9 



Tabls No. 5. — Showing Methods of Incubation and Brooding on 



448 Ontario County Farms. 



Methods of Feeding. 



Commencing with the newly hatched chicks various methods of feed- 

 ing prevail. Many of these might be relied upon to bring success if proper 

 attention were given to other important details. Bread crumbs fed dry, 

 or soaked in either milk or water and squeezed dry, small wheat, oatmeal, 

 cornmeal, and shorts figure prominently as foundation rations. In a fair 

 proportion of instances a moderate amount of care is exercised in the 

 feeding of chicks, but in many cases where chicks begin to die, due to 

 errors previously enumerated, interest is soon lost, the chicks are neglected, 

 and those surviving are compelled to take " pot-luck " with the older 

 birds. Sometimes they forsake their own quarters — usually unsanitary — 

 for the houses occupied by the adult fowl, where evil conditions are per- 

 haps of longer standing, and where the " red mite " holds undisputed 

 sway. It often happens, however, that some of the young birds which 

 have come along fairly well, through fear of the older birds will remain 

 in their original quarters, or take to some outlying shed where develop- 

 ment is much more rapid and satisfactory. 



The feeding of the adult birds during the summer season is, with a 

 large proportion of the farmers visited, either entirely neglected or done 

 in a very haphazard and irregular manner. The mistaken impression 

 that hens do not require attention in the summer season, seems to prevail 

 very largely. Then, too, the fact that hens will abundantly repay a little 

 extra attention given them during the moulting period, is not, as a rule, 

 considered. The result is that all birds to be kept over winter, enter the 

 cold season in a condition very unfavorable for egg production. For 

 good advice in this connection we cannot do better than quote from 

 Prof. W. R. Graham in his recent bulletin on " Farm Poultry." In refer- 

 ence to the methods of feeding the summer laying stock at the O. A. C, 

 he says : " At the present time our plan of feeding is to scatter whole 

 grain in the litter both morning and evening. The grains used are wheat, 

 barley, oats, and occasionally buckwheat and corn. Green food is sup- 

 plied in the form of grass, etc., in the runs. Sour milk is given as drink." 

 As to the methods of feeding the winter laying stock the following is 

 written : " Equal parts of wheat, corn and buckwheat are fed both 



