Milford chronicle., 1915-05-28


/ 10 hear an old cry, that comes an
2 nually from many persons raising
I poultry, and particularly from those
/ who indulge in the breeding of fowls
! of the Mediterranean class That
complaint is that the wing feathers
of the chicks grow so rapidly as to
make the wings droop, thus causing
{ loss of vitality in the chick, which
, in many instances, means its ultimate
DEATH
So perplexing has this question been
that from time to time, many we'll
known prominent authorities on poul-
try culture have been sought for in
formation on the subject, and if pos
,sible, to find the real cause for the
condition and a remedy for the same
There are, of course, many different
methods for treatment of this condi-
tion, as there are for all others af-
fecting the featheTed kingdom. In
reply to a request for the treatment
OF chicks that have developed drOOpy
wings, some will advise the pulling
of the feathers, ESPECIALLY the larg-
er ones) as soon as the chick shows
! signs of droOpiness. Others suggest
| giving the youngsters milk to drink,
/ instead of water, as the best pos
sible preventative for the trouble. A
third will advise clipping the wing
feathers, believing in clipping rather
than in pulling, and give as a reason
that the pulling may possibly injure
the sockets from which the feathers
grow. On one occasion I read the ad
vice of an authority and he advised !
that the flight feathers of the chick !
should be clipped when the bird is !
10 days old and kept clipped for sew
eral weeks following.
While the above may or may not be /
true, / am not a believer in these |
methods; and regardless of what l
might say relative to this condition
| do not wish to be understood as
criticising the opinions and advice of
others.
But let us look at this condition in
little different light than the fore
going Is it, after ALL the rapid
growth of the feathers that causes
the wings to droOp, or is there some
other cause for it? / believe there
is, and in looking for the condition
squarely in the face. is it not just
possible that the body fails to de-
velop in equal proportion to the
wings?
The production of such specimens
of chickens can almost invariably be ,
traced TO incorrect methods employed
by the breeder. l fail to see the ad- !
gained in clipping wings in :
an effort to overcome this trouble. as !
after all, il is but waste of time :
and trouble for the chicken either :
lies. or if it lives, it never amounts :
10 much.
ii the bird as a chick is not able to :
carry its wings in normal position, n
/ is my opinion that it would be far :
more profitable to kill or dispose of =
{ than to take tire time ana trouble =
n raising it, when after its maturity .
I will he CT little service TO you. To =
De exact, l have never seen a chick =
hat developed droopiness in its in ,
ancy ever amount to a row of pins
n It's after life. =,
AS a test that the droopiness is j.
ot the result of rapid wing growth =
Ompare such a chick with one that :
arries its wings nicely folded on its NJ
Ody. Pick up the two youngsters "
Dgether and you will notice the big =,
Inference in their weight Notice =
ne plumpiness of one and the honey h,
-amework of the other. al
II will be found that the legs of n
le normal or healthier bird are ~
vice the size of the droopy one Ii
he former (or healthier onei will 70
e found to struggle manfully in an ~
fort to free itself, and every muscle
its body will be felt to quiver;
lille the droOpy one makes but little pi
r no effort to get from the grasp of ~
S captor. In other words the one is w
full of life and vigOr while the IN
her is practically dead one nc
hen the two chicks are finally liber- st
ed, the healthy one will run off 81
I'd Immediately begin TO PICK and pl
ratch for food. Not so with the Sc
copy one. 1t will, of course. run "
stead of soaking food innnoedio+eiv ed
IN he forced to rest from sheer ey- to
.ustion.
Why then allow this puny, droopy.
most lifeless little body to grow
maturity; only to be afterwards
scarded as a no-account, after suf- "
ring so long in its struggle with n ll'
e? This of course, means if it | ~
ould really survive until it has g,
ached maturity In most cases, the 81
COPY chick dies before this stage of
cir life is reached ~ W.
Rid the plant of such chicks and III III
us make room for the healthier ~ ~
d more vigorous of the youngsters, -..i Int
d in the end you will have fowls w ~
nth keeping. . llls.
Is this not sufficient proof that the qul
)Opiness is not due to the rapid m liid
)wth of the wings, but to the slow @ @wo
retarded growth of the body at tSO too
, same time? Such a condition is lile W
Ised by improper feeding. Chicks sln
)per methods of feeding Chicks , siIl
Duld be kept reasonably free from 'iai
= and kept growing every day of
ir lives, and should this condition
maintained, few, if any, speci-
ms will develop droopiness, and N
Sc will be due to low fertility. N.
and
IHO H0nnIHF Breeds Of DUfEG xyag