Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-05-03
POULTRY
Caring for the Chicks

Those of our readers who have had
any experience whatever know that
there is more in the raising of a
flock of chicks than in the hatcning of
them. In these days of successful
artificial incubation it is compare.
lively easy matter to hatch almost
any number of chicks, but it is an
entirely different and more difficult
matter to raise large PERCENTAGE of
these chicks to maturity. Not that
artificial brooding is a failure, by any
means, but there are numerous causes
that combine to make the rearing of
chicks-either by artificial or natural
methods-somewhat problematical. 1t
is doubtful if more than so per cent
of the chicks that are Matched annu-
ally ever reach maturity. This great
mortality is due to numerous causes,
such as hereditary weakness, ignor-
ance of carelessness on the part of
the caretaker, improper food, chill
ing, overheating, lice, exposure, etc.
any one of which is fatal to success.
Hereditary weakness or low vitality
should be guarded against by using
only strong, vigorous birds as breed
ers, and birds that are as free from
the taints of disease as it is possible
to get them. Ancestral .vigor has
much to do with chicks chances
of reaching maturity. A weak, puny
chick, no matter what the cause, is
seldom worth bothering with and
might as well be put out of the way
at once. It's chances for reaching ma
turity are only about one in thou
sand, and even if it does happen to
struggle through. it will never be
worth anything. 1t is really foolish
to keep the weaklings. They win be
cuffed and buffeted about by their
stronger brothers and sisters, will be
half-starved all the time unless given
special attention, and will be alto
gether miserable. Put them out of
the way. A little tap on the back of
the head with a stick will do the
business.
Ignorance and carelessness on the
part of the attendant are twin evils
that are at once inexcusable and in
tolerant. With the 60 or more poul-
try papers published in this country,
each teeming with practical, reliable
information on the subject, and with
the hundreds of books that can be
had for a pittance, there is no good
reason why anyone of ordinary intel
ligence should remain in ignorance if
he will give little or his time to
studying the methods that have
brought success to others and will as
surely bring success to him if he will
but read and heed. If he is not will
ing or disposed to equip himself with
a knowledge Of the proper care of the
chicks, he had better go at something
else and let others raise the poultry.
A thorough knowledge of the subject
is essential to success.
Carelessness is simply another word
for cussedness. A careless fellow
never makes success of anything he
may undertake, and as failure at
raising chicks he is a 100-to-1 shot
every time. Any of our readers who
have ever visited the yards of a care
less poultryman will agree with us
when we say that it is an actual sin
to allow such person to have charge
of flock of either fowls or chicks.
Everything about the houses and
yards bespeaks his nature. Heaps of.
manure are under the roosts, the roof
leaks, windows are broken, the floor
is covered with purifying rubbish,
the drinking vessels are filthy, the
grit box is empty, lice and mites
abound everywhere, his birds are
half-starved and diseased, and the
entire premises brand the attendant
as careless sloven. If this kind of
a fellow raises % per cent of the
chicks he matches, he is in luck. AS
a result of his carelessness and cuss-
edness and shiftlessness the brooder
is overheated or allowed to become
cold and is filthy and unhealthy, the
chicks are infested with lice and have
bowel trouble, are not regularly fed
and the food is not suited to their
needs, and everything is out of whack
just because the attendant is careless.
This is not an overdrawn picture, by
any means. We have visited poultry
plants" where conditions identical
with the above prevailed.