South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-19

days 10 inspect the nest to discover
whether any eggs are broken. Every
particle of broken shell should be
cleared away. The nest should be
kept clean of everything that would
foul it or that would be a source of
encouragement or injury to the
mother hen. About the tenth day
the eggs might be tested by candl-
ing, and all infertile eggs removed.
IL is desirable to set hens in pairs.
This gives the advantage of having
all the chicks from two sittings of
the same age. Accordingly, all can
be placed with one hen at Matching
time. The other hen will soon get
busy again at egg production. In
this way the work is simplified and
much labor is saved. After the first
of May one hen is able TO care for a
brood of from 20 to 20.
Caring For the Chicks.
The first month is the emergency
period. Get a chick we'll brOoded 10
four weeks of age and you are rea-
sOnably sure of maturing it. The
value of the full-grown bird will be
determined largely by the efficiency
of the first months brooding.
Plenty Of water and grits are all
the feed" the chicks need for the
first SO hours. At the end of this
period they should be given finely
cracked grain. Pinhead oatmeal is
an excellent thing for them. They
like IL and il is almost a perfectly
balanced ration.
A chance should be given them
by the second day to dig their grain
from light litter. They must have
exercise from the first. Otherwise
their muscles and bones and vital
organs will be weak. You will have
big chickens, but soft ones. At the
end OF 10 days or two weeks their
bodies will be too heavy for their
bones and muscles. If they once
go down on their legs" they will be
stunted. damaged, deformed for life.
ICED five times a day for the first
week. Keep them happy.
An excellent coop for a hen and
her brood is OF the "A" shape about
two feet square. with Stats in front
nailed on vertically. Between these
Stats the chicks can go out and in,
and can be fed away from the
mother. a door may be arranged
10 permit the hen 10 run with them
in the enclosed park as they grow
larger. This outside park may be
two by six feet or larger. as space
Will permit Chicks do better when
they can get on the ground. Tender
grass. lettuce. or some other form
of green food should be furnished
them in abundance. a little char
coal every day will help 20 keep the
digestion right.
Many people lose a big proper
ton Of the chicks Matched. They are
permitted TO run at large with the
hen and shift for themselves. The
result is that accidents of all
kinds overtake them. Special care,
keeping the chicks within proper
bounds at the same time attending
TO their exercise. diet and digestion.
should bring from 80 20 50 percent
through in fine form TO safe
period. No chances should be TAX
en- on the safety Of the chicks. The
caretaker should know exactly whore
the mother and her brood are every
moment of day and night. He
should know. too. that they are alb
solutely safe from all enemies, and
from every pos, de weather encer-
gency.
The mother hen should be kept
with the chicks until they are at
least five weeks old. II the weather
is cold or wet. and other conditions
are unfavorable. she should contin-
ne with them longer The judg-
ment OF the carctaker must be
brought into exercise in every part
OF this me business Some disap-
pOintments are bound 20 result.
But II the subject is thoroughly
studied and the principles here
stated faithfully practiced. success
vii De assured