20 



about, the seed chick-food may be scattered in the chaff, and the little 

 chicks will work away most of the day for it. This gives them exer- 

 cise, which is a necessity in rearing- chicks. If there is no green food 

 to reach, it must be supplied. Lettuce is excellent. Sprouted grains 

 are very good, as is also root sprout, cabbage, rape, etc. 



When the chicks get to be about eight weeks of age, we usually 

 feed about three times a day — the mash food in the morning and whole 

 wheat and cracked corn at noon and night. If we are anxious to force 

 the chicks, we give two feeds of mash and increase the animal meal 

 a little. 



Chicks hatched at a season of the year when they can range out 

 of doors need not be fed as often or as carefully as described above. 

 During the winter season where chicks are reared in doors too liberal 

 feeding often causes leg weakness, etc. 



Fig. 9. Coop A.— Each side of roof 2i in. by 30 in. ; bottom 2 ft. 4 in. 



We have used during the season of 1905 the hopper plan of feed- 

 ing chicks ' during the spring and summer months with good success. 

 We have tried placing a hopper or trough of chick feed, made of grains 

 as previously described (seed chick feed), in a coop along with the 

 hen and chicks and keeping the supply constant in or near the coop, 

 from the day the chicks were put out until well grown, with most satis- 

 factory results. Where chickens have a good range about the fields 

 of the average farm I know of no better plan of feeding chicks. The 

 hoppers may be made of any size or shape so long as the supply of 

 grain is constant and the supply large enough to last for about one week. 

 A hopper which slopes from both sides will feed better than one with 

 a slope to but one side. 



Where the hopper plan is adopted on the farm, the labor problem 

 is very much reduced. This plan can be carried out with chicks in 

 brooders, but for the first ten days or two weeks I prefer feeding the 

 chicks about five times daily, after which time the hoppers are used. 

 Water should be given daily in a clean dish. We have had chicks 

 with hens do extra well when turned in a large corn field with a hopper 

 of grain constantly near the coop, but no water. These birds were a 

 long distance from a water supply, hence they were tried without water 



