Show BRING UP YOUE YOUR CHICKS IN THE AY thea SHOULD GO chi chicas ks like lile children require care gr fur training if they are to glow gimi up into strong useful members ot of their community A little extra attention during early de develop celop ment mill IV ill be re rewarded added by exert profits later EXPERT TALKS ON SUBJECT chicks are a good bit like chil dren in a great many ways with proper training both will develop in to valuable members of their respect ive branches of society much h s already been said in this series of articles on the subject of environ ment I 1 have stressed the need tor for clean comfortable quarters atlon adequate range sanitation and other phases of that subject heretofore however I 1 have had no opportunity to mention one very ain matter which is the training of young chicles chicks in what a friend of mine has humorously called barn yard etiquette I 1 begin training my chicks the moment I 1 transfer them to the brood er room As soon as possible I 1 bein begin scattering their grain ration in the litter so they will have to scratch for it thus giving healthful exercise jl 7 also watch them carefully ind guide them into the heated area of the hover whenever they need such attention whenever I 1 find chicks huddled together I 1 place them under the hover it may be necessary neo to do thia this rather often during the first week crowding is another danger that can be greatly lessened by early training I 1 prevent huddling in cor ners by placing chick wire or boards diagonally across them they must be watched carefully however tor for it if they cannot crowd into the corners they will often pile together in foot ball scrimmage style right in the middle of the floor watch your chicks at all times but especially at evening and gently force them apart it they show any tend tendency eucy toward crowding there will always be need tor for watchfulness in this respect until they are aoki ally roosting crowding is only one of many bad habits chicks will develop if not watched carefully or if not given proper teed feed exercise and space all these habits may be overcome it if the proper action Is taken talen the moment they show up one very serious habit toe pick ing or cannibalism usually results from lack of animal protein in the teed feed or insufficient exercising room it if they have plenty of room to get about and snatch satch and exercise nat aurally there is less danger if too closely confined they will seek other forms of activity one of which is picking at one another s toes sometimes a chicks toes will be injured and the sight ot of blood attracts others and once they taste blood the picking may become general causing serious injury and even death to considers con sidera ble numbers whenever this habit is noticed take steps to enlarge the quarters or divide the chicks into smaller groups so that they have more room it is also a good idea to add more meat scraps to their mash or milk to drink you will also probably find that there are one or two ers causing most of the trouble and teaching the others bad habits it if so take them out of the pen and keep them out until the injured toes have healed flint paint the injuries with tar which has a disagreeable taste and it will discourage toe picking feather eating or pulling Is adoth er habit that often leids to chicks literally pulling all the young feath ers from each other and eating them or to eating one another up start ing usually at the tail it la is due to much the same causes as toe pick ing and should be overcome in the same way remove the injured chic and apply tar as tor for toe picking do not put them back i they are vre thoroughly healed one very important phase of a chick s early training Is teaching them to roost this can call be very eis ily fly done it if started before the chicks are too old by putting them on the roost a time or two at night they will take to the roosts nicely build temporary acos a s 12 to 18 inches from the floor with an in dined runway to the first roost all the roosts being on the same level the same aa as tor for other roosts build it so that the chicks cannot drop be tween tl e 0 r and the walls and cover the inder side of it with I 1 in netting I 1 flus his prevents the chicks dropping fiam the roosts to the floor and also keo kee 3 them out of the drop lings pings the chicks will in all ability take to these roosts natural ly and quickly without crowding but they should b watched a few nights to arg ding these roosts should be fron 2 to 3 inches wide to help prevent crooked breasts in both hicks chicks and i copyright 1929 by dr L D le gear ear V S st mo |