'2M STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



away a lot of eggs uuless certain that they liave been spoiled. Test 

 about the 7th and again the 12th day to remove the infertile eggs and 

 tlie dead germs. With a little practice one will soon learn to test 

 rapidly. Cool the eggs once a day after the second day and until the 

 ISth. Turn twice a day during the same period. It is a matter of con- 

 siderable interest to know that the hen turns the eggs frequently and 

 moves them about in the nest. After the 18th day do not open the 

 incubator until the hatch is over, then remove the shells and eggs that 

 have not hatched. 



BROODING. 



FOOD FOR CHICKS. 



Neither naturally nor artificially incubated chicks should be fed 

 until forty-eight hours old, when they may be given a mixture of two 

 parts rolled oats and one part hard boiled eggs, chopped fine, including 

 the shells. Or they ma}' be fed two parts dry or stale bread and one 

 part hard boiled egg. If the bread is not perfectly sweet it may be 

 toasted, in fact, it is a good plan to toast the bread anyway. A little 

 burnt or scorched bread is often found beneficial in cases of bowel trou- 

 ble. Another ration could be made of one part granulated milk, tAvo 

 parts bran and one part corn meal. If sweet skim milk is obtainable 

 they may be fed the bran and meal dry and given milk to drink. A great 

 many different mixtures are used in starting chicks, but hard boiled 

 eggs, mixed with some meal or ground food is usually considered the 

 best ration for the first few meals. 



Some do not use the dry mash just described, but prefer a scratch 

 food instead. The scratch food, for the first few days, may consist of 

 the following mixture, viz.: one part millet seed, one part kaffir corn, 

 two parts finely cracked wheat, two jiarts finely cracked corn, and two 

 parts pin head oats. A number of somewhat similar foods are on the 

 market and generally give satisfaction. The scratch food is fed in a 

 thin litter at first, which is gradually increased as the chicks are en- 

 abled to secure the food, until it is about four or five inches deep. 



NATURAL BROODING. 



If the chicks are to be raised with hens a supply of small coops will 

 be needed. The common inverted V-shaped coop is quite satisfactory 

 in warm weather, or even in cold weather, if it is i)laced in a sheltered 

 location, or in a shed. The sides forming the roof of this coop should 

 be two feet in length at the peak and three feet long from the jjcak 

 to the ground on the slope and the angle where the two meet should 

 be about 75°. The back should be boarded up tight. The front should 

 be boarded down about one-third of the way from the top and the re- 

 mainder slatted. This is probably the most common coop in use in 

 this country. 



Another very good coop for hens with chicks in cool weather, con- 



