The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-02
CARE OF HEN AND CHICKS.
Suggestions Made BY Department of Ag
riculture

The proper brooding Of chickens is one
Of the most difficult operations on many
poultry farms, especially for the begin
ner. Many poultry keepers who are able
TO obtain good eSg yielys and fair
matches make a failure OF brooding
| chickens, either in raising only 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 per
feet satisfaction. The poultry special
lists of the {. $. department OF agricul-
ture 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 Matching,
in which case the chickens should be re-
moved as soon as dry in a basket lined
with flannel or some other warm materi-
al, and kept near fire until all the
eggs are Matched; or the eggs may be
removed and placed under 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 UNI
der other hens, as hens often get rest.
less after q part OF the chickens arc
out, allowing the remaining eggs to be-
come cooled at the very time when
steady heat is necessary, Remove the
egg shells ana 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 "a hours after the Matching is over.
Powder the hen with a good insect
powder before moving her and the chick
ems TO the brood coop. The hen should
be busted every two weeks or as often
as necessary until the chickens are
weaned. If lice becomes thick on the
chickens, or il they are troubled with
'hesd lice.' very little grease such as
lard or vaseline, may be applied with
the fingers on the head. neck. under the
wings, and around the vent. Great care
should be taken, however, not to get too
mach grease on the chickens, as ii win
stop their growth and in some cases may
prove fatal.
The brood coop should be cleaned at
least once 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 petro- |
Ieum. Prom one to two inches OF sand |
DIT dry dirt or a thin layer OF straw OF
fine hay should be spread on the floor of
the coop Brood eoops should be moved |
weekly 10 fresh ground, preferably where |
here is new grass Shade is very es-
sentisl in rearing chickens, especially |
during warm weather; therefore. the /
soops should be placed in the shade when
sver possible. A cornfield makes fine /
-ange for young chickens as owing to
cultivation OF the ground. they get many
bugs and worms and have fresh soil
o run on most of the time and enjoy 4
abundant shade.
All the chickens should be toe punched
II marked before they are transferred to
he brooder or brood coop. 50 that their
Iges and breeding readily can be deter
mined after they are mstured. Farmers
frequently keep old hens on their farm
md kill the younger hens aud pullets.
,ecause they are unable - distinguish
'etVecn them after the Pullets have ma
ured.