The circle banner., 1920-06-04

evil except TO the DreeQer VINO Cal
secure a special price for the males
There is not much profit in raising
poultry meat at market prices, and
the wise chicken man gets his cock
erels on the market at the earliest
opportunity. Cockerels make theil
quickest and cheapest gains during
the first ten to IA weeks of the grow
ing period, and the price is always
highest early in the season. Last
year the early hatched cockerels
brought from SO to 60 cents pei
pound on the May market, while the
fall price ranged from 18 to 25 cents.
The males always outgrow the fe-
males and soon become troublesome
if not removed from the flock.
Some of the most successful COM
mercial poultrymen sell or eat all
cockerels at from one and one-half
to two pounds, and buy their breed
ing males from speciality breeders.
This is a practice to be recommend
ed, because the pullets have much
better chance to develop when no
cockerels are in the flock.
If the cockerels are to be kept they
should be separated from the pull
lets as soon as the sex is evident, and
should be raised in different quar-
ters.
Feeding for Growth
Growing rations for pullets should
be planned with the idea of furnish
ing the right material to insure pro-
per development at the lowest cost.
Feeds that are rich in bone and mus
Gle building elements are essential
for the growing period. Experiments
show that protein from an animal
source is the material which fur
nishes the growth-producing sub
stances.
Chicks on free range secure some
natural protein in the form of bugs
and worms, but unless the flock is
very small and the range extensive,
this source will not meet the re-
quirements of the flock. Hence, ami
NAL protein should form the import
ant part of every growing ration.
Where plenty of milk is available
it should be given the chicks in as
large quantities as they will clean
up. Milk furnishes one of the best
sources of protein for chick feeding.
If the milk supply is limited, then
commercial meat scrap or tankage
should be added to the mash to sup
ply the protein.
The grains fed should be deter
mined largely by the kind available |
and the price. Cracked corn, wheat |
and kaffir are especially desirable as
grain feeds for growing phllets. Eli
ther of thes grains can be fed separ-
ately or mixture of them in almost
any proportion can be used. Rye is
not satisfactory as poultry food and
should not be fed to growing stock.
If oats or barley are fed, they should
De crushed or ground so that the
hicks can get the grain without eat
ng the hull.
Every ration for chicks should con-
ain some ground feed which is fed in
he form of a dry mash. The dry
nash adds variety and bulk to the ra-
ion, is more easily digested than the
Whole grains, and usually cheapens
he feed. Wheat bran, shorts, corn
neal, ground oats and ground barley
re all satisfactory feeds to use in the
nash. If meat scrap or tankage is
this should be added to the
ry mash.
Self-Feeders Save Labor L
The easiest and most economical
ray of feeding the chicks during the
rowing season is to put the feed in !
hoppers and allow the
irds free access to it at all times. 1t I
ctually requires less feed to bring {
he pullets to maturity where self +
eeders are used than where the ra- ,
ion is limited. Large outdoor hop
ers can be bought, or may be built
t home, which will hold at least
Teek's supply of feed and thus re-
uce to minimum the work of feed !
lg. !
The feeding hopper should contain +
eparate compartments for the grain :
nd mash and should also have small +
visions for grit, granulated bone +
nd charcoal. =