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Show I j a r -ir" mi imtm nr f w" ij n m mi i" in wnnwr r r Mir- i 1 ! USE OF CHICK DETERMINES THE FEED T? t A x " ' " V 1 ' v s f -. s X ' h ' -1 , ( ,V , 4 v 3 " ' - ' , a N V i Mother and Queen of Them All. In bringing the chick from the batch to maturity, the kind of feed to be used depends much upon the use to which the bird is going to be put. If the fowl is to be marketed ' it an early age, rapid growth is essential. es-sential. The milk feeding method will stimulate this rapid growth. If the bird is to be used as a layer or breeder, on the other hand, there should be a slow but steady growth. This can best be obtained by feeding a wheat and corn or kafir ration supplemented sup-plemented by bran, shorts, sour milk, beef scraps, clover, oyster shell, and grit. Many a poultryman makes the mistake mis-take of feeding only fat producing foods. He expects the chick to produce pro-duce bone, sinew and feathers from this one food. Perhaps the grain that is most frequently used in this way is corn. A certain amount of corn is essential in producing energy and animal heat, but the mistake should not be made of feeding it exclusively ex-clusively and expecting the little chick to develop bone and muscle Ash and mineral matter are essential essen-tial parts of the chick's rations if you expect it to develop into a large, strong-boned bird. Some of this mineral min-eral matter the chick gets from clover, alfalfa and other green foods, but not enough. Mineral matter, therefore, is supplied in the form of beef scrap and finely ground oyster shell. The beef scrap should be fed in small quantities, and the amo'tnt increased as the chicks grow older. Poultry authorities do not agree as to whether or not the chick should be made to scratch for his food. Some advise a shallow litter of light straw or chaff, some a deep litter, while some say to use no litter at all. One thing is certain, however the chick must have exercise. When the chicks are kept cooped up and cannot run on the ground they soon form the habit of standing around, and then the poultryman's troubles begin. Artificial exercise must be supplied. Some poultrymen make the chick scratch for his food, others suspend vegetables at which the chicks jump. When the chicks can have access to an outdoor runway run-way they will, as a rule, exercise sufficiently suf-ficiently so that no artificial form of ' exercise need be supplied. For the first week after hatching a feed composed of hard bo.'led eggs, ground shell and all, mixed T.vti: five times as much rolled oats as eggs, will serve as a good feed. A little finely ground chick grit and pulverized pulver-ized charcoal should be sprinkled over the food. Plenty of clean, fresh water must be supplied at all times. Sour milk is good if it can be secured. se-cured. Finely cracked wheat and corn should gradually be added after the first day or two. A shallow box containing con-taining bran should be kept before the chicks at all times. This should be given to them on the first day so that they will form a taste for it. A little beef scrap and cornmeal can gradually be added to the bran. Constant care, watchfulness and patience are quailues of the good poultryman, and the person who applies ap-plies these to the raising of young chicks is bound to succeed. Be particular to keep a supply of pure water in clean vessels for the hens, and grit where they can get it. . If a hen becomes broody when she is not needed for hatching do not let her sit a single, day. As soon as she begin to cluck shut her in a cage with slatted bottom and set the cage on supports where the air can circulate under it, and the broody fever will be cooled in two or three days. Keep the chicks growing. Do not be afraid of overfeeding them. Make a little yard covered over the top, leaving openings in the sides large enough to admit the chicks while preventing pre-venting the old fowls from passing th rough. In this yard keep feed for the chicks all the time so they need not go hungry hun-gry a minute. The pullet which is fed liberally matures quickly and becomes be-comes the producer of winter eggs. If a poultry keeper is really interested, interest-ed, he will soon learn to read instructions instruc-tions and modify them to suit his locality. |