The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-02
CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF
 CHICKS IN HOT WEATHER
Essential Rules for the Con trol of Steady Growth Without ImmOderation. Though Weaned From the BrOOder Safely the Chicks Development Requires h. telligent Treatment

telligent Treatment
 Summer chickens need special cure and attention. It is one thing to hatch chicks and another matter to raise them. Hot days in July and August are very trying, but if the chicks are properly managed, there is little danger of high mortality. The aim of the poultry keeper should be to provide for steady growth in chickens and to put forth every effort to avoid losses He needs to exercise spe- cial care There are certain simple rules which should be followed whether one keeps a few fowls or large flocks.
 CLEAN PENS AND YARDS
 On small poultry plants, where pens are few in number and the runs are limited to successful chicken raising. This Is es- pecially desirable in summer. Both the pens and the runs should be cleaned regu- larly and Timed occasionally. In the poui- try runs the lime acts as partial dis- infectant. It tends to ward OH poultry ailments and diseases, especially those which are liable to occur in hot weather
 5 as careful attention for about six weeks of summer as almost any other time Of the year. Usually they are from three to five months old when summer sets h. At this age they should grow most rapidly. They need to develop their frame and put on flesh rather than become fat.
 When chickens do not grow properly at from three to five months, there is something wrong with their vitality "i tLeir feeding and management If they should die at this age as result Of inn proper care such losses threaten the poultry keepers profits and prospects materially. To make most profits, flyers should be on the market as early as pos sible, when prices are high. The cock erels can be fattened for this purpose But another important object is to de- velop the bullets properly so that they will be ready to lay late in fall or early in winter. Then the price of eggs IS high. Whether the bullets can be so de- veloped depends somewhat upon their health Clean pens and yards will help to keep chickens healthy. and health and vigor are absolutely essential to success full growth and development
 If the poultry keeper fails in these par ticulars, his prospects for profits are diminished approximately with the lack of growth and development of his chickens.
 CONTROL OF CHICKEN MITES
 When well fed and otherwise properly managed, chickens do not always make satisfactory growth in summer. There IS a cause for this which may be wholly un suspected. It is likely to be due to the pr essence of chicken mites.
 This pest is a bloodsucking parasite. It harbors under the perches, in cracks. and in other places. It's destructive work is done at night When the chickens are at roost the mites crawl from their hiding places onto the birds. They gorge them- selves with blood much the same as mosquito does, and then crawl back to their hiding places If this pest Is not discovered 1t multiplies into millions in a few weeks of hot weather. If the mites become numerous they will suck more blood from chicken in a single night than the chicken can produce the next day from the digestion and assimilation or the most nourishing food. And since the blood carries the assimilated food for growth to the different parts of the body, there can be little or no growth so long as such condition continues, as well as the feed consumed. are thus practi- cally wasted in the presence of chicken mites.
 During the summer every precaution should be taken to keep the pens and roasting places free from mites. This IS not a difficult matter. The mite is very small parasite. barely perceptible with the unaided eye. When not gorged With chicken blood, it is light cclored. It be- comes red when it has gorged itself with chicken blood. For this reason it Is sometimes called the red mite. But this pest is so delicately constructed that it can easily be destroyed by spraying with kerosene or whitewash.
 In caring for my own chickens l take special pains to keep down the mites. All perches are regularly examined and tf.en brushed with kerosene when their presence is discovered. They gather in clusters of few mites or perhaps hun dreds- They can then be readily seen The sides of the pens are also sprayed with hot or cold whitewash. Naturally hot whitewash is more effective in de- stroyins the mites.
 It is poor policy to let older fowls and growing chickens run together, and should be avoided as much as possible.
 USE OF SCRATCHING SHEDS On small plants it is a good practice to use the scratching pens for accommo- eating the growing chickens I always do so every summer. A temporary base board, with four-foot wire netting on top, is used to divide the scratching pen ir to two parts. One part is utilized for a roasting place. the other part is used as a feeding place. This arrangement keeps the younger chickens from the fowls By so doing the young birds can get all the feed they require for proper growth and development.
 When the chickens are old enough so that their sex is readily determined, the cockerels are separated from the bullets and penned by themselves. By separating the sexes. they can be fed for the pur- pose intended. With my chickens, the cockerels are fed for broiler or roaster trade, while the bullets are specially de- veloped for fall and winter egg produc tion.
 When the chickens are large enough to hold their own with the older fowls. the scratching pens may be cleaned and made ready for winter work. In some such way as this, the small plant can be utilized to the best advantage in every particular. It may take little time to do this, but 1t is time well spent in the interest of healthy, vigorous, well-nourished stock. And this is the kind that pays good profit on the investment
 PROPER FEEDING ESSENTIAL Correct feeding is very important in u,,rnvpe or Tn hot weather chickens should