32 CALIFORNIA POULTRY PRACTICE 



Rape is another nice tender green for little chicks but unlike 

 chicory it lasts but one season. Sow the seed as you would lettuce 

 in rows, and it can be cut from four to six times in a season. Every 

 new growth of leaves is tender and fresh for the chicks. 



Kale is a most excellent green and more will be said about it later; 

 for small chicks I do not think its use advisable. 



Sprouted oats are a green and grain food combined, and it is 

 better than anyone has ever given it credit for, and that is saying a 

 good deal. But it is not as economical as many other forms of green 

 food under the regular conditions. That is, if a person has plenty of 

 vacant land he can grow other foods cheaper than he can buy the 

 oats and sprout them, and with less labor. Therefore, my reason for 

 calling attention to sprouted oats is because it fits in with the 

 fancier and the city or surburban poultryman who is short on land 

 but long on patience and the desire to make the best out of his 

 surroundings. With oats at $1.80 to $2 a hundred pounds, the average 

 poultryman fights shy of them, and yet when processed right, one 

 bushel makes about four so that the price is cut considerably. Oats 

 are just as valuable to poultry as they are to horses. They simply 

 stand for bone and muscle, health and energy and a good coat of 

 feathers. In another part of this book I will tell you how to sprout 

 oats to the best advantage for both chicks and grown fowls. 



Watering the chicks looks such a simple thing to make an item of 

 in the making of a book that most writers leave it out. But it is really 

 an important factor in the raising of the chicks. As before said 

 good, fresh buttermilk should be given the chicks the first half day, 

 then pure water. I prefer to give boiled water for the first ten days, 

 and always give it warm in the early morning. Now suppose you have 

 one thousand chicks, you will want five gallons of water boiled, to 

 supply the chicks a day. I don't think they will be stinted at all on 

 that and it is not such a very big chore to set a five gallon oil can on 

 the stove and boil that much water the evening before it will be used. 

 Then the next morning, set the tea kettle on to boil while you eat your 

 own breakfast and then you have the warm water by mixing that just 

 boiled with what was boiled the evening before. Remember it is only 

 for a few days to give the chicks a chance to get a good strangle hold 

 on life instead of being fastened upon by millions of bacteria. 



About once or twice a week they can have buttermilk or sour curd 

 if you have it. The acid contained in milk is appetizing and healthful. 

 In fact there is no objection to feeding milk every day, but the 

 chicks should also be served water; then let them take their choice. 

 To the bill of fare for chicks may be added Johnny cake, once in 

 awhile a kettle of boiled rice and pin head oats, a beef heart boiled 

 and cut up in strips then thrown in for them to enjoy and race for 

 and a mess of small potatoes boiled and mixed with a little mash 



