Williston graphic., 1918-03-14
RAISING THE CHICKS

HAlSlNG lHE OdlSho
Don't count your chicks before
they're hatched" is an old poultry
yard adage, but its equally true that
you mustn't count your chicks until
you have raised them beyond the
critical first eight weeks of their life.
Chicks are delicate little things and
under unfavorable conditions will
quickly fall prey to bowel trouble and
to diseases brought on by strength
sapping parasites.
The experienced poultry raiser
realizes fully that the number Of
! chicks he can raise depends almost
entirely on the amount of care that
he gives them. Good care means pre-
vention of disease and the proper ham
ding of the lice question, but there
are other things that constitute good
care and in this article we are going
to consider some Of these other fea-
lures.
Varying conditions make set rules
impracticable, but there are few
principles that should be followed and
if you use good Judgment, you should
raise a very large percentage Of all
the chicks you hatch. 1t is very
encouraging sign that today the man
or woman with small lot of chicks
can raise from 90 to 100 per cent Of
the entire hatch whereas just few
years back the small poultryman who
raised 70 per cent Of his hatch con-
sidered himself very fortunate.
Hen-Raised Chicks
Raising chicks with hens is the
natural way but that does not neces-
sarily mean it is the best way, the
safest way or the most economical
way. AS matter of fact you can
raise chicks by the brooder method as
described below and liberate your
hens so that they get to work laying
eggs-producing revenue for you in
stead of simply consuming feed.
Then too, if your chicks are hatch
much bad weather, you cannot leave
too much to the hen because she cam
not supply all the care that is need
3D. Oftentimes the hen will take the
chicks out through the wet grass and
they become chilled and are carried
off with bowel trouble.
Another point to remember is that
while chicks from two matches may
be given to one hen for raising and
this method works nicely in warm
weather, it must not be tried until
after the first of May because in cool
weather one hen cannot cover more
than fifteen chicks right and early in
the season ten chicks is al! that hen
can look after.
Brooder-Raised Chicks
This artificial method of raising
chicks is becoming more and more
popular with poultrymen just as the
artificial incubation of chicks has
grown in use. For one thing you can
raise an extremely large number OF
chicks without having to bother with
lot of more or less uncertain hens
For another reason, your hens are
busy laying instead of losing time
breeding.
Of course, in raising chicks artifl
cially the chances for trouble increase
because you are doing work that the
hen instinctively knows how to do,
but at the same time you can almost
eliminate trouble if you will bear in
mind that the main requirements OF
the chicks are plenty of room and
sufficient heat. Do not make the
common mistake of overcrowdlng
your chicks in the brooder or in the
run to such an extent that their
growth is checked. Overcrowdlng oc-
ours very easily and in many cases
will result in the chick being week
or two backward and If conditions
are not improved the chick may be
rendered quite worthless.
When YOU buy your brooder make
sure that the manufacturer has not
overestimated the capacity of the ma
chine. a mistake that is by no means
uncommon. Be liberal in your calcu-
lation for it is betted to make sure
that the chicks have the required room
than to take chance OF their being
harmed through overcrowdlng. Re-
member too, that chicks need more
room as they grow older, and they
will not continue in their develop
ment and keep healthy unless they
have plenty Of room.
BrO0der Temperature
Don't make the chicks waste energy
trying to keep warm. Give them all
the heat they require. For the first
week maintain temperature of one
hundred degrees, with the thermom-
eter bulb at the height of the chicks
head. This will make the chicks COM
Portable and will eliminate the ten
dency to crowd, which condition is
met where the heat is insufficient.
Watch your chicks and you can tell
when the heat is right, for only then
will the chicks be contented.
The brooder temperature should be
reduced about five degrees week as
the chicks grow older and there
should be some arrangement so that
the chicks can move to or away from
the heat at will. Provision should