The Washington herald., 1919-03-23
.FRGkE:NE|5GHtNHERR 3
THE BABY CHICK

hSau Will Also neip Keep lHefn cream.
Careful watching all along the
line points the way to success.
Care is rather more important than
feed, strange as it may seem. Chicks
that are neglected, uncomfortable and
discontented will not thrive on the
best of foods.
Chicks must be kept busy to be
happy.
Plenty OF exercise in hunting for
their feed Is conducive to good health
and a growing appetite.
Scatter at least a portion Of their
grain food in the litter of coop to keep
them working.
Begin the feeding by providing teeth
for the chicks in the form of fine grit
or coarse sand. Scatter a liberal al
lowance on floor of coop In litter with
feed and a supply In pans or boxes so
that they can help themselves as
needed
The feeding of the chicks is the
other part of the question. Too much
and too little importance may be
given to the subject for the good OF
the chick.
To be exactly right in feeding the
chick is problem in itself. yet when
the subject has been thoroughly sifted
1t is not half as difficult as it seems.
Adopt a method of feeding and ad-
here strictly to this method so long
as 1t proves successful. Oftentimes an
exchange in feeding proves the un-
doing of the system.
All feeding stuffs, exclusive Of the
cracked. broken or whole grains,
should be fed on boards, in pans or
otherwise, so that the feed will not
come in contact with the dirt.
Feed just what the chicks will eat
UP clean, and remove any food that
remains to keep same from souring.
The feeding utensils should be kept
clean and sanitary. Frequent scald-
ing will prove helpful.
Water fountains, pans, or other SIM
liar devices should be frequently
cleansed and scalded. Fresh, pure
water should always be kept within
easy access to the chicks.
Grit, charcoal. and oyster shell Of
the proper size should be kept in
boxes suitable for the purpose so that
the chicks may help themselves.
AS a working basis for the feed
ing OF chicks. the following system
Is TO be highly recommended:
For young chicks: The first meal
for the chicks Day be bread crumbs
or rolled oats: chick-size grit may
be mixed with the crumbs and oats.
Feed only what the chicks will eat
up clean. This feed will prove very
satisfactory for the first ten days
If alternated with a johnnycake
made as follows: One pound corn
meal, one-half pound middlings, one
half pound beef scrap (meat meaD,
pinch of salt. and one teaspoonfuI
OF bread soda; mix with water, and
bake. Crumble and feed every two
hours daily until the birds are ten
days old.
For chicks ten days old to four
weeks old: Use a grain mixture of
three pounds cracked wheat, one
pound steel-cut pin-head oats, and
one pound fine cracked corn. Feed
an allowance of this mixture three
times daily in a little of alfalfa or
cut hay which is spread on the floor
of the coop. Feed green food once
day. such as lettuce, cabbage.
sprouted oats or cooked vegetables.
Green food Is necessary.
For chicks from four to twelve
weeks old: Use a grain mixture of
five pounds whole wheat. one pound
hulled oats. one pound coarse cracked
corn. Feed three times daily in lit
SNA OA AliC llOOl OIL lIls mix
ture to keep the chicks busy. but
do not overfeed them. When the
chicks have reached six weeks of
age, dry mash of the following:
Eight pounds cornmeal. four pounds
middlings, four pounds wheat bran.
one pound finely cut alfalfa and one
pound of beef scrap.
Feed this dry mash, in addition TO
the above grain food. in hoppers.
and keep it before the chicks for
three or four hours in the middle of
the day.
Feed the green food once daily as
indicated above, and keep fresh
water. grit and charcoal before the
chicks all the time.
For chicks from twelve weeks old to
maturity: Feed a scratch grain food
of a mixture of three parts whole
wheat. three parts cracked corn and
two parts oats. Feed an allowance
in litter twice a day to keep chicks
busy.
Feed the same dry mash. as given
above. in hoppers. and keep it con-
stantly before the chicks. A liberal
supply of grit, crushed oyster shells
and charcoal is necessary Give a
good meal of green feed once a day.
and plenty of fresh, pure water.
copyrighted 1916. by George E.
Howard)