Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-20

glass takes out the ultraviolet ray
which has the health-giving proper
ties. If the chicks cam run out
side. the windows in the b ooder house
should be opened so that the direct
| rays of the sun can strike them.
Fortunately all of the fish liver oils
contain the same element found in
sunshine. Therefore, If the chicks
cannot get out of doors into the sun
shine then the sunshine may be
fed to the chicks in bottled
form. Codliver oil is most COM
| monty used but its cost prohibits its
extensive use.
Codliver oil, when 1t is fed to the
chicks, should comprise one per cent
! of the ration. Tho Oil is mixed with
the mash frequently so that the ele-
ment needed for chick growth does not
escape. This element is lost when the
feed with which the oil is mixed is
| exposed to the air for a long time;
therefore fresh patches of feed should
be mixed frequently. Because of its
price. many poultrymen hesitate to
use IL.
Another form of sunshine IS avail
able in the egg. If little chicks do
not receive sufficient sunshine. they
may be fed raw, infertile, incubator
eggs. These are cheap and just as
satisfactory as the more expensive
fish liver oils. Poultrymen recon-
mend that the eggs be mixed with the
mash for the first few days at the rate
of one egg to each 100 chicks. This
limited amount is used because 1t is
about all that the mash. which the
chickens eat the first few days, can
absorb. After the chicks are week
old the eggs are fed at the rate of one
egg to every 20 or 80 chicks. These
eggs can be fed Just as long as the
supply is available for the chick is
benefited by them just as It is always
benefited by direct sunshine.
The infertile incubator eggs, which
every man who matches chicks has
available, are the cheapest source of
life insurance. They are easy to feed,
and they do not faint the flesh as fish
liver oils often do. Poultrymen who
have these eggs available are wasting
money when they purchase the COM
mercial fish oils for chick raising pur-
poses.
A mixture OF some inorganic source
of calcium and PHOSPHORUS in the ra-
ton helps to stay off the disease
known as leg weakness Chicks which
go off their legs are normal in a Pc
Rod of eight to 10 weeks If minerals
are added to the ration. This ration
consists Of so pounds Of ground yell
low corn, 20 pounds of wheat mid
dlings, 5 pounds of ground raw bone, 5
pounds Of pearl grit. pound of COM
| mon salt, and use plenty of skim milk
but no water. Chicks fed this ration
will grow we'll for period Of eight to
10 weeks in the complete absence of
sunlight.
1t is now possible TO raise chicks at
any time Of the year. The above ra-
ton should he fed along with bottled
sunshine, either in the form of fish
liver oils or raw eggs. If ordinary
brooding care is given, the chicks will
grow we'll.
This ration has not only made 1t
possible to produce chicks at any time
of the year, but also has made chick
raising more certain. If this ration
is fed in small quantities four or five
times a day when the chicks are As to
72 hours old, the chicks are started
off we'll When they are two weeks old,
they should be fed only three times
each day. No scratch grain or green
feed Is fed with this ration-the mash
contains all, of the essential elements.
The mash cannot be hopper-fed. how
ever. until the chicks get out on free
range. The egg feeding can be dis
continued when the chicks are three
or four weeks old. If the chicks are
then out of doors.
The chicks are usually given some
OF the pearl grit spread on newspapers
before they get their first mash. The
skim milk is placed in fountains SO
that they can drink freely. Skim milk