i8 Journal of Agriciilturc. [lo Jan., 1910. 



First Care of Chickens. 



Chickens hatched by Hens. — When the hatch is completed, the hen 

 and chickens should be removed to a dry clean coop, with a good layer 

 of dry sand and containing short cut straw or dry grass ; chaff also is good 

 for the purpose, and affords good scratching exercise. If several broods 

 are hatched at the one time fifteen to twenty chickens may be placed with 

 one large hen. Care should be taken not to give chickens of another 

 colour to the hen that has hatched out black chicks or vice versa as she 

 may kill them. 



The youngsters require a great deal of brooding for several days and 

 the mother hen should be confined in a small space. If given her liberty 

 she will run them off their legs, and the weaker ones will graduallv become 

 exhausted and drop behind, get chilled and die. It is much safer to use 

 a coop and daily remove same to clean, fresh ground, until thev are three 

 weeks old when they will have found their legs. 



Chickens hatched by Incubator. — Chickens should be left in the 

 machine for at least twenty-four hours after exit from shell, so that the 

 young downy feathers may get thoroughly dried out and the joints 

 sufficiently exercised. Artificial brooders should be in readiness, warmed 

 up to about 88 degrees Fah. I am not a believer in the old idea of having 

 the temperature at 95 degrees. Too high a temperature is decidedly 

 injurious; 88 degrees may with safetv be sufficient heat for four days, then 

 gradually decrease daily until the young are three weeks old, when they 

 may safelv be removed to the pens provided for their keeping. 



A cheap brooder may be made in the following way : — Cut up an old 

 woollen hearthrug and tack the strips on the inside of the top of an ordi- 

 nary case, about half-an-inch apart ; little or no heat is required when this 

 is available. I am not a believer in coddling chicks by artificial heat. Leg 

 and bowel troubles are often caused by an overheated brooder. I have reared 

 hundreds of pure stock without the aid of any fancy or expensive brooders. 

 The woollen rug is what they like to feel dangling over their heads — 

 providing always there is no draught, but a fair amount of ventilation. 



Care is necessary during windy and wet weather. More chicks, artifi- 

 cially hatched, die through this than anything else. Shelter from both is 

 an absolute necessity, and so is a drv floor. Do not encourage chicks to 

 crowd into corners together ; it is the cause of crooked tails. Do not permit 

 them to roo.st on the edge of a box, as many do. The little breast bone is 

 very soft, and gradually it will become quite crooked if the young birds 

 are allowed to roost in this way, and this is a decided fault in a table fowl. 

 Keep them on floors covered with plenty of clean dry grass or Pinus 

 insignis needles. They need something to grip so as to exercise their toes. 

 Hard floors cause the toes and nails to grow crooked, and you do not want 

 to have a lot of deformed chicks. These little items should be noted, as 

 thev are all important, and will lead to success. 



When no brooder is available, the chickens may be given to a hen 

 that has been sitting for at least sixteen to twenty-one days. This should 

 b^ done at night time, care being taken to place them under her wings, 

 otherwise thev may get chilled. A dark coop is the best for a day or two, 

 until she realizes her responsibility. 



Feeding of Chickens. — Chickens should not be fed until thev are at 

 least thirty to forty hours old. The first two or three meals should be drv 

 bread "mixed with finely chopped hard boiled egg, scattered v<ell about the 

 floor, so that everv chicken mav feed comfortably. Then add to that some 

 oatmeal and mix with skim milk ; it must not be sloppy or pasty — the 



