The Rearing Of Chicks

At a farmers' meeting in Boston, Mr Etankin, of South Easton, recognized au thority on all matters pertaining to poul try, read an essay in which he made these remarks on the rearing of artifi oially hatched chicks, many of which are equally applicable to all chicks. He said: Aside from excessive heat, the greai mistake of amateurs in rearing chicks with a brooder is not so mnch in the quality of the food as in the quantity and the aianner of feeding it. They will feed a large quantity at a time, perhaps three or four times what is needed, allow it to accumulate. sour, mix with dirt and the excrement of the chicks. Bef ore placing chicks in the brooder be sure to pro vide feeding boards; a board 3 feet long and 8 to 10 inches wide wil] be all sufficient for seventy-five chicks. This board should have sides and ends one-half inch high made from laths or some thin material. This effectually prevenís the chicks from scratching the food off the board into the dirt and filth, and also from mixing the dirt into the food. This board should be kept free froin food and filth. Granulated oatmeal shonld be kept on it constantly f or the first two or three days, as the chicks o not always know where to find the food it first, but they soon learn from each jther, and ater that they will reádily iletect the attendant's step and will rush out eagerly after their food. But I do not confine ínyself to oatmeal alone, asit soon becomes too expensive. I use the same compound for starting off both ducklings and chicks. This food is composed of one part infertile egg, boiled hard and chopped fine, mixed with four or five parts ground cracker or hard bread, moistened with milk or water. The egg should be mixed in with the dry cracker, as i t will keep in that condition- enough, say, to last two or three days - and should be moistened 'ouly as it is f ed. Newly hatched chicks ought to be fed every two hours, but a very small amount at a tune. 'When chicks are two weeks old cracked corn inay be used to some extent - cornnieal and bran. When they are a week old give them all the milk to drink they wish. When chicks are grown together in large uumbers and they have little or no opportunity to forage for themselves the food given should be suited to tbeir age and wants. While young and growing the albuminoids and nitrogenous foods should be fed largely to promote the growth of flesh, muscle, bone and featkers. Two weeks before marketing the carbonaceous eleuients should be the most prominent, of whicll cornmeal and cracked com are the most popular. The foregoing re-narks are reproduced ftom the Massachusetts Plowman's report of the meeting.