Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-04-08
AS TO ,BROODER CHICKS.

mention.
AS TO BROODER CHICKS.
As n rule, Il greater proportion Of
hrooder than hen-raised chicks are lost
This is through bowel troubles. due TO
the fact that the operator is afraid of
overwhelming the chicks There is little
constructed. because. if too warm. chicks
will retreat Just a sufficient distance
from the brooder to he comfortabe on
the other hand If the hover is not sui
iciently warm, the chicks Dve nowhere
to go for heat and soon chill. This chill
affects the digestive organs and bowel
trouble results.
An experienced brooder operator needs
no thermometer. The chicks themselves
furnish a better clue to ideal conditions
than any thermometer The observing
operator soon learns when they are conf
Portable and also when they are not.
He Is not mislcd into thinking that his
hrooders need more air when he finds
Ia few chicks smothcred in the morning.
Better keep the hover too warm by far
than the cast bit too cold. Hover chicks
can and will get away from too much
heat but cannot get away from the cold.
Hen-rearcd chicks get chilled too. but
the hen can lily keep the chick warm
In the early spring she is provided with
suitable protection and she protects the
chicks from cold at necessary intervals.
Later in the season, when allowed the
freedom OF the earth. one temptation to
her to go out IS juicy worms but in get
ting them she gets wet with the dew,
which is had for the little chicks. as
they are not as vet able to withstand
the dampness. Small chicks should then
he confined to the coops or houses during
the night and in the morning until the
sun has thoroughly dried and warmed
the ground, when they should he allowed
to roam at will on pleasant davs with
the mother hen.
ATTENTION TO FEEDING.
II ia. Of course, absolutely necessary
that all the food Givon chicks of tender
age should he the sweetest and most
wholesome. but that Is not all. Some
Investigators have found that the first
feed should he withheld for "A hours
after Matching another has decreed that
20 hours is the proper time while an
other goes to the extreme OF directing
that the first feed should he given e
hours after Matching. For the avera ge
normal chick it is proba bic that Sc hours
Is the right time for Tho first feed. II
allowed TO go much longer than that
they seem to weaken and become dis
contented, as may he fairly inferred from
their actions. Weaker chicks require a
longer time.
II chicks are not given or allowed ac-
cess TO fine sand from The very first an
important point in their feeding has been
overlooked. Chicks hatched in an incu-
bator seldom get this, and this simple
omission accounts for many deaths
through disorders of the bowels A giz-
1ard is part of the digestive system of a
chick, and this part must have the i'm
PIGMENTS with which to do its work In
the small chick the implements are fine
bits of sand The gizzard Is soon SUD-
piled with this substance in the case OF
the en-hatched chick when the chicks
ave access to earth
WHAT TO FEED
The question of what to feed is i'm
portant, but it is pot only important to
see that sweet and wholesome food Is
provided, but II Is equally important to
see that these are put into the proper
FORM tnat ~ we must not CONSIDER alone
the kind OF food particle but also the
size ana consistency of that particle AS
for instance no one would think Of feed
Ing chicks whole corn, no matter how
sweet or how well seasoned II Is too
hard. also too large Manifestly chicks
OF tender age cannot digest either too
large to too tough or too hard kernels
On the other hand. il the particles are
too fine the food becomes too pasty, and
collects In mass or ball as soon as wet