The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-05

Start small and grow large" is the advice usually given the beginner in poultry culture It is good advice, yet there are those who have not the space nor inclination to keep large flocks.
 They want a few hens as a side line and for recreation; family flock to supply eggs and meat for the home table and perhaps, add little to the family income.
 The beginner should start with pure- bred stock. The initial expense will be a little more than for mongrels, but it will cost no more to raise them, the returns will be larger and the satisfac- ton greater. When the start is made in the fall or late summer it is no doubt best to use mature fowls. purchasing a trio or pen of the chosen breeds and raise the chicks from them in the nat ura1 way After January i it is not economical to purchase fowls. as breed CTS will have their pens mated for the season and will not take out good birds unless they can secure a high price for them. In the spring the start is best made with eggs or baby chicks. IT eggs are the choice purchase one or more sittings and as many broody hens the latter can be secured of farmers or poultry keepers, who are usually glad to get rid of them at a small ad- vance over the price of market poultry They need not be of pure blood, but should be of fair size, so as to take good care of the eggs Decide on the number of hens you will set and place an order for eggs, with the understand ing they are to be shipped as soon as you notify the seller your hens are ready.
 CARE OF SITTING HENS
 When the broody hens arrive, have warm nests made in rather deep boxes. Fill the boxes part full of earth or sifted coal ashes and after hollowing out the nest cover it with plenty of short straw, hay or other nesting ma terial The nests should be In well protected place, if the weather is cold. A small inclosure should be bu1lt around it and in this supply or food and water kept. A convenient arrange ment for sitting hens IS brood coop with wire covered yard, such as are sold by poultry supply dealers. The nest is made in the coop part and feed, water and dust bath are in the yard. Put the hens on the nests at night, ana as soon as they have settled down to the business of sitting, order the eggs. If they sit on china eggs for several days, awaiting the arrival of the hatcn- ing eggs, it will do no harm. After they have learned to come off ana go on the nests they will require no further attention save to see that they are supplied with feed and water. When the hatch comes off, the nest can be re- moved and the coop carried out on the lawn where the hen and chicks are al lowed to occupy 1t. After the chicks are weaned the hens can be used as wanted for Sunday dinners, and in that way will fully repay their first cost.
 Some prefer the incubator to hens even for matching a comparatively small num- Der of chicks A small incubator is not very expensive, and eggs from pure bred fowls can often be secured of ne1ghbors at a nominal cost or at a slight advance over the price of market eggs. Be par ticular about the quality of the eggs you get as on them will depend the result: if you use common store eggs there are not likely to be any results.
 Still another and excellent way is to buy baby chicks. In most large towns there are those who make business of matching and selling chicks, but if the breed you desire cannot be obtained near home they can be ordered from dis tance, for baby chicks can be so packed that they VIII go SdIely Dy cAPi iCSo AOi a considerable distance. Well-hatched chicks will make journey requiring two or three days in safety and arrive at their destination strong and well.
 The chicks must be kept warm. and for this a brooder Is necessary. There are a great many kinds of breeders suited to every purpose, from the colony or out door brooder, helpful where one wishes to raise less than 100 chicks and has no suitable place in which to operate other types, to the portable or handy hovers so well suited to the novice, if he has a building in which to operate them. These hovers will care for 100 chicks or less, and can be operated in the house the chicks are to be grown in.
 If you wish the bullets to lay next winter, when eggs are high, they should be matched early. It takes from six to eight months to grow bullets to lay ing maturity, and it is desirable to have them commence to lay in October. Early April is probably the best time to have chicks come.
 FEEDING METHODS FOR CHICKS
 An excellent first feed for baby chicks is bread crumbs moistened with sweet milk and squeezed dry. After several feeds of bread crumbs give them a dry
 mash consisting of wheat bran, four parts; rolled or pinhead oats, three parts corn meal, two parts; bone meal, one part; fine beef scrap, one part. Serve this in a chick server or shallow pan. Some