22 



When the chicks are put in the brooder, it is well to remember that every 15 chicks 

 will raise the temperature of the brooder one degree. Be careful not to gQi your 

 brooder too hot, nor yet so cool as to chill the chicks. This is very important, 

 especially during the first ten days. 



The floor should be covered with clover chaff or other clean litter. Be very 

 careful not to use any musty or mouldy material as litter before the chicks are put 

 into the brooder. Lukewarm water should also be put into the brooder for drink 

 before the chickens are taken from the machine. 1 have had best success in starting 

 young chicks on hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped, shell included, and bread-crumbs 

 about four parts by weight of bread to one of eggs. This is fed dry. After the 

 first two days we begin to give an occasional feed of seed chick-food, which is made 

 as follows : — 



Cracked wheat 35 parts. 



Granulated oat meal 30 " 



Small cracked corn 30 " 



Grit (chicken size) 5 " 



This can be used for the first feed and continued through the first eight to ten 

 weeks with good results. We aim to feed the chicks five times a day. Generally 

 after the first few days, there are three feeds a day of this chick food, one of bread 

 and milk (the bread being squeezed dry and crumbled), and one of whole wheat, or 

 a mash made of equal parts of bran, shorts and corn meal, to which has been added 



Pig. 18. Growing Chickens in the Cornfield. 



ten per cent, of animal meal or blood meal. If we can secure fresh liver and get it 

 boiled, this is generally given twice a week, and the animal meal is then omitted 

 from the mash. If the chicks cannot gei out to run about, the seed chick-food may 



