Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-26

about the stove or hover shortcut hay
VIII be found to make the best litter,
II is an excellent absorbent, easy for
the chicks to scratch in and fairly
dlSestible when eaten in small guam
titles.
In the matter OF cleanliness, once
a week should be often enough to
clean the scratch pens of the brooder-
house, but 1T is advisable to clean
about under hovers at more frequent
intervals. Some poultrymen use sand
on the hoor about the hover, cleaning
1t daily. AS a sanitary measure this
is decidedly worth while.
Perhaps the most important OF all
is the feeding OF the young chicks
for the first few weeks. 1t is the
foundation upon which the future
of the flock depends. Improper feed
ing in early life not only causes losses
but also stunts growth and causes
disorders that show their effects later,
even though the trouble is apparently
outgrown when the fowl reaches ma
turity.
There is some difference of opinion
as to how soon the chicks should be
fed after Matching. Some claim chicks
should have no food for forty-eight
hours. others advocate that the chicks
should be fed as soon as they show
desire for food. Usually the chicks
will sleep after being taken from the
incubator. at which time they need
restive and begin picking at things
and at each other feeding should be-
gin.
Feeding the First Week
The first feed should consist of
something easily digested. The feed
ing should be regular and often
small quantities at a time being given
o,a A,Ir
mixture of equal parts rolled oats
and stale bread crumbs, mixed with
Underground hard boiled eggs, shells
included, has given excellent results.
This should be mixed in the proper
tion of one egg to six times that bulk
of the rolled oats and bread crumb
mixture. A little fine grit may be
added to the mixture, but only lit
tie, as the chicks will eat anything
the first two weeks of their lives, and
are as likely to fill up on grit as
feed. This mixture should be fed five
times a day for the first three days
on large sheets OF brown paper; after
that chick feed may be allowed twice
a day and the egg mixture three
times a day.
After the first week the egg mix
ture may be fed in small galvanized
troughs and the grain thrown into
light litter. Only what the chicks
will clean up in ten or fifteen min
utes should be allowed, and care taken
to remove any mash that is left.
Dry wheat bran kept before the
chicks in small troughs all the time
has been found very good and will
frequently be found helpful in avoid
ing constipation.
Water in small fountains should be
allowed the chicks from the very first.
1t Is best to temper the water for the
first week, as ice-cold water has been
found detrimental
Hoppers of chick-size grit, oyster
shells and charcoal should be placed
before the chicks after they are two
weeks old, but 1t is inadvisable to
allow an unlimited supply before this
time.
At Three Weeks of Age
After the chicks are three weeks
old the egg mixture should be gradu-
ally displaced by the following mash:
200 lbs. wheat bran, 400 lbs. cornmeal.
200 lbs. middlings. 100 lbs. linseed
meal, 100 lbs ground oats-hulls sift-
ed out, 100 lbs. alfalfa meal and 200
lbs. screened beef scraps. This mix
ture should be moistened with water
or milk to make q crumbly moist
mash. not sticky, and should be fed
twice a day in such amounts as the
chicks will clean up quickly. The
grain mixture should De Ied three
times a day.
After the chicks are four weeks
old a growing feed grain mixture Will
be needed in place of the chick feed.
At eight weeks old the growing feed
grain mixture may be displaced by a
mixture of equal parts whole wheat.
cracked corn and Clipped oats. The
number of feelings should be gradu-
aIlv reduced until at eight weeks they
receive only three feedings-grain
morning and night with moist mash
at noon. Great care must be taken
not to overfeed.
When the chicks are a week old a
daily supply of green feed should not
be forgotten. Lettuce, grass clippings.
sprouted oats and mangels are good
green feeds for young chicks. CABS
bage, rape. kale and like plants are
good green feeds for chicks more
than eight weeks old. but when fed
TO very young chicks are likely to
cause bowel disorders.