Evening star., 1915-03-14

the necessity for plenty OF clean. soft
litter in the hover compartment and
underneath the hover itself. The very
best material for this purpose is alfalfa
| making fine bed for the baby chicks.
At the same time it is a first-class ra-
ton for the chicks, which will eat
| Quantities of the material and derive
great beneht from the high protein. or
flesh building, contents Of the alfalfa.
Next In value for litter for the chicks
Is clean, dry chaff from a haymow;
while clean straw cut in inch lengths
for litter. at least an inch and half
or 1t should be used under the hover
and in the hover compartment of the
brooder; little two inches deep is better
still.
Clean. dry, sharp sand an inch or
| more deep is the best material to use
on the outside compartment of the
brooder: If this, is not to be had, abso-
lutely dry. powdery dust Is next best
Ihe drinking. vessel or vessels must
be so arranged that the chicks cannot
get into their drinking water or splat-
ter the water about. making the sand
or dust wet and also wetting the down
of the chicks. TheSiow price of prop
erly made drinking fountains for baby
chicks renders unnecessary and mex
cusable the use of open pans or other
drinking vessels which the chicks can
bought for from cents up, and are
worth many times their cost.
Do not make the mistake of feeding
the chicks wet mashes made of corn
meal. This was our grandmothers'
method. and grandmother usually lost
| more than half the chicks Matched
each year. The baby chicks should
six hours after they break out Of the
shells. Then let them fill their crops with
clean. sharp chick grit, and give them
fresh. warmed water made claret red
with permansanate of potash. The
meal. and they should be given only as
much as they will clean up in five min
utes. Repeat this in two hours, and
continue the two-hourly feelings for
the first two days. Then vessel con-
be placed in the feed compartment and
the chicks permitted to eat all they
want OF it, not emitting the pinhead
o,xsn abon; whieh 1c. hove may be
the chicks are week or ten days old
gradually substitute a reliable COM
merctal chick feed for the oatmeal. con-
tinuing to feed the bran. however
small quantity of animal matter in
some form may be fed. The very best
form Is beef. boiled until 1t is thor
oughly done and then ground in a.
1000 chopper: The next best is a
which the coarser particles should be
slfted. This ration should not be given
to the chicks oftener than every two
days; twice a ween Is really often
enough. Also supply finely Kranulated
charcoal and foreground oyster shell.
Chicks SO fed and watered will not de-
velop the bowel troubles that carry off
hundreds Of thousands of chicks an
nualiy, but will thrive right from the
0f fo HAa
within ten days or two weeks-which
is pretty safe indication Of proper
vitality and vigor in the chicks.
fiocks. Consumers Of high-class eggs
are rapidly becoming educated as to the
desirability Of infertile eggs for table
use. and many poultry raisers who
refuse to keep abreast of demands
and separate the layers from the breed
ing fowls find themselves compelled
to accept or 10 cents a dozen less
for their eggs than they would be able
to command If they furnished infertile
eggs for family use.
As the hens cannot be turned out
OF the houses much at this season of
the year. because Of mud and conse-
ausent e.s soiiing OF the eggs in the nest.
or piow up the yards and sow oats,
rye. barley. wheat or something Of
the kind. Sow the grain thickly and
rake 1t In. In a couple of weeks, with
reasonably fair weather and sunshine.
the grain will have. germinated and
viii be sending up long green growths
for the hens little later.
Lest you forget, don't neglect the
cleaning and disinfecting in and about
the poultrE houses. The three evils of
poultry raising are dirt, diseases and In
sect pests, and of these dirt is the WORST
because from it the others arise
Houses that are kept absolutely clean
ana sanitary never harbor any insect
tormentors Of poultry. and fowls
housed in such quarters are never sicL