South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-04-28


1 Cellar window wire is best for this
I purpose. as when used in the form
/ OF circle about the stove il will
stand without support. The muslin
/ can be fastened 10 the wire with
clips or clothes pins. This protec-
ton is only necessary during the
first week or so.
In addition to protecting the
flock from drafts across the floor
this fence keeps the chicks from
wandering away from the stove at
night, and tends to keep the flock
from crOwding in corners The
main thing 10 look TO in following
this plan is not TO confine the flock
too close to the stove and over
heat them. OF course, all this APP
plies TO the large colony brooder
stoves with hundreds Of chicks in
one flock. the method of brooding
that is being adopted by a large
majority OF pOultrymen who require
! greater flock capacity than the small
hOvers furnish.
The lamp hovers of so or 60
chick capacity have by no means
lost their place through the intro
duction of stoves. They are best
for the man who matches small
! hocks.
/ In the matter of general care the
chicks can be cared for in the same
4 manner in large docks as was the
Z
I first day or two it is best TO confine
/ the chicks 10 the hover or closely
about the stove if the colony brood
ers are used. After that the chicks
! may be allowed the freedom Of the
scratch pen.
Outdoor Exercise For Health.
/ II is rarely advisable 10 allow the
, chicks in the yards until they are
week old. not because the outdoor
exercise hurts them, but because
they are not well enough acquainted
with their quarters to find their way
back 10 the heat. Then. too. the
chicks ability to take care of him
self does not seem to be developed
at such an early age.
After they are a week or 10 days
old the chicks must be allowed some
outdoor exercise if only for an hour
a day. The run in the sunshine and
contact with the earth acts as
tonic. which nothing else can dupli-
cute. FlOcks confined too long fire.
1 quently develop leg weakness. a
trouble that only contact with the
earth will correct.
For the floors of the brooder and
about the stove or hover shortcut
hay will be found TO make the best
litter. II is an excellent absorbent.
easy for the chicks to scratch in and
fairly digestible when eaten in small
quantities.
In the matter of cleanliness once
"a week should be often enough to
4 clean the scratch pens of the brood
er house, but it is advisable to
clean about under hovers at more
frequent intervals. Some poultry
men use sand on the floor about the
hover cleaning 1t daily As a sani-
tar measure this is decidedly worth
while.
Perhaps the most important of
all is the feeding of the young
chicks for the first few weeks. 1t
is tho foundation upon which the
future of the flock depends. I'm
proper feeding in early life not only
causes losses, but also stunts
growth and causes disorders that
show their effects later. even though
the trouble is apparently outgrown
when the fowl reaches maturity.
There is some difference of opin-
ion IS 70 how soon the chicks should
he fed after Matching Some claim
chicks should have no food for AS
hours, others advocate that the
chicks should be fed as soon as
they show desire for food. Usual
ly the chicks will sleep after being
taken from the incubator. at which
time they need no feed, but as soon
as they become FESTIVE and begin
picking at things and at each other
feeding should begin.
Feeding the First Week.
The first feed should consist of
something easily digested. The
feeding should be regular and often
small quantities at a time being
given and great care taken not 10
overfeed. \ mixture of equal parts
rolled oats and stale breadCrumbs.
mixed with Underground hard
boiled eggs. shells included. has
given excellent results. This should
be mixed i'm the proportion of one
egg 10 six times that bulk OF the
rolled oats and breadcrumb mix
ture. A little fine grit may be add
ed 10 the mixture. but only little.
as the chicks will eat anything the
first two weeks of their lives. and
are as likely 20 dn up on grit as
feed This mixture should be fed
five times a day the first three days
on large sheets II brown paper.
after that chick feed may he allow
twice a day and the egg mixture
-hree times a day.
At the first week the egg mix
ure may be fed i'm small galvanized
troughs and the grain thrown into
tier. only what the chicks will
lean up i'm 10 or i minutes should
allowed. and care taken To re-
move any mash that is left.
Dry wheat bran kept before the
hicks i'm small troughs all the time
has been found very good and will
frequently be found helpful i'm
....4atr-r~ .-r,r,.-sfr.-