Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-03-29
AGRICULTURE


the most profitable, whether grown
to maturity for laying or sold as
poultry flesh says the United States
Department Of Agriculture, and the
following suggestions in regard to
the successful raising and feeding of
young chicks have been found to be
practical.
The brooder house and stove heater
which are used for caring for the
chicks during the first few weeks OF
their lives must be in working order
before the chicks arrive. The most
common style Of brooding is the use
of stove brooder in colony house,
keeping firm $50 to 500 chicks in
flock in each house and placing the
houses about $50 feet apart on good
grass range. A house 10 by ID feet
makes a suitable colony house which
can be readily moved if built on run
ners. Chicks brooded early in the
season will do better in large house
about 10 by 20, partitioned so that
one side is used for a brooder stove
and the other for a cool exercising
room. Wire netting should be placed
in the corners Of the brooder house
to prevent the chicks from budding
and crowding in the corners.
Chicks should not be fed for the
first 36 to az hours, after which they
should be supplied regularly four or
five times daily with easily digested
feed which contains little waste ma
terial. They should be fed sparingly
until about the fifth day, when they
can be put on full ration. An excellent
feed can be made Of infertile eggs
taken from the incubator, boiled for
Is minutes, chopped, and mixed with
dry mash of equal parts of cracker
meal bran, and corn meal, using a
sufficient amount of the grain to
make dry, crumbly mixture. Dry
rolled oats are excellent for chicks
and can be used as one feed; the 9TH
err two or three feeds being the COM
mercial grains.
At two weeks of age the chicks can
be given a dry mash in hopper,
consisting of four parts, by weight,
Of rolled oats, parts bran, 2 parts
corn meal, part high grade meat
scrap, part middlings, and one-half
part dried buttermilk. Commercial
chick feed should be fed three times
daily in addition to the dry mash.
Milk is an excellent feed for chicks
and should be provided either as a
liquid or in the dry form to secure
the best growth.
When the chicks are one month
old, they should be fed coarser or
intermediate chick grain, and at a.
bout two months of age the scratch
feed can be changed to equal parts
of wheat and cracked corn, fed two
or three times day.
Of the IS organized clubs for farm
boys and girls in Kent county, Del. %
We're girls clothing clubs. The aim
Of this work, which is comparatively
directed by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture and the Univer-
sity of Delaware, is to teach the
proper selection, construction, and
care of garments and millinery. In
addition to this, the girls have made
such household articles as towels.
pillow cases, and scarfs. They have
made reed baskets and learned to ma
nipulate sealing wax. The first work
done by one club was to tie and dye
curtains for the schoolroom, and in
another club appliqued curtains were
made.
The Oak Grove Club, in Kent coun-
ty, which has completed the third
year of clothing club work, was very
much interested in reed basketry, and
made. number of very attractive
sewing and flower baskets and trays.
Two of these girls demonstrated bas-
kerry at the State Fair.
Annie Ashton, thirdyear member
Of this club, has fine record. At
the fairs in 1921, 1922 and 1923 she
won IL first prizes, Z second prizes,
and third prizes. This means I'M
usually good work, as there are only
five or six opportunities for enter
ing club exhibits each year; at the
Kent-Sussex Fair she competed with
about 100 girls, while at the State
fair she had to do the best work in the
State in order to win. In addition to
these prizes, Annie has won silver
medal for the best all-round clothing
exhibit in the second and third years