THE LEGHORNS 



135 



tage. After two months, a dry mash before them all of 

 the time, grain feed twice a day. Later one of these grain 

 feeds is dropped." F. S. Nicholson. 



"After the chicks are hatched they should not be 

 given anything to eat until they are forty-eight hours old. 

 Then they should receive a drink of water and their first 

 food. This should consist of a hard boiled egg and some 

 dry bread crumbs, crushed very fine, slightly moistened with 

 a little boiled milk. Continue with this feeding for two 

 or three days, then begin feeding a little chick food. Feed 

 the chick food four or five times a day, feeding only a 

 small quantity at a time. Start weaning the chicks when 

 they are two weeks old by adding to the chick food 

 cracked wheat, cracked corn and hulled oats. Feed all 

 grain in litter. When they are five weeks old start feed- 

 ing a mash consisting of the following ground grains — 

 equal parts wheat, bran, wheat middlings, ground oats 

 and corn meal. This should be moistened with milk 

 and fed very, very dry, the mash to be fed in the after- 

 noon in small troughs. Keep clean water, fine charcoal, 

 fine beef scraps and grit or sand before the chicks at all 

 times. If the chicks are not on a grass run, give them 

 plenty of green stuff, cabbage, lettuce, onion tops, rye 

 blades or clover cut very fine make good substitutes. Give 

 the chicks lots of room, never crowd them and keep their 

 quarters absolutely clean. When the chicks are about 

 eight to ten weeks old, put them in colony houses on 

 free range." F. W. Christie. 



"We use the hot air, indoor brooder system with in- 

 door pen 5 ft. X 10 ft. and outdoor yard S ft. x 50 ft. for 

 each brooder section of 75 chicks. As soon as weather 

 permits chicks are placed in colony houses 6 ft. x 10 ft. 

 with free orchard range. Our first feed is charcoal for a 

 bowel regulator, after which we feed a high grade mixed 

 chick food, an abundance of green food, keeping fresh 

 water, charcoal and grit before them continuously. As 

 chicks mature, we change chick food to cracked corn and 

 wheat, feeding a limited amount of green bone and beef 

 scrap. With a small gasoline engine we grind our own 

 food and have thus cheapened the ration." R. J. Elliott. 



"Feed nothing for forty-eight hours after hatching, 

 then scatter in litter small amount of commercial chick 

 food, gradually increasing the amount till the chicks have 

 all they will eat up clean five times a day for two weeks, 

 then three times a day, keeping before them all the tirne 

 a clean dish filled with prepared growing food. At six 

 weeks of age the chicks may be weaned from the chick 

 food, and fed intermediate chick food; at eight weeks old 

 the prepared scratch food may be substituted for the in- 

 termediate. When pullets begin to show signs of getting 

 ready to lay, add prepared dry mash to their ration and 

 continue with the scratch food and dry mash. By follow- 

 ing this system you will produce wonderful layers, and 

 your birds will be in the best possible condition." A. M. 

 Pollard. 



"I use chick food for the first six weeks, also keep 

 beef scrap, grit and charcoal before them after they are 

 six days old. I scatter a little grit and charcoal on the 

 floor in the brooder from the first until they learn to eat 

 it from boxes. From six to ten weeks old I feed equal 

 parts cracked corn and wheat and from ten weeks old to 

 maturity I feed 10 parts wheat, 8 parts cracked corn and 

 3 parts oats. Green bone is used for meat food after they 

 are four months old instead of beef scrap. We raise all 

 our young birds on free range in colony houses 8 ft. x 10 

 ft. Only feed twice per day after they get out on free 

 range and give most of the food at night." N. V. Fogg. 



"Our chicks always have free range after they are 

 two or three weeks old and have usually been kept in col- 

 ony houses most of the time until this age, and fed on 

 bread crumbs, hard boiled eggs, and commercial chick food 

 two or three times a week. Then we give wheat screen- 

 ings fed in alfalfa cut fine. After they are put out on 

 range, we use feeders with wheat principally for grain 

 food and they always grow healthy strong birds." 

