HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Profitable Business of Poultry Raising in America
Proper breeding, hutching mid
brooding of chicks are most im
portant, but the best flock ever
produced may be ruined by un
intelligent feeding during the
first mouth. What, how and
when to feed baby chicks is the
theme of Uie following timely and
practical contribution.
WHEN a chick emerges from the
shell it is an Insignificant lit
mmm tie creature, weak and help
less, of little vtlue. But when we
remember that the little chicks are
our future laying or market birds,
that their future usefulness Is large
ly determined by the care they re
ceive in early life, we realize how
important it is that they be properly
fed and managed to the end that they
may be able to do their best work for
ns at maturity.
It pays to "fuss" with the chicks.
The old adage "as the twig is bent
the tree Is inclined" applies with
great force here. We can give the
youngsters a husky start which
means profitable maturity, or we can
stunt them and thus prevent them
from ever being of much accouut.
The feeds and feeding methods
used during the brooding period are
most important. It is not necessary
for the chick-grower to possess a pro
found knowledge of chemistry in or
der to successfully mix his chick ra
tion, but he Bhould use a reasonablo
amount of common sense, study the
problem and adopt those tested meth
ods which best fit into his general
plan of poultry plant management.
The Old-Time Plan.
Some one may say that it is pos
sible to raise mighty good chicks on
absurdly simple rations and point to
the mixture of cornmeal and water
which Is so commonly used as the
staple chick food in the country dis
tricts. But circumstances alter cases. On
the general farm where such feeding
methods are most in vogue, the
chicks are usually hatched rather
late in the Spring after insect life
has become abundant and there is
plenty of fresh, tender green stuff.
As a rule the chicks are cared for by
hens and are given their liberty, wan
dering at will about the farm build
ings and grounds, finding a great
amount of food of many kinds. Un
der such conditions it Is possible to
raise very good chicks on cornmeal
"dough." The writer has done this.
But when chicks are reared in
large numbers, especially where the
yarding system Is used, they are pre
vented from finding much food and
the attendant must supply virtually
everything they need. It. there is any
fafluro here, if the ration is Incom
plete or one-sided, proper growth
ana even development will hardly
follow.
Growing chicks need plenty of
rood, since scanty feeding is respon
sible for slow growth. Their ration
bhould Include grains In variety,
mineral matter, animal food and sua
culent greens. Due regard should be
given the proper proportions of each
class of ingredients, the Idea being
to supply materials for building mus.
cle, bone and feathers. Further, the
ration should be palatable and in
such physical form that the young
sters can eat It readily and digest It
quickly and thoroughly. Each ot
the&e points has a decided bearing
upon results.
Among the grains, the most valu
able are corn, wheat and oats, to
gether with their by-products, as
bran, middlings, gluten, etc. Millet
peas, rice, kafir corn and other
grains are also useful to a certain
etxent.
Bone in some form, green cut,
granulated or finely ground, fur
nishes the material for building the
skeleton. Finely crushed oyster shell
is also commonly used, and grit Is a
necessity.
Beef scrap, fish scrap, moat meal
blood meal, granulated milk and
skim milk are all .useful animal
foods. In some sections where hearts
and HverB of meat animals are avail
able at low prices, these are exten
slvely used, being thoroughly boiled
and chopped before feeding.
The greens are fed primarily for
their tonic effect upon the digestive
system, as they contain but eompa,:a
lively small amounts of nutrientf.
Fresh green (trass or clover, l?t
turc, rape, sprouted wheat or fiats
are all excellent. These .bould be
cut Into short lengths and fed before
becoming wilted or heated.
Cracked and Ground Grains.
Some few poultrymen feed the
grain portion of the ration in the
whole and cracked forms exclusively,
but the accepted practice is to sup
ply a part of it in a mixture ot meals
and by-products. This mash mix
ture may be given either dry or
moist. In many cases it is baked in
"johnny cakes," which are crumbled
and fed dry or dampened with water
or milk.
It is an acknowledged fact that
more rapid growth can be secured
through the use of the moist mash,
but there is greater danger of bring
ing on digestive disturbances than
when the dry mash system of feed
ing is used. Broiler growers who
force their chicks and sell them at
an early age, use the moist mash
quite generally, but in the case of
those who carry their birds to ma
turity the dry mash system is gener
ally preferred. . Either will prove en
tirely satisfactory if properly used.
Fortunately, for the convenience
of poultry producers, there are a
number of very satisfactory proprie
tary chick feeds on the market.
These include cracked grain mix
tures, mash mixtures and growing
feeds. The former may be had for
both baby chicks and those which
are partially grown, the difference
being in the degree of fineness.
in many cases these feeds can be
purchased at a lower cost than sim
ilar home-mixed feeds of the same
kind can be made, especially where
small quantities are used. When
buying the poultryman should not
be influenced solely by price. Baby
chicks eat so little that a few cents'
difference on each bag of feed is of
trifling moment. Quality should be
the first consideration at all times.
Avoid those feeds which contain
heated or moldy grain, weed seeds
and other trash, or are loaded with
grit. Use such as are properly
screened and contain a variety of
clean, sound, swett grains.
Satisfactory Chick Rations.
