Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-12
White Wyandottes are
Popular for Both Util-
ity and Fancy Pur-
poses.
BY j. HARRY WOLSIEFFER,
Poultry Judge, Lecturer and Author.
Copyright 1911 by The Eugene McGuckin
Company.

y
Importance compared to raising them.
There is the real test in the poultry bust
ness, particularly now that artificial
methods have come so much into vogue.
But it is not as hazardous an under
| taking some suppose if proper methods
and care are employed. In fact, if all
preceding conditions have been right
breeding and ncubation-anyone can
raise limited number of chicks if COM
| mon sense is used.
Heat. ventilation, food are the three
great essentials. There are now well-de-
fined rules that the poultry raiser can
folow-and if followed rclgiously will
yield handsome returns The following
article contains many suggestions that
might not occur to person who had
not made a study of the question.
The Illustration this week shows the
popular and profitable utility White
Wyandottes.
Throughout the country, at this time
Of year, is heard the peep of the newly
Matched chick Many of them reach
maturity. but large percentage OF
Them never live much beyond the baby
chick age. Their deaths are due to many
causes that all successful poultry keep
ers strive to avoid.
The raising of chicks that have been
properly incubated and placed under u
good broodcr is not the impossible feat
That so many are led to believe In fact,
when all conditions, leading back further
than the incubator and brOodcr, to the
breeding pen, are right, almost any one
can raise small flock OF chickens with
successful results
In the first place, the Matching eggs
must be good; they must be from stock
that has always been healthy; stock that
has been housed and fed for the best
results in producing fertile eggs.
The day-old chicks, if purchased must
come from the same kind of stock. If
Matching eggs have been secured they
must be properly incubated, either in
The high-grade incubator of to-day or
under the broody hen. When Matched,
proper ARE must be given to them.
Proper care does not mean the pam
pering or overindugencc that so many
think necessary, nor does it mean neglect.
1t means well-defned system of caring
Tor the chicks and not the hundred diff
ferent methods that are sometimes tried
on them during the first few weeks of
their lives, which usually result in a
high death rate or stunted chicks that
never make good from a dollar and-cents
standpoint.
There are many different ways of rear
ing chicks advocated in the press by
different poultry writer's. On many of
the leading poultry farms methods Of
feeding and caring for the chicks differ
I5rooding systems vary; house styles are
not the same; but with those that are
successful the general principle or foun-
dation for the work is very nearly uni
form. Hence one finds the different
grades of success, one breeder obtain
ing fair matches and a low death rate.
another slight increase over the first
In the death rate. Conditions also play
an important part, but the main essen
tials must be right or success will not
result.
The first essential for the proper rear
ing of young chicks is suitable quarters
When taken from the incubator they
must have a house. This may be in the
form of a good outdoor brooder. under
the hover. 1t must have plenty of room,
good ventilation and a heating capacity
hat will carry never less than 90 degrees
Pm all kinds of weather. Or it may be a
well-constructed broodcr house with how
ers that will allow plenty of fresh air
and a temperature of 30 degrees, at least
for the first 10 days OF their lives
Better than either of the above is the
colony house, with one Of the large coal
burning hovers, that have capacity for
lowering from 100 TO 500 chicks This
style of giving the chicks the proper heat
always allows plenty Of fresh air. a thing
hat was not supplied sufficiently in the
past, thereby causing many deaths
To grow properly, chicks must have
plenty of fresh air; they must not he
rowded-never place more than 80 chicks
n any of the small breeders When the
poultry raisers realize that not only num-
)ers but quality counts in the profits,
more will be successful. This is the age
,f big things and the average beginner
catches the spirit and goes into the rear
ng of chicks on too large scale. Num-
pers are aimed at and quality is neglect
d.
The moment quarters are overcrowdcd
loss commences not alone in the in
reased death rate, but in the slow ma
urity of the oVercrowded chicks. More
ailures result from the attempt to grow
90 many at the start than from any
|ther cause.
me most successful poultry raisers Of
o-day are those who have started with
few and gradually worked their way
p the ladder to fame and profits.
When being taken from the incubator
the brooder the chicks should be we'll
Protected, so that they do not become
hilled. The brooder should be from 90
100 degrees for the first week: the
emperaturi can be gradually lowered as
he chicks attain size, but too much heat
better than too little, for, once chilled
chick seldom RECEIVERS enough to be
rohtable.