Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-04-20
GIVES ADVICE ON
GROWING CHICKS
Il. c. FORMAN. POULTRY SPE-
CIALlST AT NJ. A. c., GIVES
FEEDING ADVICE.

Take care of the little chicks for
the first few weeks of their lives and
you needn't worry about the future
of your poultry. Too much care
cannot be given to young chickens.
The chicks should receive no set
backs from the time they are Matched
until they are placed in the laying
pens. This can be more easily
avoided by practicing limited or re-
tarded early feeding. The appetite of
the young chick must be closely
watched and the amount of food fed
regulated so that they will always
be hungry and ready for the next
meal.
Nature has provided the chick with
a bread basket" containing suffici-
ent food TO last three or four days.
Before a chick energies from the
shell, the remainder Of the yolk
which has been used for nourishing
the growing embryo is absorbed into
the intestines. For this reason,
limited early feeding should be
practiced until the yolk is complete
ly assimlated by the chick, or other
wise digestive disorders may occur
Here is a program which the pou-
try farmer follow to advantage in
feeding his chicks for the first ten
weeks of their life:
First Day. After incubation the
chicks should be left in the incubator
to "harden off" During warm
weather the incubator door may be
opened within the machine.
Second Day. Remove the chicks
to brooding quarters which have pre-
viously been heated. Clean white
sand makes an excellent floor cover
ing for the first two weeks. The
chicks will pick at and consume suf-
ficient Of these gritty soil particles
which are essential in getting the di-
gestive tract in good order and ready
for the first feed. Sour skim milk
or buttermilk should be provided in
shallow dishes The acid of the
milk has beneficial effect on the
digestive system Of the chick, hav-
ing a tendency to control or reduce
the development Of bacilliary white
diarrhea organisms. The food
value of the skim milk also stimu-
lates the chick, causing rapid growth
and development.
Third Day. The initial food
given. should be easily seen and nu-
tritious. The growing embryo was
developed on raw egg, so by using
the infertile eggs that were taken
out at the first test and carefully
preserved in cool place, an ex-
cellcnt starter is provided. Mix two
handfulls Of clean bran with SINH
lar amount of rolled oats and one raw
infertile egg. This proportion
should give the proper consistency
and makes palatable and nutritious
food. Feed five times, feeding
times being two and one-half hours
apart. Keep skinned milk avail
able throughout growing season, if
possible.
Fourth Day. Feed commercial
feeds twice. Feed egg mixture three
NAiiiNS a. iNE uldl iIltINdlS.
Fifth to Fourteenth Days. Two
feeds Of commercial chick feed.
Three feeds Of egg mixtures. One
feed of green food, sprouted oats
preferred. Place bran in flat hop
per available at all times.
Fourteenth Day to Ten Weeks.
The quickest gain may be secured
by moist mash. Feeding of bran,
middlings, ground oats, and corn
meal in equal parts. This should
be moistcned with skim milk. If
skim milk is not available, 10 per
cent meat scraps or high grade tank
age should be used in the mash to
supply the animal protein. Coarser
grains such as cracked corn and
chick feed just as quickly as the
chicks can handle it. If labor is
scarce, the grain can be hopper fed
after the chicks are six weeks old.
Free range with plenty of green food
and shade produces the most eco
nomical growth.
Ten weeks to maturity. Segre-
gate broilers and hopper feed both
the scratch and dry mash Scratch
feed, 80 per cent wheat, 30 per cent
cracked corn. Dry mash, % per
cent middlings, 20 per cent coru
meal, 20 per cent ground oats, 10
per cent meat scraps, per cent
buttermilk. Fruit and skim milk
should be available.
f. c. Forman,