Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-04-05
Poultry Industry Has
Taken Foremost Place
POULTRY YARD HAS DEVELOP
ED BY THE FEEDING OF EGGS
TO BABY CHICKS

AS the dairy industry mas developed
to a stage where a large percentage Of
the milk is produced during the win
ter months period during which
the COWS of the early pioneers were
usually dry-so the poultry industry
is rapidly going into the production
of outof-season eggs.
In order to produce winter eggs
successfully it is necessary to hatch
the pullets early in the spring so that
they will be mature and capable of
laying during the period of high
priced eggs 1t is not practicable to
force immature pullets for egg pro-
duction, as a pullet must be well
grown, well fleshed, and have nearly
completed her adult plumage before it
is desirable for her to start laying. If
a pullet starts to lay too early only a
few small eggs will be produced and
then false mott with two or three
months rest period is likely to follow.
November and December eggs bring
progressive farmers are Matching their
chicks early enough in the spring SO
as to have them well grown and ready
to start laying in October or Novem-
Der. In raising early spring chicks, es-
pecially when it is done on large
scale, the problem of greatest import
ance is that of providing a proper ra-
ton. The speckled hen that in former
days reared her nondescript brood in
the summer months did not require
much attention, for whatever deficien
cy may have existed in the ration was
easily corrected by the food which
nature supplied to the chicks; but the
poultryman of today finds such meth
DDS impracticable.
In an effort to determine just what
feeds are needed to grow vigorous
chicks in large lots and in confine-
ment, such as is necessary for the
profitable production of early spring
pullets, J. G. Halpin (Poultry) and E.
B. Hart Agricultural Chemistry I'M
dertook a series of feeding trials. The
value of whole milk in the ration for
baby chicks was one of the early find
ings, but subsequent work showed
that skimmilk was not sufficient for
growth except in certain combinations
1t was found that ration of white
corn, skimmilk and middlings would
not produce proper growth, while the
use of yellow corn and clover with
skimmilk gave much better results.
Experiments conducted during the
past year have shown that the addi-
tion of very small amounts of egg to-
the ration for baby chicks will give
surprisingly good results. Chicks fed
on white corn, middlings, and skim
milk grow for a few weeks and then
die; but when one egg per day. to each
thirty chicks is added, normal grawth
results. Chicks fed yellow corn, mid
dlings and skimmilk grow fairly we'll,
but not nearly so we'll as when eggs
are added to the ration. The depart
ment recommends the use of infer
tile eggs from the incubator, or old
eggs for the purpose; thus giving the
poultryman an opportunity to utilize
material that formerly was considered
of little value It is desirable to break
the eggs into dish with skimmilk
and then beat the mixture thoroughly.
The resulting liquid is used to mois-
ten the mash Of the chicks; feeding
the eggs without beating makes the
mash less palatable.
Where no milk is available, good
growth can be secured by the use Of
eggs alone, About one egg per day to
80 chicks is the amount recommended
during the first two weeks of feeding
but after that gradual increase in
the quantity of eggs used seems de-
sirable. Ordinarily in chick feeding
trials good results are obtained by
the use of green feed in the ration;
but when eggs are used, there appears
to be no advantage in it In case eggs
are not available, whole milk can be
used very satisfactorily as substi-
tute during the first three weeks of
feeding.