South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-06-23
AGRICUL TURE|
To Raise Broilers Profitably Calls
For Constant and Systematic Care
BY j. RAYMOND KESSLER
Practical Poultryman

a
Growing broilers is an important
part OF economical management.
The demand for them enables the
pOultryman 20 dispose of surplus
males AZ much greater profit than
would be the case were they kept
20 rooster age This gives the pull
lets more room and the poultry
man a quich return, enabling him
% operate at much reduced costs
during the summer by reason of
having fewer coCKerels TO raise. If
the pOuitryman Is Wideawake he
will also raise a flock OF brCllers in
the late fall when his equipment
would otherwise be idle.
In growing brofIers for market
the most important point is 10 have
the chicks in good flesh. especially
plump OF breast. IL the birds are
not in good flesh at broiler size. Il
IS far better 10 let them develop in
to rOasters, for thin brOileTs are
not wanted at any price
To obtain plump bToilers the
pOultryman must consider two
things-first the chicks and their
breeding and then feeding. Chicks
for this purpose must be sturdy
little fellows IL they are TO make
The rapid healthy growth so neCess-
ary 10 profit in broiders. That the
stock be Of good blood lines is also
important, for mongrels seldom
make the gains that chicks from
pure-bred stock will The mongrel
makes only a so per cent use Of
the available nutrition, while the
well bred animal makes a hundred
per cent use Of the feed This
fact is recognized by feeders of
beef. cattle and hogs, and will be
found equally true in the case of
poultry.
The general purpose breeds are
best for broiler production, though
for the smaller sizes Of broilers the
egg breeds are considered quite
worthwhile.
Feeding is the most important,
for even breeding will avail nothing
If the feeding is lacking Not only
must the poultryman produce a
carcass Of a given weight, but the
carcass must be plump and meaty.
Fattening brOilers In the manner
roasters and fowls are treated has
never proved very successful, and
Il is rarely attempted. IL the chicks
have been properly fed and cared
for they should be in good con-
dition at the broiler size This
careful attention must begin with
the first feeding and continues IN
til the birds are marketed.
Young Broilers' First Feed.
For The first feed a mixture OF
equal parts rolled oats and stale
bread crumbs, mixed with finely
ground hard boiled eggs is good.
This should be mixed in the pre-
portion OF one egg to six times the
bulk OF rolled and bread-crumb
mixture. It Is well TO add a little
fine grit when feeding The mix
ture should be fed five times a day
for the first three days, after that
chick feed may be allowed twice
a day and the egg mixture three
times a day. Feed only when the
chicks eat up clean.
Dry wheat bran kept before the
chicks in small tTOughs all the time
Will be found a great help to
growth. HOppers of chick size grit
oyster shells and charcoal should be
placed before the chicks after they
are two weeks old, but IL is not
advisable to allow an unlimited
supply before that time. as very
young chicks are as likely TO fill
on grit as on feed
After the chicks the three weeks
old the egg mixture should be
gradually displaced by the following
mash. 90 pounds wheat bran. 40
pounds corn meal. 10 pounds roll
ed oats. 10 pounds alfalfa meal. 20
pounds middlings. 10 pounds linseed
meal. 90 POUNDS beef scraps This
should be moistened with water or
milk 70 make a crumbly mash, and
should be fed twice a day in such
quantities as the birds viii eat up
quickly. The grain should be fed
three times a day.
At four weeks of age a larger
size OF grain than chick feed will
Ne needed. A growing feed grain