Milford chronicle., 1917-02-02
The CARE and FEEDING
OF The YOUNG CHICKS
BY J. H. MeFAUL. Jr.
(AH Rights ResetVed1

of the unconsumed food after each feed
ing, and this should be discarded Never
give the same food to them a second
time. In connection with this, it must
be remembered. that from the very start
quantity of very fine grit and charcoal
should be kept before the chicks.
The problem of liquid foods is also an
important factor in the successful raising
of chicks, ard in this connection let me
say that many casualties in the broods
can be traced to these. Milk is highly
| benefcia. to Young chicks, but it is often
impure. Before giving milk bring it to
boiling point, and when cooled, give it
| to them-but never until this precaution
/ has been taken to remove all possible inn
purities. Water is absolutely necessary,
but like the milk, it is often impure.
| These impurities, however. can readily
/ be removed from the drinking water by
placing eight drops of white carbolic acid
into each quart Start this practice at
the very beginning and you will never be
troubled with white diarrhoea breaking
out among the little fellows 1t is far
better to prevent bowl trouble than to
attempt to cure 1t when once it appears
This specially fixed water will solve
the problem without a doubt Continue
its use until the youngsters reach the age
of twelve weeks.
After the first few DAYS OF feeding place
before the chicks quantity of sifted
bran. This is excellent for them aud
they relish it greatly.
The second weeks feed should consist
of some good commercial chick starter
which can supplant the bread crumbs.
This should be used until the youngsters
are able to eat a coarser cracked grain
food than the starter. In other words,
increase the size of the cracked grain
ration as the birds develop.
With the giving of the grain rations,
supply the youngsters with a growing
mash. This mash may be the same as
the laying mash given beef scrap greatly |
reduced and the whole sifted. This grow |
ing mash should be given morning and |
night.
As the chicks grow, decrease the num- |
Der of feedings per day until grain food. |
even to the chick starter, should be fed |
in litter, alfalfa being best for this pur- |
pose. This will allow the tiny fellows to |
get sufficient exercise, and this is Just as /
essential with chicks as with older birds |
Green food should not be neglected.
The green blades of sprouted oats, lettuce
leaves or onion tops, chopped fine, make
excellent forms of green food for the
young chicks.
Keep down lice, both on the chicks
and in and about their quarters, as lice
kill off many promising specimens See
that the future flock is safeguarded from
rats and other vermin, from the inclem-
encies of the weather, and that they are
not over crowded.
The care and attention necessary to
maturity is naturally greater than that
called for by chicks hatched in natures
way, but remember that both kinds re-
quire attention and must have it to sue
ceed. With the incubator chicks, man
must be content to be the mother" in
the case, and consequently must give
them more care and attention than is
necessary where the hen plays the mother
act. In the latter case, Old Biddy un-
derstands the brooding act and takes care
Of it admirably, while in the former, it
must fall to the lot of man, and in order
to accomplish results, he must study the
very carefully in order to avoid
making a hzzle of il.
Try out the method I have been de-
scribing and see what the result will be
n comparison with another method you
nay have been using for years past. If
he results are better, than adopt it If
lot successful in your case look for some
,ther method, and when you hit upon
'ne which proves profitable, follow it
egularly.