PROGRESSIVE POULTRY RAISING 



of grit be omitted for without it the chick can not make 

 use of the hard food which it is to be given. After two 

 or three days the proportion of grit may be reduced and 

 after the first week it may be hopper fed if desired, in 

 order to prevent waste. 



"As soon as the chicks learn to eat the grain it should 

 be scattered in a litter where they will have to work for 

 all they get. Feed them sparingly four or five times 

 daily and make them exercise. It is very easy to over- 

 feed young chicks. They should be kept always hungry 

 for more. Let the digestive organs gradually work up 

 to their maximum capacity during the first two or three 

 weeks, after which time the chicks may safely be fed all 

 they will consume. 



"Beginning with the third day wheat bran should be 

 constantly available. Bran is a mild laxative and in 

 this connection probably has some value. More import- 

 ant, however, is the fact that it is bulky. The consump- 

 tion of bran insures a considerable distension of the 

 digestive tract, putting it in shape for the work that it 

 will soon be compelled to do. Bran satisfies the chick's 

 craving for something to eat without calling upon the 

 digestive system to assimilate a lot of nutrients which 

 it is not yet prepared to handle. Another important 

 point to remember is that bran is rich in mineral matter 

 except lime. In particular it contains a large amount of 

 phosphorus and this is very important for the formation 

 of bone. The building of bone also requires lime in some 

 form. This may be furnished by using grit that contains 

 a considerable amount of lime or by feeding fine ground 

 oyster shells in hoppers where the chicks can get them 

 as desired. 



"During the second week feed the grain three or four 

 times daily and substitute chick mash for the wheat bran. 

 When the chicks are about six weeks old, the chick feed 

 may gradually be replaced by intermediate or scratch 



Page Tuxnty-Fim 



