The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-17

heir to and prone to contract every disease under the solar system.
 Chicks are frail, it is true, because they are a very intensively construct ed organism, yet it is the writer's eX- perience that a greater mortality is due to accidents rather than disease, and by causes which should come within the attendants control. In fact, the ways in which a chick may meet its death are so numerous, it would almost seem that they are born with suicidal intentions.
 Beware of Rats and Other Animals
 It is unwise to brood chicks within 50 yards of old outbuildings, lest rats abound, or in coop that offers ref uge for the pests. Thousands of chicks are killed annually by rodents. They are counted among the poultryman's greatest foes. Once let rat get a taste of chick flesh and he will rob the brood of two or three members a day, in broad day.
 light, if necessary. and frequently under the very eyes of the attendant.
 Crows, hawks, cats and other animals take their toll, and must be guarded against in some way. As a rule, pet cats and dogs will not steal little chicks if these pets are fed at the farmhouse, but if left to forage for themselves the temptation will likely prove too strong, and we cannot conscientiously blame them. A shotgun is sometimes effective against hawks and crows, though our friend the 'scarecrow'' is a more conven- lent way to combat the latter. Weasels and other nocturnal marauders are best dealt with by the ounce of precaution , in the shape of fine mesh wire netting over all openings to the coops. It may be little inconvenient and troublesome to shut up all the buildings at dusk and open them at dawn, but it's pretty good life insurance policy, nevertheless. Peculiar Affinity for Water For some obscure reason water has a peculiar fascination for chicks, and to those under a months age it is strangely 1 fatal Immediately following thunder shower, especially toward evening; a brood of chicks win scamper outdoors | and commence wading in the puddles' or l trudge through the long grass and weeds In a short time they are wet and be- dra ggled, chilled to the bone and utter ] ly miserable The stronger will lind | their way back to the brooder and dry OH | but the weak ones become confused, snlv- 1 CT and chirp for help, and in the case o1 | the artificial hatch, where there IS nc
 Mistress Biddy to guide and comfort
 them, they quickly perish.
 l Then, too, there is always a certain
 percentage of the brood too stupid or too 1 proach of a storm. Instead, they selec' some temporary shelter under the brood CT. Obviously, if the spot on which thls 1 building stands is not well drained puddle forms and those underneath arc marooned and fill an untimely ana wa l tery grave ] Overcrowing is one of the chic 1 causes of death in young chickens. They
 do not sweat, as they have no swea
 glands in the skin, consequently impuri l ties and moisture that would be glvei , off by this medium, must be gotten TIC of through the lungs. This places al | unusual strain on all organs.
 Air once breathed by a brood ol 1 chicks and exhaled from the lungs mas 1 increased it's content of carbon dioNiue | at the expense of oxygen, and 1T thls air is not plentifully renewed the car bon dioxide steadily increases-unti the lungs are fed dead carbon whsr they demand fresh oxygen. It Is un' reasonable to expect healthy, vlgor ous development if chick Is com pelled to take back into its body thi' devitalized, poison laden atmosphere O which nature has previously tried tt get rid.
 Oyerheating and underheating brooder are both detriments an' | should be guarded against, though tl' former is usually considered the less CT of the two evils, for this reason If the chicks are chilled they VII crowd together in corners and trampi one another to death m large nun bers; whereas. if the heat IS eNces | sive, while it is weakening, the chick will retire if possible to a comfort able distance and spread about witE