles. Sharp grit OF the
proper size, graduated charcoal and
ground oyster shell should be kept
constantly before the growing chicks.
The place where a great many
growers fall down Is in not furnish
ing an abundant supply of nitrogen
Gus foods. Such foods are needed
because the chicken Is forming mus
Gle, bone and feathers rapidly and
it's vitality and constitution are apt
to be decreased unless it has this
class Of food supplied abundantly.
Concentrates and other feeds which
may be used, along with the ones
previously mentioned, to provide this
class are beef scrap, ground alfalfa, |
chopped clover and oil cake. The |
grower pays a great deal |
Of attention to the feeding problem,
he knows that no bird, however good |
It's breeding, can develop into a good
individual unless it has the proper
foods in the right amounts.
To get some nasturtiums for early !
blooming one can use the following |
device very nicely. Secure butchers
paper and cut into strips
about four inches wide. Next OBJ
tain a small bottle of liquid fish |
glue. Take a strip OF paper and.
make a cylinder about two inches
in diameter by turning the end OF
the strip on the fingers. Cut off the
piece of paper which forms the cylin-
der allowing lap Of about one-hall
inch. Using this piece of paper for
a measure and cut enough pieces to
make a couple dozen or whatever
number Of cylinders are wanted. al
lowing one cylinder for each plant.
After the pieces of paper have been
suit the fish glue may be used to
glue them up.
Secure a small store box about
four or five inches deep and see that
the bottom is securely fastened in.
Bore a number of small holes in the
bottom of the box at various points
TO provide drainage. A little layer
Of saw-dust or broken excelsior may
be- placed in the bottom to depth OF
about one-half inch for helping the
drainage. Set the cylinders in the
box on ton of this material until tb>