Evening star., 1915-01-17
Questions and Answers.

Observation-Disclosures with the incu-
bator 1 am using say 1t is not neces-
sary to supply moisture during the
hatch. Poultrymen of my acquaintance
nearly all sprinkle eggs during the
hatch. and claim better results. What
would you advise?
Observation-Disclosures and all other
conditions being right, incubators of
the self-humidifying type require no
added moisture. Conditions are rarely
right. however. and the practice of
sprinkling the eggs during the hatch
ly safer to follow instructions. still II
the eggs are sprinkled with water
warmed to about los degrees. up to
the eighteenth day of incubation,
matches are likely to be better. At any
rate, such sprinkling has never done
any harm, so far as the writer knows.
Question: have a lot of barred rock
hens. two years old. that l want to
dispose of. either as breeders of for the
Virginia) l am offered only 10 cents
a pound for them. although they are
rat and in excellent condition. How
can dispose of them at a good price? ?
Answer-If the hens are of good
strain. why not try a For Sale" adver-
tisement In the Sunday Stars poultry
page? A great many people read that
page. and If your hens are good a
small. inexpensive advertisement ought
to sell them for you. Or send your
Praeger. Washington. D. c.. who will
include 1t in the list issued by the
Washington post office of persons hav-
ing country produce of various kinds
for sale.
Question-How should poultry drop
pings be cared for in order to obtain
their full value as fertilizer?
Answer-The Department of Agricul-
ture has issued bulletin on this sub
Ject. which will be sent to you on re-
quest. The droppings may be stored
in barrels or boxes. protected from the
rain or snow, and used as needed in
the spring. or they may be spread as
they are taken from the houses. In
the latter case, however, much of the
ammonia is lost, and this is one of
the most valuable constituents of the
fertilizer. This element may be fixed"
by the admixture of any one of several
cheap chemicals with the droppings.
The bulletin referred to gives the
names and the cost of these chemicals.
Question-Last spring I fed my
young chicks on cornmeal, mixed to a
stiff dough with sour milk and then
baked. l crumbled this up for them,
.
many of them died, developing some
kind Of weakness that caused them to
fall around and finally lie over and
die. Was this caused by the feed, and
If SO, what should feed baby chicks?
Answer-Cornmeal, either mixed with
sour milk and baked, or fed raw, is
simply slow poison to baby chicks.
1t has not the elements that are re-
quired for their growth and develop
ment. and undoubtedly the feeding of
a cornmeal ration. no matter II it did
contain sour milk and was cooked, caused
the death of the chicks. The proper
ration for chicks, for the first few
days or a week, is pinhead oatmeal,
fed in small quantities five or six times
daily. Dry wheat bran in a small hop
per should also be fed, rs we'll as fine
oyster shell. fine grit, fine granulated
charcoal. and a small quantity twice
week of sifted beef scrap. Give the
chicks the sour milk to drink: also
plenty of fresh water made claret color
with permanganate of potash. After
the chicks are a week old, feed any re-
liable commercial chick feed. continu-
ing to feed the other things mentioned.
Fed thus, there will be no more leg
weakness and very many fewer of the
chicks will, as you express 1t. fall
around and finally lie over and die"