Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-24
THE POIILTR ( YARD
CARE or TlaE csslca<s
BY ED WEBER

One Of the most important and es-
sential things in raising chicks 10 to
have strong and vigorous chicks to be-
gin with. Unless the chick Is strong
when Matched, It has . very poor
chance to live very long and no chance
what ever Of ever becoming prize
winner.
About the last thing q chick does be-
fore Il breaks the shell In Matching 10
to consume all Of the yolk Of the egg.
10 nature provides all. tho food neoes"
sary for q chick for forty eight hours
before the little fellows set their frss
meal We must provide something TOT
the chick to work on. something thae
will be BENEFICIAL TO It and that thing
is fns grit, which ID not only beneficial
to the chick but an absolute necessity.
Grit 10 thu frat and only thing TO give
q chick for the first twenty-four hours
Of its life. Grit 10 the grinding mill
for the chick, and with 1t they prepare
their food for digestion--a lack, OF ~
causes bowel complaint and an early
death for the chick. Sand should never
be placed in hopper or dish. one
lady who had q very fine flock aoi
Brown Leghorns noticed them sudden
" dying OF. She opened up one Of the
little chicks and found that 1t mad
Oiled its craw with sand. She had
been advised not to place the sand IN .
cup and she learned to her sorrow tnas
that advice should have been needed.
( Always Furnish Dry Feed.
I have not been very radical, ABOUT
the feed which I give to baby chicks
Oatmeal, bread crumbs, any first class
prepared chick feed or corn bread IL
all right I never feed q young chick
food that Is moist in any manner. Al
ways feed it to them dry. After they
have had their first feed ! give them
drink of water, not too cold Tor the
first time. Bran and charcoal should
always be kept in front of them IN
small hoppers or receptacles OF some
kind. .
said that I was not very particular
what I fed my little chicks and this IS
true to g certain extent but there -
one thing that Is very important anu
that Is, that the fool is always whole.
some. Dusty grain should never pc
fed. There is no economy buying chick
feed that is made from feed screenings.
When the time comes that you can
give the little fellows their liberty,
teach them to come to you by some
other method than by call. There ~
great advantage in this, especiaiiy i
your neighbors have chickens. Chick-
ems can be Taught to come when you
whistle for them or If you rap on a
board with a stick at each time you
feed them they will soon learn that TINS
is their call and by following tnlS
method of calling them the neighoors
chickens will not be 30 apt to bother
you. -, II ~
b. It Is a rood idea to make the fel-
lows work for their breakfast eaon
morning by scratching in litter or chaff
Of some kind and later in the day eve
them their moro nourishins FOOD. Al
;ways send them to bed with full crop.
IN fact I follow this policy all durlns
the life Of the chick. because aster
4thsy have crown to maturity 1t - 1ust
as important to make them work for
the greater portion Of their FOOD ana
rive them one big meal Just oeaore
they 90 to roost. - ''''.9s 2,'1'ts :
: :" Guard Against Vsrn,iu:; l.4-
One thing that must be guarded
guarded against 70 mites and lice.
whenever a little chick looks droopy,
dust it with some insect powder ana
you may be surprised at the amount
OF vermin that will come to the surface
OF their feathers or down. The wonder
Is that the little fellows have hveo
thru 1t so long whom you see what the
busting has driven to the surface.
think that will be safe In saying that
90 Der cent of all the chicken ailments
that arise come from lice. First the
lice, then the worry and depletion OF
their system, and then death. - -
In raising chicks one must nave q
definite object In view and raise them
accordingly. II they are raised az
breeders 1t is best to see that they nave
plenty Of exercise, but II they are oe-s