"34 



Rural School Leaflet 



sene and whitewash to the inside of the coop several days before the hen 

 and chickens are placed in it will be a wise precaution against red mites. 

 In case of the mysterious disappearance of the chickens, look for cats, 

 rats, crows, hawks, weasels, and other thieves. Crows and hawks catch 

 the chickens in the daytime, when they are roaming about. Rats and 

 weasels often get into the coop at night, and may destroy an entire brood 

 in one visit. Cats are often enemies. Your pet cat may be the one to 

 eat your chickens. Watch her until you know she is to be trusted. The 

 loss from disease will be greatly decreased if the chickens are always 

 well cared for and well fed and if their coops are kept clean. 



V. FEEDING CHICKENS 



Clara M. Nixon 

 The food. — The egg yolk is enclosed within the body of the chicken just 

 before hatching, and may supply nourishment to the chicken after it 

 leaves the shell. For this reason chickens should not be fed until they 



are thirty-six hours old. The 

 first meal may be of equal 

 parts of bread crumbs and rolled 

 oats, moistened with some milk 

 or water to make the food 

 crumbly but not wet. Sprinkle 

 over this food a little fine sand 

 or grit, fine charcoal, and some 

 finely shredded clover, lettuce, 

 or chickweed leaves. Mix with 

 the food a . little well-burned 

 bone or some bone meal. 

 After the first few days, hard- 

 boiled egg may be added in the 

 proportion of one part of egg 

 to eight or nine parts of the 

 bread and rolled oats. In addition to the moist food, a grain food 

 should be given. A mixture of three pounds cracked wheat, two pounds 

 corn (finely cracked), and one pound pinhead oatmeal, rolled oats, or 

 hulled oats is good. A dry mash may be left before the chickens at 

 all times, but only as much should be given at one time as will be eaten 

 in a day. If any of the mash becomes dirty it should be taken away 

 from the chickens. The mash may consist of four pounds wheat bran, 

 three pounds wheat middlings, three pounds corn meal, three pounds 

 sifted beef scrap, and one half pound bone meal, well mixed together. 

 Beef scrap that is not perfectly good and fresh should never be used. 



Chick feed-trays of different sizes 



