288 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2 GEORGE V., A. 1912 



As the chicks grow older, they should be given a mash composed of stale bread, 

 shorts, oatmeal, ground meat, etc. Finely-cut bone or meat will be found a great 

 incentive to growth at this stage. 



On the chicks becoming eight weeks of age, their rations may be reduced to three 

 per day. Care should be taken that they are generously fed the last time for the day. 



For drink, give them skimmed milk and water. 



When the hen-hatched chickens are fully feathered, their mothers should be 

 removed from them. The chickens will be found to return to their coops as usual, 

 where they may be allowed to remain until removed to more commodious quarters in 

 colony houses. 



On the incubator-hatched chickens becoming too large for the brooders, they 

 should be removed to colony houses. 



FREE RANGE VS. LIMITED RUNS. 



When the earlier-hatched- chickens were about a month and three weeks old, a 

 group of twelve chickens was taken from among others running in a field and were 

 placed in a pen 10 feet x 8, with a limited run. At the same time, another group of 

 chickens of the same varieties and as nearly as possible of the same age were taken 

 from among the same lot running in the same field, were marked so as to make sure 

 of their identity, veighed and let loose again. At the end of the experiment, the 

 gain was found to be in favour of the chickens confined to limited runs as compared 

 with those running at large. Particulars as to rations, varieties, weights of chickens, 

 etc., are shown in the two following tables. 



Table III. — Showing the gain in weight of twelve chickens as described in the fol- 

 lowing table, which were taken from a field, specially fed and kept in a pen 10 x 

 8 feet with a run outside of 10 x 27 feet. Compare this table with table 4 which 

 follows. 



Table III.— Limited Runs. 



Average weight of each chicken at beginning of experiment. l-9f* lbs. 



" " after one month 3 -14 A lbs. 



" gain in two months of each chicken 2-4£ lbs. 



