The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
MUCH TRAFFIC NOW
IN DAY OLD CHICKS
Biggest Problem Involved i'm
Business Is Proper Trans
pOrtatiOn.
CANNOT BE SENT FAR
ny PROF. n. n. LEWIS.

The commercial day old chick bust
ness. that Is the Matching and selling OF
chicks at one day Of age. IL compare
lively a new and rapidly growing indus
Try. The great growth has doubtless
been largely due to the trouble which
amateurs experience In the operation OF
incubators. Most beginners do not UNI
derstand the construction or operation
of incubators and many prefer to start
! with young chicks. thus eliminating any
possibility Of loss due to the faulty ham
ding OF them
The person contemplating the pur-
chase Of day old chicks should look care
fully into the reputation and reliability
Of the one from whom they purchase. he
sure that the youngsters are Matched
from eggs laid by strong. vigorous. well
mated breeding stock. This is the first
essential to satisfactory rearing. Well
bred and properly Matched chicks are
full and fluffy. having bright eyes. prom
inent and full lustre. resembling very
= much a shoe button.
II possible the chicks should be pur-
chased near at hand. so that they will
not he subjected to too long a Journey
10y express. IL IL possible 20 ship chicks.
properly Grated. long distances with sue
cess. but the shorter the haul the better
II they can be got so near that they
can be delivered by auto or wagon that
is an advantage. The chicks must he
shipped Immediately after Matching for
during the first day or so they need very
little TO eat, a. they are nourished by the
absorbed yolk, hut at later dates they
require regular and systematic feeding
and correc; temperature.
The necessary heat during shipment :,
maintained by their own bodies: FOR
| that reason they are shipped in spc-
cidlly constructed boxes SO made as t.
Withstand rough usage. and espe "ially
I to retain the heat and TO provid' sItii-
| Cent ventilation. on. hundred chicks
are generally shipped In each package.
! the lot being divided into four groups %
| twenty-five each by pasteboard walls or
| partitions. This prevents crowd!rg and
| injury due To smothering should the
| package be left on end Baby chicks are
always shipped by express, and must De"
| conspicuously labelled. Should ship
| meut he received In bad order IL should
| Immediately he reported TO the express
| company and the bill should be marked
| ''in bad order by the receiver. II th!.
; is done each time any injury due 10
| careless handling can be held UP TO the
| transportation company.
Upon receipt OF the chicks they should
| he put In a previously prepared bro der
| II large quantities OF baby chicks are
| bought. the large brooder stoves placed
| in properly built houses. about 10 by Il
| feet on the floor. will give excellent re-.
, suits Not over 500 chicks should ever
! be put under one hover, and generally
300 will give even better results. Smalle'
| lots of chicks can be handled In port thle
| hovcrs placed In rooms whore the tenn
| perature can be maintained under the
| hover at the proper degree.
| From 80 to 100 chicks are generally
! placed under these small hovers. The
I ha oh ha
| regulated to about IS degrees before this
| chicks are placed in same. Tho foo'
! should be covered with fine dry sand
| and over this fine chaff clover or alfalfa
| being preferred Plenty Of grit snoulc
i be scattered about the floor and fresh
water supplied The chicks shoL'G he
taken from the shipping boxes ,mme
! diately upon arrival and carefully PLACED
| under this specially prepared hover or
| huvers. as the case may be, dstrlbutinL
! them and seeing that they learn where
| the heat II and that they do not ,rowJ
| in the corners OF the building. II IL
always well 10 write to the one from
whom they were purchased notifying
! him OF the arrival and their condition..
There are two factors which enter into
| the handling Of brooder chicks and
which make for success or failure These
are temperature and feed II Is essential
| that the chicks be kept warm, bu. not
too hot, Failure to provide sufficient
heat means crowding and its attendant
death rate, due to suffocation AMI weak
ening Of vitality II is also generally re-
! sponslble for much 81 the diarrhna
which II very common in brood-r
! chicks. Too high temperature VIII
mean dollhouse chicks" which are sus-
ceptihle 10 colds and draughts and which
will not grow well and MAKE husky,
sturdy cockerels and pullets
The best temperature is % degrees
the first two days under the hover; 20
10 % the next five days. with "A gradual
drnp OF five degrees each week until the
/ hover ~ the same as the normal room
tsmpcrature. whch should he from 30
. to 20 degrees From this time on Tbs
youngsters should hc accustomed to no
heat und no hover protection, the hover
being gradually raised until Il can he
rnt.rcly removed This weaving. or hard
,nug or. as II liz termed IL very es-
eential to future success on the range.
The feeding OF the day-od chick dur
Ing the brooding period Is a simple mat
ter, II the first principles OF nutrition
are known. Early feeding in large guam
titles should be avoided. The young
sters need plenty Of ash, wheat bran
helug very desirable Frequent feedinr
during early stages II made necessary
on account Of the small size OF the di-
ges,tye organs and the rand growth
which. the young chict makes. Wet
feeds should be avoided Clean ftSdinI
Is of the utmost Importance, TIM feed
ing of sour skim milk, n it can be 81
cured fresh each day, Is desirable, a.
it provides much nu,rlment and acts
as an internal dtsi-fectant. The follow
ing feeding practice Is recommended -
be followed from the time the young
sters are placed under the hover uni.
they leave their artificial mother and
can take care OF themselves on The
range