The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-05-03
TOPICS OF The FARM
A Department Devoted Exclusively to Farm
Affairs in Hand County


feeding, resulting in bowel trouble, be-
cause nature provides the chick with
sufficient food for the first As to go
hours OF life, and no other feed should
be given.
AT the II of that time clean, sweet
and appetizing food should be offered
to the chickens, and rations should be
placed before the flock about five
times during the day for the first
week. 1t is better.,o have the chicks a
little hungry at first, because too hea-
Wy feeding reduces appetite and caus-
es stunted poultry.
Because grain feed does not provide
as much mineral as the chicks need
for bones and feathers, a small a
mount of green food must be provid-
ed. Long onion sprouts are excellent
for this, especially when tied together
and placed so the baby chicks can
peck at the sprouts during the day.
Sprouted oats, chopped clover and al
falfa are good.
Good Chicken RatiOns
The following rations are used sue
cessfully on the State college poultry
farm and they are also recommended
by the extension specialists in poul-
try:
For the third day give grit in the
form OF sand; fine oyster shell; hard
cooked egg, chopped fine and mixed
with equal parts corn or oatmeal
(feed this sparingly four times daily
plenty OF fresh water tinged with per-
manganate Of potash; sour milk or
buttermilk. Additions of bread
crumbs, a dry mash composed of 2
parts each of bran, middlings and corn
meal, with one-half part fine meat
scrap, and scratch feed should be Civ
en- on the fourth day. These ratiOns,
with some green feed added, are suf-
ficient the first two weeks.
The third and fourth weeks, the
chicks should be fed a grain mixture
of cracked corn, 3 pounds, and steel
cut oats, 2 pounds, with a mash made
of 3 pounds fine cracked corn, 3
pounds ground oats, 3 pounds shorts
and l pound of high grade tankage.
After the third week larger feelings
can be given only three times a day.
Chick life is often shortened by ov-
%erheating of the brood, chilling, over
feeding or %crowding; mites and lice
often sap the chicks vitality so it
never reaches maturity. The head
louise goes to the eye and nose for
moisture, laying it's eggs on the small
feathers under the bill and around the
eyes. A small quantity of lard or
sweet oil rubbed on the affected parts
gets rid of this louise. Body lice eat
the scales of the skin and irritate the
young chick to such an extent hat
bowel trouble often results. Louise
powder, made of 4 parts of cement or
plaster of paris. 2 parts gasoline and
1 part stock dip, is good when placed
under each wing, above the tail, on
the breast and under the vent, but
only a small amount should be used
on young poultry.
BrOOder Pneumonia
Brooder pneumonia is caused by a
common muld present in the incuba-
tor, brooder or in straw; often the egg
organs are affected by il, so
that a chick Matched from an infected
egg has the disease. 1t affects chicks
under four weeks old, they become
with feathers ruffled and the
head drawn down; breathing is labor
ed and the w~indpipe is patched with
the mold spores. The disease usually
is not cured once it attacks the chicks
and when a brooder is known to be
contaminated it should be fumigated,
the old straw removed aad fresh litter
provided, and the poultry dying from
disease should always be burned.
South Dakota is fast becoming a
state, and farmers are devel-
oping their flocks along certain stand
ards which will result in better layers
and more marketable chickens. This
Is the seaso when good care given to
young chicks will build a foundation
Tor a profitable flock in the future.