To those who wish to prepare their
chick feeds the following mixtures
may be recommended. These have all
been thoroughly tested and have
given very general satisfaction:
Ration Xo. 1.
Scratch grain (finely cracked and
sifted)
Pounds.
Cracked wheat lj
Cracked corn 15
Pinhead oats 1
Cracked peas 3
Broken rice ... . 3
Millet seed 3
Mash mixture (finely ground, thor
oughly mixed)
rounds.
Cornmeal , 10
Wheat bran 20
Wheat middlings 10
Ground oats, sifted 10
Gluten feed 5
Fine beef or fish scrap 10
Ratio No. li.
Scratch grain Pounds.
Cracked wheat 26
Cracked corn 20
Pinhead oats 20
Cracked peas 5
Millet seed 5
Moderately fine beef or fish scrap.. 5
Mash mixture
Wheat bran T... 10
Cornmeal 6
Ground oats, sifted 6
Gluten feed 2
Wheat middlings 3
Fine beet or fish ai rap 5
Obviously it is Important that the
grains be cracked fine so the baby
chicks may eat them readily. After
a few weeks whole wheat and ordi
nary cracked corn may be used and
something of a saving thus effected.
There are as many different
methods of feeding as there are feed
mixtures. The writer has had excel
lent success through following the
plan outlined below:
Supply no feed, of any kind until
the chicks are at least 36 to 48 hours
old. Too early feeding may bring on
a train of evils.
Shortly before the rhick breaks
the shell and tumbles out into the
world it absorbs into its body that
portion of the yolk which has not
previously been used. This supplies
all the nourishment required for two
or three days and this should be
largely used before other food is
given.
The first meal may consist of a
small amount of the cracked grain
mixture, oatmeal or rolled oats, or
bread crumbs mixed with a small
amount of hard-boiled eggs. With
this give a little fine chick grit or
oyster shell.
Some poultrymen feed grit alone
at first, but this is somewhat Man-
gerous in the case oi emeus wnicu
are permitted to become hungry be
fore feeding. Under such conditions
they frequently fill their crops and
intestines with the shining particles
and considerable mortality will fol
low. One should see to It that every
chick in the flock has ample oppor
tunity to partake of the first meal or
two. It often happens that the)
stronger Individuals will hustle out
and eat and then if the food is re
moved the more backward ones have
no opportunity to secure food until
the next meal Is served.
Feed Chicks Regularly.
After a day or two the feeding
may occur at regular Intervals, In
quantity sufficient to give each chick
a reasonable amount, always avoid
ing the danger of overfeeding. Four
or five meals dally is the rule for
the first two weeks.
Wherever possible upply sour
milk from the very start. Sour milk
is probably superior to sweet milk In
its effect upon the chicks. It is eas
ier to be sure that the milk is al
ways sour than that it is always
sweet, and the lactic acid In the sour
milk Is a great aid In overcoming
the dreaded white diarrhea which is
the cause of the untimely death of
such a vast number ot chicks under
three weeks of age.
If there is a sufficient supply of
(Ocwluded on I'm IU
COMMON PHYSICAL BLEMISHES OF POULTRY.
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In the most carefully bred flocks of fowls occasional specimens will be found which nre physically
Imperfect Some of the more common blemishes are Bhown above. Certain of these do not necessarily In
jure the fowl for strictly utility use as the "squirrel-tail" but all are objectionable In exhibition speci
mens of most breeds and would cause the faulty specimen to bo disqualified in the showroom. Careful
poultrymen, particularly fanciers, refrain from using In their breeding pens all bird which show such do
lects, since In most cases these are inheritable. Tlic defects which debar from showroom competition are
shown as follow:
1. Slipped wing Wing not folded closely or held in correct position, indicate, weakness or Injury.
". Wry tall All fowls may throw their tall to one side occasionally, but when It remains In this posi
tion at all times It is due to malformation of the body.
3. Squirrel tall Tail hold bo high that it inclines toward head, projecting beyond a perpendicular
line, extending from junction ot tall and back. A show disqualification in many breeds, as the Leghorn,
etc Commonly found In utility flocks.
4. Knock-knees A serious deformity to be avoided in both fancy and utility fowls. More commonly
observed In males, especially of the long-legged and heavy breeds.
5. Duck foot The hind toe, which should extend back of the foot, carried forward,
C. Lopped comb Single comt lopping over Instead of standing upright. A show disqualification In
slngle-comb varieties, save in the case of Mediterranean and Dorking females. This condition often occurs
temporarily where birds are out of condition, the comb returning to lis normal position when health and
strength are restored.
This figure also shows thumbmark in comb, wrinkled earlobeB and wattles. Exhibition defects.
1. Side sprig Small growth on side of comb. Show disqualification in all slnglc-comb varieties.
. Cross bill A most serious blemish.
There are several other defects which cannot be Illustrated. Among them are crooked back's and
crooked breasts. These may be detected by handling the birds.
In the showroom Judges are particular to look for stubs or email feathers on the legs and toes of
dean-legged varieties. If these are found, or evidence that they have been removed, the specimen Is dis
qualified. There are also color disqualifications, varying with the breed and variety. The exhibitor of fancy
fowls must know all these or bis chance of winning prizes will be very email.