The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-03-28
MATCHING OF
EARLYCHICKS
HAS SSTARTED
Spring Warns Poultry Raisers
to Get Ready for the
Fall Fairs of This
Year.
FOOD IMPORTANT ITEM
Brooder Should Be Kept at Even
Temperature to Keep From
Chilling or Over
heating.

The approach Of spring IS warning all
poultry raisers 10 get ready for early
Matching. II warns the chicken breeder
10 get busy if he would have a good pro-
dueiion Of eggs in October and the win
ter months, for chicks that are Matched
late will not be ready to lay in the win
ter season. II also warns the poultry
fancier that he must get busy il he would
have his poultry stock ready for the fall
fairs this year. A period of five to seven
months is necessary for a hen TO mature
so thai she will produce the proper
amount Of eggs. II is therefore necessary
10 starr Matching as early as possible to
have the fowls ready for winter prOduc.
ton OF eggs. Not only is il desirable to
have early haichings because Of 4he egg
production. but il is also very desirable
becnuse the chicks that are haiched early
will grow much better than those which
are haiched late. The best time for the
Matching Of the various breeds Of poultry
is as follows: Brahmas in February and
March; Rocks. Wyandoites, Reds, orp-
ingions, from March l to April 20; and
Ieehorns from March 20 to May l.
Matching at the proper time gives the
chick a chance to get past the danger
point before the hot weather sets in. The
carly hatched chick will become a full
grown fowl in less time than the late
haichod will, and win bring a much
higher price on the market, besides be.
ing the best egg producer. With the
prevailing high price Of eggs, increased
production win mean more profit to the
poultry raiser, and the price should act
as stimulus to increased production.
One Of the first Of the problems that
confront the poultry raiser is to pick
the egg stock for Matching. A bulletin
that was sent out by the poultry hus-
bandry department Of the University Of.
fers some advice on this question. The
principal advice is to pick eggs that are
strictly fresh, and to avoid eggs that are
long pointed, short eggs. and eggs that
are either too thick or too thin-shelled.
Food for young chicks is an important
item for consideration. The ratiOns for
the chicks must contain the nutrients
that furnish heat and energy and that
manufactures bone and muscle. Cracked
corn makes one Of the best foods for
young chicks, 1t should, however, be
kept free from weed seeds and other OBJ
jeciionable clements. A mixture Of
cracked corn and wheat also makes
very good ration, while some poultry rails
ers prefer mixtures that are more com
plex Food from an animal source is also
an important necessity in the feeding Of
chicks. One of the most common ways
81 obtaining this food is to sour skim
milk and feed ii to them. Another meth
cd is to feed boiled eggs. Two eggs a
day TO 60 chicks is sufficient to furnish
the muscle building material. Another
important item Of food in promoting
growth is green food. The tender leaves
OF lettuce. clover or alfalfa do very well
for this The green food acts as laxa-
tive. and thereby keeps the chick in good
health
Too great a care cannot be exercised
in protecting the chicks from chilling |
or overheating. Both are common causes
Of diarrhea. The brooder should be kept |
at the proper heat and with an even tenn
perature. The chicks should be kept from |
getting too far away from the source Of |
heat, and the poultry raiser should at the
same time be careful not to get the brood
er 10 warm. A cold broOdcr will cause
chicks to crowd together too closely. For
the first week chicks should be kept in
an even temperature Of about 95 degrees.
with a place where they may cool of |
when they feel too hot, but so arranged
that they viii not be chilled. After the
first week the temperature may be reduc-
ed about 4 degrees a week, until the
normal weather temperature is reached.
1t is also necessary that chicks be kept
dry. One Of the most common ways in
which chicks get wet is by. falling into
pans set out for them TO drink from. A
chick that becomes wet is chilled. and
disorders set in, which may
cause death. A way to safeguard the
chicks from this is to provide a drinking
which can be made from a
fruit jar, or a round can Of any kind.
During rainy weather chicks should be
kept as closely confined as is practicable.
The Matching season is now well along.
but it is not yet too late to achieve good
results. Eggs furnish a very large percent
lge Of the food that is used. and it is
he duty of everyone to raise as much
poultry as he can.
UETpC CATTCE