The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-03-20
10 THOUSAND BABY
CHICKS IN COUNTY
GREAT INTEREST IN POUL-
TRY RAISING. MRS. GURR
GIVES SOME FACTS.

There is a growing interest in poul-
try raising in every section of Terrell
county, and the number Of chickens
on the farms is being rapidly increas-
ed
Incubators in the homes are turn
ing out baby chicks by the thousand,
and other thousands are being shipp-
ed here from chicken hatcheries. A
conservative estimate is that there are
now not less than 10000 little chicks
in the county and more are coming.
The great interest in poultry has
brought to the county home eConom-
les agent, Mrs. w. H. Gurr, SO many
inquiries as to the best methods OF
caring for the flocks; especially little
chicks. that she has prepared for The
News a special article giving practical
information that will prove helpful to
those who are seeking information
that will aid them in attaining sue
cess. Mrs Gurr's article follows:
POULTRY NOTES.
Continue the fight on vermin and
insects. Plant green feed now. Now
is the time to plant rape, one OF the
best and most economical green feeds
lOI CHIC htliS. i ms Will w lAcNN ~
cutting in about six weeks, and should
be kept cut back to force branching
and formation OF feeding. Wheat is
our best source of protein for egg
production and should be grown for
this purpose.
In the artificial method OF brooding
the person caring for the chicks must
take the hens place in teaching the
Il +o1- aud
care but has its advantages otherwise.
The brooder house should be roomy,
well ventilated. dry and vermin proof,
The heater should be operated and
regulated before the chicks are plaC-
ed under hover. The best broOders
are made so that the chicks may stay
lust out from under cover and be
comfortable. 1.-The college of agriCul-
ture keeps the temperature underneath
hover from los to 10 to start with
decreasing gradually. Chicks will not
stay where it is too hot unless fore
ed to. They will keep moving under
or out from the hover, according to
heat. 1t is advisable to keep them
lust outside hover as air is better. A
one inch mesh wire should be placed
around hover Just one foot from the
tQRG. L HIS SClS NillIhCiIS dNNuSlOAtlSh
to going under hover when cold. En-
large this circle little each day I'M
til it can be removed entirely. You
can tell if your temperatures are right
by the action Of the chickens, which
will be nicely spread out on floor un-
der edge of hover A thermometer and
close watching OF same for ten days
is essential for successful broodlng.
AGO. eLA,,11 he
ed with an inch of coarse clean sand
and over this finely chopped, clean
straw. This should never be allowed
to sour.
The chicks should be given nothing
to eat until the morning of third day,
when they should be given small
amount OF very fines crushed oyster
shell and charcoal in shallow pans or,
boxes. On the afternoon OF the third
dav they are given small amount OF
rolled oats or very dry ground up
light bread or biscuit crumbs. The
bread must not be musty. k4om the
fourth day for a week they should be
fed rolled oats from four to six times
per day. feeding only what they will
eat up in Jew minutes. After first
week wheat bran is fed in shallow
mash OF equal parts OF corn meal,
shorts and middlings can be used as
mash.
After two weeks a small quantity
of chopped grain may be given once
per day and gradually increased. Plen-
ty of clean, fresh water, buttermllk,
oyster shell or fine grit should be
kept before them at all times. Unless
chicks have grass to run upon they
should be given some form OF green
food. Cabbage and milk should not
be fed together.
Examine carefully all feeds before
giving chicks to be sure they are not
musty or moldy, because these con-
ditions produce what is often errone-
ously called white diarrhoea. This is
fatal to chickens. The mortality OF
chicks is very high for the first ten
days, so they need watchful care.