Milford chronicle., 1918-02-22


+, lack OF attention, and inability Of tn
: breeder to properly care for them. thai
through any other cause, and it is SAT-
that the average breeder raises less thai
twenty-five per cent Of the number o
birds hatched
Now that the season for Matching thu
future layers is here, let's touch upor
their proper rearing that some might b'
benefited. We have already talked about
the subjects Of mating and incubating
. and while it can be truthfully said that
these are very essential to the building
up Of a good strain. yet this latter trait
is impossible unless you can raise the
majority OF the chicks hatched What
doth It profit a man to hatch enormous
quantities Of chicks and then raise but
very few? It is those reared to maturity,
rather than the number hatched, which
spell the word success.
Don't ever gett he impression that the
chicks will raise themselves. There are
many points to be considered in the
proper raising of the youngsters, but Of
all these, I believe that proper feeding
is the most important, and incidentally,
the hardest to solve. Upon the proper
feeding depends the very life and health
Of the youngsters No matter how you
might provide and care for the chicks,
| they will never amount to much unless
the proper feed is given them. and that
is the reason that 1 class this requisite
as the biggest factor in successfully rails
ing fowls.
When the chicks are first hatched don't
kill them with kindness, as is so often the |
case. They die soon enough. This does |
not mean, however, that the little fell |
lows are 10 be treated inhumanly nor have |
kept from them anything they should have /
or many need, but applies principally TO
their food.
Many persons. in attempting to raise
chicks. begin to feed them almost as soon
as hatched, simply because they feel that
they are hungry through the constant
chirp Of the little fellows. Right here is
where big mistake is made and more
often results in the death OF the chicks
than otherwise. Nature has provided for
the first few days feeding for the chick,
in that. in the course Of the development ;
Of the chick, portion of the yolk of the
egg is taken into the chicks stomach To {
give it any other food until this is assm- I
lated and taken into the system only t
means that you are buclSing nature and a
Il is dollars to doughnuts' that you will G
lose out a
This mature food" is amply sufficient t
'or at least two days and indeed, it has B
been proven that best results are gained a
when all food is withheld from the chicks h
or period Of 70 hours after their ar c
'ivaL Many persons are lead through d
to give food a ssoon as the v
are able TO hop about and be- T
lin to peck at every object This is only e
he chicks nature and it is folly to allow Il
food as, by so doing, all Of the little Il
digestive organs are made to overwork b
nd thus cause disorders which usually b
mean the death Of the bird a
That the ration Of the baby chicks is h
he most important consideration in rais-
ng them, is admitted by every breeder al
rho has given any study to the industry, e'
nd this is especially true until they reach te
he age Of about fifteen weeks. Up until e
his age is reached is the time in the life in
the baby chick when it is susceptible OF
, all forms Of diseases, any one of which OF
; liable to cause its death. Farmers, as m
rule, are more lax intheir attentions to al
ne needs and wants of the chickens, both OF
d and young, than are other persons. ar
might say that as rule, those rails tn
lg poultry from a standpoint of fancy gr
I've the birds more attention than those sp
no are engaged in the business as a
define, and this is one big reason why is
lie latter class fail in their efforts The br
srsons raising fowls for. commercial pur- an
'ses. while perhaps not as attentive as 70
lose who raise them for fancy, are more pr
ireful than the "sideline" man. tn
In many cases the little chicks the al po
wed to roam over a free range, thus its
raging for their living. or the greater res
lrt of it, and the remainder, such as il
is supplied by the breeder This re or
ainder usually consists of corn, and wi
ten whole corn at that. When failure me
mes they wonder why, and usually in
anne the chickens rather than them
Ives.
Chicks allowed free range naturally pickI
large quantity Of seeds and worm brt
cd but these are far from sufficient to pr
pply their needs This makes it neces- 1
ry to give them other foods The aver bel
'e breeder, however, who allows the "
icks free range gets the impression that sh,
1T they gather is amply sufficient and wa
US neglects to give them any thing the
Sc, save little corn at night. This gem }
ally results in slow growth and devel- an