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

keep it before them all the time after they are a week old. Feed three times a day with a good commercial chick feed scattered In a litter of chaff, cut clover or alfalfa. This is kept up until the chicks are four weeks old, when the rolled oats are dropped from the mash and when they are six to eight weeks old fine cracked corn and whole wheat are added to the chick feed and finally sub stituted for it altogether. Some feed a. commercial mixture known as growing scratch feed" mixture of cracked grains and seed of the proper size for chicks from eight weeks to maturity If sour skinned milk can be had keep it before them all the time. also clean water and cEfck-size grit. Where chicks are raised with hens feeds them apart from the hens after they are three four days old. Whole corn and wheat will answer for the hens and is less expensive
 SELECTING THE BREED
 For the novice on a town lot or sub- urban acre I would suggest one of the American breeds as probably best suited to his needs, as in his case the color of the eggshell will make no material difference and the birds are of good size when he wishes to dispose of them The surplus cockerels and old hens can be sold to the butcher, the neighbors or cal ten on the home table and in this way will pay all the expense of rais- ing the bullets and, perhaps, little more. Where eggs for commercial pur- poses are to be produced in large num- bers and shipped to the New York or some other large city market, Single Comb White Leghorns stand supreme. Nearly all the large egg farms have White Leghorns and they are bred in larger numbers than ali other breeds combined, being essentially an egg-lay- ing fowl.
 
 Rocks, Wyandottes,i Rhode Island Reds, Buckeyes. American Dominiques, Javahs, etc, are what is termed the general purpose breeds, being alike good as egg producers and for table poultry. There are some 20 varieties, so one can have ample choice as to color, etc.
 Most beginners want a nice-1ooking flock and some aspire to carrying away honors at the local poultry show. At the, same time they want birds which will produce an abundance of eggs, and so should secure their foundation stock from some breeder whose hens have a reputation as layers. Often there is not so much difference in the laying qualities of the different breeds as there is betweeen several strains of families of the same breed. so it is difficult to say one variety is better than another; in each will be found good and poor layers. M
 THE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED Quite number of hens can be kept on small area where strict cleanliness is observed. A flock of a dozen hens can be kept in a small, portable, ready built house. but where one owns his home is it well to put up a permanent building that will answer for all time. While it should be neat in appearance, there is no need for it's being expensive; 1 otr11a afj O hui cfp The sides and roof can be of cheap lumber covered with prepared roofing, but for appearance the front should be of novelty siding, painted. A good size is 16x24 feet. which is sufficient for 100 hens. For a smaller flock parti- tion may be built through the house, making two pens, in one of which the chicks can be grown. feed kept etc. Then. should it be desired to enlarge the plant, the building is ample. A