Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-08
Feeding.

They should not be fed for forty
eight hours after they come from the
shell. Then a little oatmeal, coarse
cornmeal, cracked corn or wheat, or
mixed chick food (small seeds and
grain), scattered on a clean spot on
the floor will soon show them how.
Be little patient in teaching them to
run under the warm hover frequently,
as they must do even in warm room.
The minute they begin to stand
around and peep" or commence to
huddle in corner, is the time to send
them to bed for a little while. 1t
does not take them long to learn
| where to go to get warm.
A chick needs nothing to eat dur
ing the first twenty-four to forty
eight hours, because just before it
comes from the shell it absorbs the
entire yolk of the egg, which consti-
tutes very full feed, or enough to
last it for a day or two. Many anna
teurs are worried because the chicks
seem slow to eat and drink during the
first few days, but they need no teach
ing and no forcing. Don't keep
pan or fount' of water in the brooder
or pen all the time to make it sloppy
and mussy. Give them drink three
times aday only. It's much better.
Most home kitchens have on hand
ideal food for chicks in the form of
oatmeal, cornmeal and graham flour.
These should be mixed in equal parts
and may be fed either dry or wet into
crumbly mash with water or sour
milk. 1t is very important that the
chicks receive fresh, unspoiled food.
Meal of any kind gets quickly musty,
moldy or wormy in hot or damp
weather, and ready-to-eat foods are
Objectionable unless you know they
are fresh.
Chickens of all ages should have
a pan or box of grit of suitable size
or granulation before them at all
times. A chicken has no teeth. The
grit, which is nothing but broken
pieces of hard, sharp rock or clam
she'll. of the size of corn for fowls and
the size of wheat or rice for chicks,
is used in the gizzard to grind the
food. Grit is not absolutely neces-
sary, as the gizzard will grind the
food to certain extent without grit,
but the feeding of grit is an enon-
omy, asnit enables the bird to utilize
and digest its food to better advan-
tage.
After the first few days chicks
should have the floor Of the brooder
and adjacent pen or yard we'll covered
with thick layer of straw chaff or
other litter, with which should be
mixed liberal quantity of fresh gar
den earth (not, DIR y dust). The fresh
earth absorbs the droppings and keeps
all sweet and clean much longer than
chaff alone. Under the hover should
be cleaned every morning and liber-
ally sprinkled with fresh earth and
chaff, but the rest of the brooder or
pens need be cleaned or renewed only
as necessary, once or twice week
In the floor litter should be scattered
frequently small grain, such as millet
seed, cracked wheat, corn and rice,
etc. The chicks should be fed lib
orally and frequently, but not so much
that they will stand around and not
scratch or leave food to get sour or
musty.
Musty, moldy or spoiled food is
poison to chicks. Prepared chick
floods should never be used unless
known to be fresh. That is, l mean
complete foods of ground grain, often
of uncertain age. Chick food consist
ing of small seeds and grains should
also be fresh, clean and sweet. In too
many places the chick food bin is
! dumping ground for any old seeds
and grain that cannot be used for
other purposes. For this same rea-
, son the chicks should receive only as
/ much as they will eat each day and
not allow any to lay around in the
straw or litter and become mo1dy and
, musty. It's quite little trick to
; learn to feed chickens enough, but
/ not too much. They must be per-
, mitted plenty Of time for frequent
/ going under the warm hover to rest
and get warm, but when they are out
side they should be busy and hustling
t most of the time, and yet should
1 go to bed at night with good, full
crop.
ei Grit should be supplied for chick
/ ems, both young and old. 1t is their
' teeth by means of which they grind
{ the food in their gizzards. Many
r are apt to overlook this through sum-
z mer, thinking that the chickens can
{ pick up plenty of grit anywhere. II
{ deprived of grit they are apt to pick
up things that they should not have,
0 such as tacks, small nails, Jumps Of
r salt or other improper material. Sand
!. or round pebbles do not make good
a grit. Crushed rock or crockery is
+ good.
e Overlooking of concentrated food
a such as grain, meal, meat, etc, with
i klittle or no fresh vegetables, causes
S gout, which is generally evidenced by
II lameness of one wing or leg. 1t is
e always the fattest and finest looking
e birds that are troubled in this way
a They are simply overfed, or with in
y sufficient variety. Generally this de.
r velops later into liver disease and
finally into apoplexy, which is gen
orally the trouble when big, fat her
is found dead under the roosts in the
e morning. This is easy to prevent
r but impossible to, cure.
n A head of cabbage or some beets
e turnips, potatoes or onions shoulc
Z be kept in each Nen all the time
il A chunk of liver tackled to boare