South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-06-16

mortality betweeL the incubator and the
laT ing house Casualties are bound TO
occur. II Is the right spirit 10 try and
raise 100 per cent of tho chicks Matched.
but de- not feel dishearteued n finally
you count but one pullet for every three
chicks Matched. That BIZ about the Gus
tomary ratio.
Il want a flock OF 90 puIlete for
next winters layers. how many
eggs should Z hatch to secure this
amount"
a great many persons ask this
question. and a great many more
think Of H. It - a very natural
query. There is no specific answer
20 il. OF course. but IL can be esti-
mated close enough for practical
purposes by a few general averages.
To disregard facts in the poultry
business. as in any industry, is TO
invite discouragement, probably fail
ure. Certain losses are almost Ger
tain 20 occur The experienced
breeder considers these losses from
the beginning, with the result that
he estimates the need Of Matching
five eggs for each pullet contem-
plated.
To claim that FIVE eggs equal one
pullet may sound discouragingly
% the beginner. and there are many
exceptions to the rule; nevertheless.
on large commercial farms this
average prevails. further more. IL is
considered highly successful
What Are the Casualties?
We start with five eggs, from
hich we obtain one pu.iet: What
happened to the other four esgs2
Let us see. we must start with the
incubator. Two eggs failed in the
process Of Matching from one cause
or another-infertiiity death in the
shell, and so on which represents
so per cent hatch. and this is
considered "A very fair average for
the seasons work OF the three
chicks Matched one died in the
broOder. amounting 20 the custom
airy SO per cent mortality on farms
where chicks are raised In large
numbers. OF the two chicks reared
70 maturity. one developed into a
cockerel which is the customary 80
per cent run of males. leaving a
single pullet for the laying house.
u is well 20 hitch our wagon to
a star" in this business. and TO hope
that we may hatch 80 per cent Of
the eggs set, rear 90 per cent OF
the chicks Matched. and pray that
so per cent of those chicks will ma
ture into pullets: but il is a poor
plan 10 depend upon such glowing
averages. on the other hand. 10
assume that a mortality Of 80 per
cent is about normal. makes il APP
pear as though young chickens
were heir to. and prone 10 contract.
every disease under the solar sys-
tenn.
Chicks are frail, II is true, be-
cause they are a very intensively
constructed organism. vet II is the
writer's experience 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
chick may meet its death are 50
numerous. IL would almost seem
that they are born with suicidal
intentions.
Beware Of Rats and other Animals
II IS unwise TO brood chicks with
In so yards Of OLD outbuildings. lest
rats abound. or in a coop that Of
fers refuge for the pests Thou
sands OF chicks are killed annually
by rodents. They are counted
among the poultryman's greatest
foes. once let a rat get a taste Of
chick flesh and he will rob the brood
of two or three members a day. in
broad daylight, If necessary. and
frequently under the very eyes of
the attendant
Crows. hawks. cats and other an
finals take their toll. and must be
guarded against In some way. As
rule. pet cats and dogs will not
steal little chicks if these pets are
fed at the farm house. but if left
to forage for themselves the temp
tatiOn viii likely prove too strong,
and we cannot Ccnscientiously
blame them 4 shotgun is some
times effective against hawks and
crows. though our friend the scare
crow is a more convenient way TO
combat the latter Weasels and
other nocturnal marauders are best
dealt with by the ounce Of precau-
ton" in the shape CT fine mesh wire
netting over an openings 20 the
coops To MAJ be a little inconven-
lent and troublesome 10 shut up all
the buildings at dusk and open
them AT dawn. but it's "a 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
axe IL Is strangely fatal 5mmedi-
ately following a thunder shower.
especially toward evening. a brood
OF chicks viii scamper outdoors and
commence Wadins in the puddleS.
or trudge through the long grass
and weeds. I'm a short time they are
wet and bedraEgled. chilled 10 the
bone and utterly miserable The
strongest viii find their way back
20 the brooder and dry on. but the
weak ones become confused. shiVer
and chirp for help. and in the case
81 the artificial hatch. where there
is 40 Mistress Biddy TO guide and
comfort them. they quickly perish.
Then too there Is always a GER
lalu ptrceutaEe of the brood too