The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-02
CARE OF THE
PEN and CHICKS

Washington, D. c.. April 2.-The
proper brooding Of chickens is one OF
the most difficult operations on many
ginner. Many poultry keepers who are
able to obtain good egg yields and
fair matches make a failure of brood
ing chickens, either in raising only a
small percentage Of the chickens
Matched or in failing to rear strong,
vigorous birds which develop into good
breeding stock. Brooding is still in the
experimental stage, and no one system
has given perfect satisfaction. The
poultry specialists of the United States
Department of Agriculture advise the
following procedure:
Rearing Chickens With Hens.
Sitting hens should be confined to
slightly darkened nests at Matching
time and not disturbed unless they step
on or pick their chickens when hatch
ing, in which case the chickens should
be removed as soon as dry, in a basket
lined with flannel or some other warm
material, and kept near a fire until all
the eggs are Matched; or the eggs may
be removed and placed under a quieter
hen whose eggs are Matching at the
same time.
An incubator may also be used to
keep the earliest Matched chickens
warm, in case they are removed from
the nest. II the eggs hatch unevenly,
those which are slow in Matching may
be placed under other hens, as hens
often get restless after a part Of the
chickens are out, allowing the remain
ing eggs to become cooled at the very
time when steady heat Is necessary.
Remove the egg shells and any eggs
which have not Matched as soon as the
Matching is over. Hens should be fed
as soon as possible after the eggs
are Matched, as feeding tends to keep
them quiet; otherwise many hens will
leave the nest. In most cases it is
best that the hen remain on the nest
and brood the chickens for at least
twenty four hours after the Matching
Is over.
Powder the hen with a good insect
powder before moving her and the
chickens to the brood coop. The hen
should be busted every two weeks or
as often as necessary until the
chickens are weaned. If lice become
thick OH the chickens, or If they are
with head lice." a very little
grease such as lard or vaseline, may
be applied withsthe fingers on the head,
neck under the wings and around the
vent. Great care should be taken, how
ever, not to get too much grease on
the chickens, as 1t will stop their
growth and in some cases may prove
fatal.
The brood coop should be cleaned
ut least once a week and kept free
from mites. If mites are found In the
coop, it should be thoroughly cleaned
and sprayed with kerosene oil or crude
petroleum. From one to inches of
sand or dry dirt or a thin layer Of
straw or fine hay should be spread on
the floor of the coop. Brood coops
shuld be removed weekly to fresh
ground, preferably where there is new
grass Shade is very essential in rear
ng chickens, especially during warm
weather: therefore. the coops should
De placed in the shade whenever pos
,ible. A cornfleld makes fine range for
young chickens, as owing to cultivation
If the ground, they get many bugs
Ind worms and have fresh soil to run
IN most of the time and enjoy
abundant shade.
All the chickens should be toe
punched or marked before they are
transferred to the brooder or brood
coop, SO that their ages and breeding
.eadily can be- determined after they
ire mature. Farmers frequently keep
I'D hens on their farms and kill the
younger hens and pullets. because they
ire unable to distinguish between them
Lfter the pullets have matured.