The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20
Next Winters Egg Yields Depend Largely Upon the Proper Raising of Pullets. Correct Feeding Essential. Weddings Should Be Eliminated From Breed ing Flock, Which Should Be Selected Now
By DIR. THOMAS !. CLEMENS

profits from his flock next winter must give his closest attention to the develop ment of the young stock. so that they will begin laying early and continue to lay when eggs are high In this article Dr Clemens tells how this object may be attained and gives suggestions for the care of next years breeding stock
 Extreme care is necessary in caring for chicks during the growing season in or der to secure strong. productive stock The chicks should be kept in a healthy condition, always growing and free from vermin.
 It must he recognized that proper feed ing is only one of the factors concerned In the successful rearing of chicks. Proper matching and proper breeding are also of great importance if strong. healthy flocks are to be raised.
 Sour and moidy foods are responsible Tor numerous losses every year, and too great care cannot be taken 10 see that all the foods to which the chicks have access are free from any trace of mold or fermentation.
 Grains that have heated, though they may not show any trace of mold are often injurious and should not be fed. Soft foods which have been mixed with water or milk sour quickly. especially if exposed to the sun. and should not be used if there is the slightest trace of fermentation.
 Throw Away Tainted Food
 It is great deal more economical in the long run to throw away tainted food than to take the chance of iniuring whole flocks of young chicks by its use All troughs or other utensils used in feed ing chicks should be cleaned and scalded frequently and kept scrupulously free from any trace of mold or fermentation, Great care should be taken ia the use of foods which. while neither moldy nor sour are soiled by being trampled by the chicks or mixed with soil or drop pings The danger of infection Is such that 1t Is never safe to use foods that are in this condition. Remember that only the cleanest foods should be placed before young chicks.
 There is practically no danger of over feeding chicks after they are three or four weeks old and are running at large. They should then be induced to eat the largest possible quantity of food In order to secure rapid growth and development
 large proportion of the diseas which effect young chicks is due to im- proper feeding or to injurious foods. foodstuffs which are not in perfect con foodstuffs which are noti perfect con hitiof dlt ndDlt lt cause sour crop, 1n- flammation of the crop or stomach, and intestinal and liver disorders including some forms of so-called white diar- rhoea."
 When chicks are out of condition slight notifications in rations or methods may result in correcting the tendency to dis ease. It is much better to protect the health of the chicks by careful feeding than to resort to drugs after disea sed conditions have developed.
 Boiled Milk and Rice Desirable
 During early stages of the chicks life when intestinal troubles are most com mon the use of boiled milk and boiled rice Will be of great assistance in correct ing any tendency toward diarroea or in- flammation. Boiled milk should be given to drink, and boiled rice should be sup piled twice day in place of the regular feed. Rice should be boiled in a double boiler until 1t Is thoroughly cooked and as dry as possible. When cold. any sur plus moisture should be taken up by mixing 1t with fine bran, secured by slft- ing ordinary bran through a flour sieve and discarding The coarser grade. Bran itself has decided tonic effect and the combination of bran and boiled rice will often check what might otherwise be- come serious epidemic of diarroea Charcoal also will be found of great value in preventing this trouble.
 Where boiled rice and milk are not sufficient to correct the tendency to diar- rhoea a mild stimulant, such as ground mustard, cayenne pepper or ginger, may be added, only enough being mixed with the soft food to be noticeabl to the taste. This may be given as long as con ditions require its use, but no longer Serious liver disorders may result from too long continued use of pepper or gin ger.
 Chicks suffering from diarrhoea usually have symptoms which are not difficult to recognize. The chicks seem to be weak and to possess little vitality. Within a few days there Is a thin, whitsh dis charge. which soon becomes sticky and clogs the vent. or there may be only a streak of whtish substance adhering to the down.
 The lack of vitality becomes more ap- parent as the disease progresses. The infected chicks become listless and hud- dle together. They seem to be chilly and spend much of their time beneath the hover or the mother hen. The appetite is lost the wings droop and the feathers are ruff1ed.
 As rule the chicks which resist the disease are never able to make up the loss due to this early disease. although they may become fully developed
 Eliminate the Weddings
 Every effort should be made to eimf- nate from the flock all birds that have at any time been infected with disease. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to mark plainly and permanently every chick which makes unsatisfactory devel- opment or that has ever suffered from disease. This is the only means to pre- vent the breeding flock from receiving recruits which are unsatisfactory. If this system is rigidly followed 1t proba bly, will eliminate nearly all of the in-ec,ed specimens. Such marking should be done at the time when the weakling Is ob- served, and not be delayed until later | when the chick may seem to have recov- cred Every bird that has shown the l results of infection at any time during it's life should be excluded from the breeding flocks.
 Chicks of this kind may easily be l marked by punching the webs between the toes. If all the webs are used for keeping records the lower joint of one of the smaller toes may be removed l Such an operation seems to cause little | pain or inconvenience to the chick and | the mark is one that cannot be over looked when the time comes for select Ing the breeding stock.
 Every poutryman should understand that the general health of his flocks l both young and old birds, depends in a | large measure upon his system of man | agement. Perfect physical condition is a barrier against most diseases. It is | all important, therefore. that the health | and vigor of the hreeding stock shall l be carefully preserved and the chicks from which this stock is renewed shall | have every painstaking care and atten- ton so that they will resist the infed- l ton of disease and grow thrifty and | strong.