Milford chronicle., 1915-06-11
RAISING, NOT HATCHING,
CHICKS is WHAT COUNTS
By J. H. McFAUL, Jr.
(AH Rights ReseyVeA

n What might rightfully be said to b
= one of the most difficult problems wit
e which the poultry raiser has to deal, j
t the raising of young chicks. While 1t i
true that the Matching may be coupled
with the raising, it is not near so hart
to get the youngsters out as it is to rea
, them to maturity and have specimen!
: worthy to look at or bear the name.
tits not the number of chicks hatched
| but the number that is raised, that
counts for success in the game of poul-
try raising. Many breeders are success
ful in Matching out their youngsters, only
to lose the greater part of them at OF
before they reach the broiler stage and
these losses not only tend to discourage
the average breeder, butput a big crimp
in the receipts derived from the industry.
Young chicks can be and are raised on
all kinds and combinations of feeds, and
while of course proper feeding means
much, vet after all, success is largely a
matter of proper care rather than foods.
1t is not meant by this statement to
imply that chicks may be fed in any old
fashion, and upon any and all kinds OF
food. but simply to lay stress upon the
fact that the greatest requisite in the
rearing of chicks is their proper care.
Every breeder of any note has his own
peculiar method of feeding young chicks
and each will insist that theirs is the best
way. Don't condemn man who re-
| fuses to adopt your method of feeding
I the Youngsters from his own method.
| His may be Just as good as yours. In
| fact, an improper method of feeding
may produce better results, if at the
same time the birds are given the very
best care and attention, than much
better one if the care and attention of
the chicks is lacking, under which con-
ditions the best of feed will avail nOJhings
There are, however, many persons
whose feeding methods are so radically
wrong that the chicks cannot survive IT,
even with the best of care and attention.
There are still many persons feeding
after this fashion who presist In doing
so against all advice, and as result, |
lose large numbers of chicks that could |
ordinarily be raised under favorable /
conditions.
The common practice of feeding corn
meal-dough to young chicks, although .
probably successful in many instances,
is not to be recommended. as 1t IS not
likely to secure the best results. 1t is
surely no food for the develOpement Of
the chick, and will therefore not aid
rapid growth. AS this is just what is
desired in the raising Of chicks, and as
this sort of food does not aid either,
then why feed it? Is it not better to
feed the chick some sort of food that
will keep it growing and cause its rapid
developement? While many persons
who give their chicks this form Of food
have fair success, yet it cannot be attri-
nrknI -. 10 al- rlpnnh flharr
have specially good care, and
IN addition, are kept on the dough for
only a few DAYS and then given some
form of chick feed that their little bod !
es require.
Yes, chicks are hard to grow to ma
-urity and at that time be nice to look
lpon, but on the other hand they are
easy to rear if the prop r
,r care and attention is given them con- G
tantly and the proper growing and de- Z
'elOplng foods supplied in order to make /
zone and muscle. I
A good start means much toward the t
uccessful raising of chicks, and to this q
nd, see that the little downy fellows
ret nothing to eat for at least the first
hirty-six hours after they come from ;
he shell and better yet. refrain from !
living them food for from forty-eight Z
o seventy-twO hours. Do not be afraid :.
hat they will starve, for nature has =
upplied their little bodies with food. =;
| large portion of the yolk Of the egg y
; taken into the body of the little chick u
rior to its seeing the light of day, and
his is sufficient to satisfy its wants for h
mis- period of time. h
Starting the chicks without food is the F
ght way. After the lapse of the time h.
Decifed, it becomes necessary that man u,
apply food for the babies. The second
-ep in the right direction is to feed, for
least the first week, finely grated or O1
)lled stale bread crumbs. The bread ca
ay also be toasted in the oven-but in CT
ther case, it should be almost as fine di
J powder. This may or may not be fed al
dry. Some persons prefer cl
it with milk, but in this case W
should be squeezed out so that it is tr
irely wet. / prefer it in a dry state.
on feed sloppy foods unless you want
have trouble. A hard boiled egg NAV
, grated fine and added to the bread
umbs if preferred; in which case, use
le egg to each cupful of bread crumbs =
From the very first place before the q q
icks fine grit and charcoal, which may ~
ther be kept in trays or spread on the az
'or Of the run. The latter method, NJ.
Iwevef, is not to be recommended as o.
e grit soon becomes contaminated and ~
unfit for the youngsters to eat.
After the first few days, place before IL
e chicks in some sort of feeder, a a. a.
antity of sifted or small faxed bran. u0
lis is most excellent for them and they g.
ish it greatly. You will be surprised 1r1 nal
" much of it they will deveur. Give ~
EN- all they can eat. %,
After the first week substitute good ~ ~
nmercial chick starter for the bread wv
lmbs and feed about five times a day
about one week, giving only what
y will clean up at each feeding.
after the second week, the chicks may I
given a growing mash consisting Of rht
D parts bran, one part each of wheat Cb
idlings, alfalfa meal, gluten meal, bal
ed beef scrap, bone meal and fax spr
d meal, to which may be added lit ter
salt (but not more than one-half of / Q,
per cent of the entire mixture). anc
his mash should be kept before them Bv