The Hickman courier., 1919-07-24


fessor OF Poultry Husbandry. kansa1
State Agricultural Collegep
Greenness, grit. grubs and gumption
are essentials for thrifty chicks. Gump-
ton may have 10 be bred into the
chicks TO a large extent. but the green
ness. grit and grubs can be easily ana
economically furnished If the chicks
are range-raised. And the fact that
the heaviest egg production OF the
year comes in the spring. which Is the
most attractive time for ranging. is
no mere coincidence.
The reasons why ranging Is attrac-
tive I'm the spring are that everywhere
tender green shoots are available.
which chickens. young and old. love.
And there IS an abundance OF insects.
worms and grubs which the birds not
only greatly enjoy. but which furnish
material out Of which blood. muscle
and feathers may be made by growing
chicks. and egg-whites by laying hens
So eagerly are these things so1ght
after that II keeps the youngsters lust
ling from sunrise 20 sundOwn, and get
ting n world of good exercise which Is
so necessary for young stock. 1t keeps
the layers hustlins. too. which Is very
essential In keeping the system Of the
heavy layer I'm good working order.
Greatest Of Faults.
One OF the greatest faults OF poul-
try feeding is over-feeding. The art
Of feeding laying stock or young chicks
lies in SO stimulating the appetite that
they will consume large amounts OF
feed without clogging the system
There Is no surer way to defeat this
than to overfeed. and nothing In the
method of feeding. short OF starvation.
will do more damage to growing chicks
or cut down egg production quicker
than over-feeding. On free range the
chance Of over-feeding Is almost neg
IisibIe. One may put out hoppers OF
feed for the growing young stock. con
tanning the grains both ground and
whole, which are not available on the
range. without fear Of the chicks over
eating. The reason IS the the young
sters find the bugs and worms and sue
client green shoots so much more pal
atable than they do the grains that
they spend most of their time rustling
for the latter, and only consuming
enough of the grain to meet their ac-
tual necessities With all the hus-
Ting they do their appetites are never
quite satisfied. which is the approved
state for young chicks. and II Is q
poor range that does not furnish an
abundance of one sort OF hard sub
stance or another that will serve as
grinders In the gizzard-
Hard on Town Lotter.
Now this IS all very fine for the poul-
try man or woman who lives in the
country or suburbs and has plenty of
range at his disposal on which TO
raise his birds. though even with him.
If he lives in the North or Central
states, there viii be three months in
the year when the range Is not attrnc-
tive. But what about the town iotter
who is trying 10 rear a few In his
own back yard? What is he going TO
do for free range? The answer is as
in the case of everything else that Is
scarce-get n substitute. And there
are substitutes. and good ones. too.
Aside from the fact that. because of
it's attractiveness. the range helps to
make the fowls happy and contented.
and happiness and contentment add
thrift TO chicks and help hens to lay,
the range does not furnish anything
that cannot be secured independently.
OF course. every pouitryman knows
that he can get commercial grit, of
sizes suitable for either chicks or
hens. which is even more efficient for
grinding than the ordinary stones or
pebbles picked up about the farm. Al
most every poultryman knows. too.
that he can easily furnish tender.
green succulence to his chicks by the
use of the oat sprouter. though it Is
surprising to find how comparatively
few are doing It. Commercial oat
sprouters are to be had from poultry
supply houses ar reasonable prices, or
II one has the least knack with tools
he can easily make one that will be
equally efficient. II Is surprising what
difference a bunch Of well-sprouted
oats each day will make in the con-
tentment and thrift OF either laying
hens or young chicks, whether IL be on
the town lot or with the farm flock In
winter. With young chicks sliced
onion Is well rellshed. and by slicirg
them so that one may cut the rings
and make long strings he may find a
way TO start n rOugh-and-tumble scrap
among the little fellows any time they
appear a bit listless and duupish. For
the older stock, however, there Is moth
Ing better than sprOuted oats, and the
poultryman who tries TO get along
without them when the fowls are not
on free range. Is in all probability not
getting the egg production or the thrift
that his fiocS is capable of.
Furnish Some Green Feed.
Ii for any reason IL is not possibie