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Show IIATGH EARLY FOR SIZE irly-llatched Chicks Have Advantage Advan-tage of Moro Favornblo Growing Grow-ing Season Than Lato-Hntchod . Contrnry to general belief and actlce, chicks do not grow or thrive well during the warm months or t summer days as they do earlier tjjs spring. Experienced poultry-) poultry-) iiPeallzo this fact. The average rmer, however, does not make an ort to hatch early so that tho Icks will have tho advantage of a iger and more favorable growing ison. Early hatching not only ln-res ln-res more rapid gains In tho growth chicks but has a favorablo Influx's Influ-x's on tho slzo of tho Individuals tho flock. Late-hatched chicks ely, If over, attain the bIzo of se hatched early. Early hatch-X hatch-X likewise Influences early maturl-and maturl-and consequently early egg pro-ctlon. pro-ctlon. tllvcn the samo food, caro, and at-itlon, at-itlon, chicks hatched tho 1st of rch will weigh more when they 1 four months old than those iched a month later, say tho poul-speclallsts poul-speclallsts of tho United States lartment of agriculture. This llke-e llke-e holds truo with chicks hatched ' 1st of April ns compared with 'So hatched May 1. This Is duo tho fact that tho rato of growth a chick Is greater during tho first r weeks of Its life than at any er time. Consequently, the early-chod early-chod chick, having tho advantago I a moro favorablo growing season, kes greater gains during tho first r weeks of its llfo than tho lato-ched lato-ched chick. During tho early Ing months whon tho temporaturo ot no varied the growth of chicks moro uniform and constant than during tho summer. IIIHons of chicks dlo every year . i result of being Infested with lice ch, under average farm condl-s, condl-s, aro ofttlmes difficult to con- Hen-hatched chicks aro not as subject to lico In tho early spring as they aro during the warmer months when lice aro moro prevalent. preva-lent. If for no other reason, chicks should be hatched early so their growth will not be Interrupted by the presenco of lice. Many farmers realize considerable money each spring from the salo of broilers, the price of which is usually usual-ly governed by their size when sold and tho time marketed. Thus it would seem that In order to increase tho amount of money from the sale of broilers and fryers early hajtching would bo employed so a3 to have a marketable-sized fowl early In the spring when prices are highest. |