Feeding Young Chickens 



1471 



JKHli^ 



The dishes for water should be large and numerous enough to supply 

 a liberal quantity, so that the chickens may never be obliged to go thirsty. 



Shall unmixed beef scrap be always accessible to the chicks f — At the 

 Cornell Experiment Station it was found that no injury resulted from feed- 

 ing unmixed beef scrap to 



chicks of any age, provided 

 they had plenty of other 

 food suitable to their needs. 

 If the ration was deficient 

 in the necessary food ele- 

 ments, however, the chicks, 

 in their effort to supply the 

 lack, ate enough beef scrap 

 to cause a high mortality 

 in the flock. It was also 

 found that young chickens 

 having constantly before 

 them a mash containing 



twenty to twenty-five per pi^ 209.— An interior view of the outdoor feed 

 cent of beef scrap, grew hopper, showing compartments that may be used Jar 



,■ r , -1 •, 1 , grain, dry mash, grit, and other foods 



very satisfactorily without ■' 



hopper- fed beef scrap. Since a good dry mash containing a liberal 



supply of meat food appears to answer all requirements for young 



chickens, this is safer food for them than is unmixed beef scrap. A 



wet mash may also be used, if desired. Growing stock on range, having 



plenty of exercise and finding an ample supply of insects, will not eat 



enough beef scrap to cause injury. 



The use of condimental foods and salt. — Many preparations guaranteed 

 to produce better health and growth in chicks, with perhaps much less 

 food consumption, are on the market. These condimental foods are ex- 

 pensive and in most instances are of little or no value. If chicks are 

 strong and healthy at the start and are reared under proper conditions, 

 they do not need these foods; on the other hand, if they are weak or have 

 been injured by improper care or food, condimental mixtures alone will 

 not correct the wrong. 



Salt does not appear to be so necessary to fowls as to other domestic 

 animals, and it may cause death if given in too large quantity; but mash 

 salted as for human food often seems to be better relished than when 

 fed without the salt. Whether or not salt promotes digestion in fowls 

 has not been proved. 



The use of prepared chick foods. — Commercial chick foods that 

 are free from mustiness and do not contain too much millet are often fed 



