Gunnison news-champion., 1923-03-23
Actual Experience
Raising Chickens
In GunnisOn

OF cDurHs, a. remarked IN my r.
port, am only beginner IN the bus
ness wys0.tr zo there are . good man
thing yet 10 learn.
/ think q p-rrun should select g
bred % CEeEgnH that b. brEt suite
% his or her needs; thar is. II you var.
them for meat, OF market pick tie
larger breeds. or FOR egg, the small,r
or producing breeds Then then
are the alI-puypose breeds for bot
eggs and meat.
One should select a breed that WILL
do bsst IN our climate. II for egg
production land meat als0i / find tn
Erds are bet Tor the winters in our
part Of the state a. an all purpose
foWI. Chickens also do best when
the entire flock is al Of one breed. Il
never pays 20 mix them. Get the bet
blood 90 begin with and keep them
that way.
had not KEEP, chickens for several
year until the spring Of 1919 when
| sent 10 a hatchery for baby chicl
| received them the last Of April hy
parcel post had decided that !
liked tho r. {. Rhode Island Reds, 20
got them. And also bought a feg
Red chicks from my mOther-in-law.
When the chicks are first hatehed.
all they need is sleep and rest for p
20 Sc hour. When they get restlc--
give them water 20 drink. but do no,
let them get wet. As soon as they
show signs Of hunger by picking
around let them have dry rolled oats
rubbed fno and spriHkled in fine riycr
sand Feed very sparinRiy for the
first few days or week. Also give
them brad crumbs moistened ysry
little with milk or water. After they
are about four or five days old brgln
feeding q buttcrmilk mash food. q 90
chick scratch feed in cut clover or ilug
chat a little morning and night so thcy
wilI learn TO scratch FOR il. Keep t-r
chicks m a place where they are warn
and comfortable all the time, so that
they may always be busy.
This applies 20 chicks raised with
hens II you let them run with hen
uothers. the hens will take car az
item for warmth. After they OPP,
about three weeks old, gradually start
feeding corn chop and whole vii,
just Few grains mixed in with g *
feed until you have them Weaned f.m
the chick feed and on the larger 8 aln
diet. Also give them cut potato 10
pick al from the time they are FIVE
days old. This helps TO supply grrnn
food with the cut clover. tThis can
be dry hay chafTl For the first week
feed five times Il day, after that Or rec
times will do. Keep mash feed b. sore
them all the time after they are a
week old. Keep oyster shell, sifted
fine, and charcoal, chick size, where
they can help themselves all the time
from the first few days. When they
are about two weeks old give them
becfscgaps cut fine, two or three times
week, or sour milk curds are good
protein food. Also give the chicks
dry bran occasionally to pick for 4
change. When they are about a month
old feed crumbly wet mash at noon,
mixed with bran and table scraps, and
moisten it with sour milk or water.
Keep them in warm quarter at night
but not crowded, with plenty Of fresh
air, and give the grain feeds in morn
ing and evening.
II chicks have had proper care and
feeding, they should weigh four pounds
or around that at three and one-half
months old. | always dispose of sur
plus cockerels as soon as possible. This
gives more room for the growing
pullets. Red pullets begin laying at
from five to six months of age. | let
them have free range in good weather.
Put them in the laying house around
October /. See that the house is
warm and free from drafts. | also
have Il good scratch run facing the
south with glassed-in front, and keep
a good straw litter in there TO scatter
their grain in SO they will exercise for
all the grain part of the ration. Feed
a mash at noon, of bran and table
scraps mixed with milk, (crumbly) and
give them potatoes, mangels and cab
bage, il you have them for green food,
alfalfa leaves from the hay loft will
substitute for green food. Always
try to feed them the same time each
day, as hens are very easily upset in
their habits, and will surely disappoint
YOU in egg production if you neglect
them. Always keep them busy and
contented if you want eggs. Keep
plenty of oyster shell, charcoal and
good river gravel before the hens all
the time. Never miss supplying good
fresh water and plenty of It and see
that it does not freeze A laying hen
drinks lots of water, as eggs are COM
posed of 65 per cent water. Also
supply them with some KIND of meat
food. Milk makes good substitute,
also ground bone should be given them
occasionally. Thru our coolest weather
feed the hens wheat and oats mixed,
IN the morning and whole yellow corn
and wheat mixed in the evening, and
most always warm their feed in the
oven, occasionally parching it brown
for change.
Always give the house thorough
cleaning in the fall and white-wash it
inside. Have windows to let in sun
shine. Also white-wash the walls of
run to keep it clean and light. Chick
ems like to dust, so l have a pile of
good mellow soil outside the run, by
the glass front. On warm days they
dust outside, if it is stormy weather
they dust in the house as it is filed
with five or six inches of the same