OCR Text |
Show Timely Advice Given On 'Chick' Brooding In a series of meetings with the poultrymen throughout the county last week, Prof. Byron Alder, head of the poultry department of the U. S. A. C. gave timely advice on the latest methods me-thods for the care and feeding of baby chicks. Some of the old theories have been exploded by more recent experimentation. "Baby chicks should be fed from 20 to 30 hours after they are hatched, and every hour more than 30 that feeding is delayed is putting a decided handicap on the chicks. This is a decided advantage in getting chicks from out Utah hatcheries," so said Prof. Alder. oughly cleaned a week to ten days bafore chicks arrive. Scrape and sweep out all d'rt, wash floor and walls up hree feet with hot lye water, spray with good disinfectant; one day ber fore chicks arrive, heat up stove and see that it works alright. Use good, bright, green, well cured alfalfa leaves for litter on .the floor of the broodier house. Do not use straw for the first two days. Fill drinking fountains with either milk or water. As soon as chicks arrive turn them loose in the brooder house and feed them as soon as they are turned loose. Change litter often and keep floor dry. If sufficient milk is available then use only the chick starter scratch which can be gotten ready mixed or which may be mixed at home. At ten days to two weeks begin feeding a 7 per cent milk mash in hoppers, and begin putting water before chicks; feed clabsred milk only up to this time. If milk is not available avail-able use the 20 per cent milk mash, and feed in open trays for the first day or two and the,n put in small mash hoppers. Keep a supply of fresh clean water before chicks all the time. After first day or two begin feeding scratch feed in litter if dry and clean, or in trough. "If either of the above methods are followed, then at four to six weeks gradually change to the regular laying lay-ing mash and increase scratch grain until 'he,y are getting as much scratch as mash by weight. Continue this to ten to twelve weeks then gradually change pullets to the growing maah, then at five and one-half months change back to the laying mash, to bring pullets into production. Keep dry, well cured alfalfa before chicks in rack all the time. Open range is good if ground is dry. Fresh green lawn clippings or chopped green alfalfa are good and may be supplied daily. Clean dry straw, sand or sawdust saw-dust may be used as litter after first two days. Watch temperature it should be 95 to 100 degress Fahrenheit Fahren-heit for the first week, the thermometer thermome-ter being suspended near the floor and about one foot from the edge of the hover. After the first week reduce to 80 to 85 degrees. By all means I avoid sudden changes in temperature. The brooder house should have a hot and cool room and after the third day the chicks can be allowed to go into the latter at will. Is advisable to feed in the cool room to attract to sunshine. sun-shine. Watch ventilation carefully. At six to eight weeks separate coclierels from pullets. Cod liver oil should be fed and can be gotten mixed in ready mixed mash. Pullets that are not well grown out are very seldom profitable. |