Milford chronicle., 1916-02-04

- AG ia u VI AAlN AAoANhAA6 oNAoNA
- now about to break through the cloud
a of winter, so it might be well to toucl
? upon the methods of rearing younl
chicks at this time in order to benefi
l. those who have not as yet decided as t.
!, just what course to pursue in this i'm
> portant branch of the poultry industry
The success Of every poultr, man de
+ pends, not so much upon the number Of
s birds he succeeds in getting out of the
e shells, but in the number that he is able
to raise to maturity. Many persons be
b. gin to count their young before they are
Matched, and even afterward. Never
count on any specimen until it is either
} raised o maturity or disposed Of, and
thus turned into money. Many man
has succeeded in getting out a good
hatch, but then lost all before they were
Of brOiler age.
We have already dealt with the sub
, jects of mating and incubating as an
important point in the success of the
industry, but there are still other things
that are equally as important if one is
I desrOus of attaining a coveted position
/ in the poultry world.
The next step to be followed, after
the mating and incubating has been
I thoroughly understood and all the details
. complied with, is that of raising the
chicks; for it is here that success is
either gained or lost.
There are many different methods of
raising young chicks, and while many of
them might be successful, feel that ]
must advocate and speak for the method
which has proven its worth with me.
| The one important thing in the raising
of chicks, to my mind, is the feeding. l
believe that upon that depends largely
whether or not the little fellows will be
brought to maturity. or to an age where
they are marketable and thus, able to
net the breeder a profit.
If one fails in the raising of young
chicks he naturally fails in the business.
| This is true, even in the case of raising
birds for the supplying Of commercial
/ eggs, as in this case it is necessary to
replenish your flocks from year to year
/ To do this it is necessary to raise num-
/ ber of birds each year to take the place
of those that are annually discarded !
The life and health of any chick depends |
largely upon what kind of food it is given, 1
together with the conditions surround |
ing its life.
The vast majority Of poultry breeders,
and particularly those who are new in |
the business, kill their birds with kind
ness. Treat the birds. both old and /
young, as they should be treated, but do
not bestow upon them kindness that will
kill This, of course, does not mean
that you should be brutal or inhuman
to the little fellows, nor keep anything
from them that they should have, but
only that their feed, quarters, etc.
should be governed by well established
usages.
The kindness that generally kills is the Z
habit of many to poke food Into them as
soon as they come from the shell, or (
when they are first able to hobble about
This is the first and probably most seri-
Gus mistake made by the average breed
er. Nature has amply provided for the
first few meals of the youngsters and it '
is a safe bet that man-made methods are I
no improvement over them. 7
This provision made by mother nature |
is that large portion of the yolk of the \
egg, in the course of incubation, is taken /
into the stomach of the chick. This is {
sufficient to sustain it for many hocrs h
after it has seen the light of day. Thus b
it is both useless and dangerous to force o
them to crowd anything additionally into a
this delicate organ.
Simply because the chick chirps and s
runs hither and thither peckiDg at every
thing t sees, that is no indication that
t is hungry; it is simply its nature. The
7Ok taken into the stomach of the chick O
5 ample food for at least 60 and prob cl
ably II hours, and / urge you to avoid Il
he folly of supplying additional feed t.
or at least this length of time. Il
The most important item in the rails pl
ng Of chicks, to my mind. is that of in
eeding, and while there are many other
hinRs necessary, | want to touch upon
his especially.
From the time of Matching, until the d,
hick has reached the age of about Is
weeks, is probably when they demand
he greatest care and attention, and it
also the period when they are most
usceptible to the various forms of dis
asses which are the most fatal to them.
)uring this time the feeding plays an be
Important part in their raising and an
hould be done most carefully in order M
nat they may be successfully raised. do
Many persons engaged in the business
poultry raising advocate free range da
lr the youngsters as we'll as the older da
irds. / do not intend to decry this M
ethod, nor yet to argue the matter,
ut for my part, at least insofar as the re,
are concerned, / believe in a Re-
mited range rather than in a free one.
I'd this for several reasons. Yes. it is wi
ue that free range will admit of the Ro
rds picking up a quantity of seeds and
sects, thus supplying a balanced ra- wi
On of fat-forming foods, yet when thew
e allowed to thus get portion of their
cd the breeder often neglects them
Insofar as the feeding is concernedD and
hat he supplies is generally more harm
] than good. He makes himself be-
we that they get all that is really +
cessary for them from the range. so enc
5 supply consists mostly Of corn. Free hay
nge then generally results in slow Mr.,
owth and development, which above L
things should be avoided. In order sicl
T the youngsters to amount to anv- ing
ing in after life they must be kept IN
owing every minute until they are que
lly matured. N
In order then to obtain quick growth. of I
IRE rapid maturity, healthy fowls and L
| and winter layers it is necessary toi osl
oply a balanced ration Of fat-sorming owe