Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-17
RAINY WEATHERBAD
ON YOUNG POULTRY
Dampness Responsible for Heavy
Mortality, Especially Among
Baby Turkeys.
Running in Wet Grass Kills Thou
sands Of Poults, Chicks and Even
Young Ducklings.

Rainy weather such as the entire
| eastern part of the country has ex-
perienced for the last couple Of weeks
counted thousands of young chicks,
young turkeys and even ducklings
Many persons may smile at the latter
statement and asked why water should
be Injurious to ducks. even young ones,
since they are aquatic birds. The
writer. however. has seen a flock Of
half-grown Indian runner ducks,
caught away from shelter in heavy
downpour Of rain. standing erect, beaks
pointed skyward and wide open. and
before those ducks could be driven to
shelter more than half Of the flock
actually drowned. This Is a frst-hand
observation and not q hearsay state
ment
Probably IS per cent of the young
turkeys Matched each season die from
exposure to rain. from running in wet
grass, or from some other form of too
much dampness. That is the reason
why turkey raising Is not considered
generally profitable occupation any
where outside the arid states Of the
southwest, where the poults are not
exposed to the danger of being caught
out in the rain.
On general farms. where no special
care IS taken Of the young chicks,
probably so per cent Of the annual
nat natch is lost under similar conditions,
Chlcks following hen are caught in
ooWnpour OF rain, are unable to find
shelter. become soaked, are chilled to
the bone, become further draggled by
trailing after the hen through wet
grass and weeds. and die-many from
1t $ho
chill and exhaustion.
Limited Range Best.
Limited range for the young poultry,
no matter of what kind, is best, and
this applies to poultry up to eight
weeks old as well as to that newly
matched. II the chicks are Matched and
brooded by hens. conhne the hens to
roomy. comfortable, well ventilated
the chicks or other poultry are old
enough to fend for themselves to
great measure. A battery Of such
coops ranged side by side in a dry and
sunny location and facing on a yard
large enough to afford ample exercise
space for the number of chicks so con-
nned viii save scores Of the young
sters and at the same time make the
task OF caring for them much easier
farm poultrywoman last year
keys. and by housing and brooding
them in this manner saved sixty-nine
OF the poults, using hens for mothers
This spring she has Matched nearly $50.
ana In spite of the excessively rainy
weather recently she has lost only
eighteen of them
The 'poult yard" of her plant Is
located on slight slope to the south
east, where the drainage is perfect. At
the top of the slope she placed twelve
good roomy coops. the fronts Slated
and with narrow strip of fine mesh
poultry netting at the top Of the back
OF each coop. These coops were kept
as clean as almost daily attentiop
could make them. The yard is of
gravely soil. and is 100 feet wide by
fifty feet deep. Over the broad coops
is placed a kind of awning, made from
several discarded and badly faded
awnings bought from an establishment
This shades the brood cocps from the
sun and also 1uta OF most Of the rain