 G. L. Wheeler. 



"The ration I feed my Leghorns when first hatched 

 is sand the first twenty-four hours and the yolks of hard 

 boiled eggs up to forty-eight hours. Then give them oat 

 meal and bread crumbs, later barley and ground wheat 

 or cracked wheat fv-r four weeks, when they will be able 

 to eat whole wheat which is my standby, together with 



young clover, sprouted oats and alfalfa and bran damp- 

 ened with milk." John H. Piper. 



"First two weeks chick food and Spratts, with beef 

 scraps and green food always before them. Cracked corn, 

 wheat, buckwheat and oats should be added to ration 

 after two weeks." Geo. B. Ferris. 



"I get the best results by feeding Spratts chick meal 

 from shell to maturity, mixed with equal parts of sifted 

 ground oats and wheat bran, also feed whole corn, wheat 

 and oats, with all the side dishes, including meat scraps, 

 charcoal, grit and green stuff." H. E. Humphrey. 



Second — State in detail best ration, care and man- 

 agement for White Leghorn laying and breeding stock. 



"Too long an answer to tell properly here. Base of 

 our feed is wheat, cracked corn, buckwheat, hulled oats 

 with bran, corn meal and middlings and beef scrap in 

 mash. Lots of cut clover hay or alfalfa." S. B. & E. W. 

 Twining. 



"Ration: — Morning, very light feed of grain (2 parts 

 cracked corn, 1 part wheat, 1 part oats) scattered in deep 

 litter. Dry mash before them after 2 P. M. only. Night 

 feed, same grains in same proportions as morning feed, 

 fed liberally. Oyster shell, beef scraps, charcoal, grit and 

 good pure water before them all the time; also cut clover 

 in hoppers before them at all times in. winter, also for 

 fowls not on free range in summer. Care, deep litter 

 provided once a month, drop boards cleaned every day 

 without fail, nest material changed every two weeks, oil 

 roosts every two weeks, sprinkle lice powder in nests 

 when nest material is changed." A. M. Pollard. 



"For breeding stock I use 10 parts wheat, 7 parts 

 cracked corn and 3 parts oats. This food is fed in litter 

 morning and night and green food and bone at noon. 

 For layers, we use the grain mentioned above in litter 

 morning and night. Feed green food at 11 A. M. and a 

 mash at 2 P. M. containing the following: 10 parts wheat 

 bran, 5 parts ground oats, 1 part wheat middlings, 3 parts 

 corn meal and about 17 parts green bone." N. V. Fogg. 



"During the winter months our feed consists of a 

 warm morning mash of equal parts of ground oats, corn 

 and wheat bran, a noon feed in litter of a mixed feed of 

 oats, wheat, buckwheat and sunflower seed, and a night 

 feed of chopped corn. As the weather warms, the warm 

 mash is done away with and oats and wheat fed in place 

 of the corn. We feed plenty of cabbage, rutabagas, etc., 

 and feed ground green bone three times a week." R. J. 

 Elliott. 



"Spratts food mixed with equal parts of ground oats 

 and wheat bran every other day. I think wheat the best 

 egg producing grain, with a little corn and oats. Pure 

 water three times a day and always cleanliness, which is 

 'next to Godliness.'" H. E. Humphrey. 



"Morning feed: Corn, wheat, buckwheat. Afternoon: 

 Spratts food mixed with bran and cornmeal with beef 

 scraps. Oats constantly before them. Feed liberally, but 

 make them take plenty of exercise." Geo. B. Ferris. 



"As our breeders have free range, we have to provide 

 only grain, which is principally wheat, and surely this is 

 nature's conditioner for healthy stock." G. L. Wheeler. 

 "Ration, winter: Whole grains, wheat, cracked corn 

 (2 parts), white oats, barley and buckwheat. Ground 

 grains for making mash: wheat bran, wheat middlings, 

 corn meal, ground oats and linseed meal, (old process). 

 Green food: cabbage, mangels, alfalfa, clover. Animal 

 food: beef scrap and ground bone. Keep the scratching 

 sheds littered with clean rye or oat straw 6 inches deep. 

 "The first thing the birds should receive in the morn- 

 ing after they come off the roost, is a drink of warm water, 

 this to be followed up immediately with a feeding of 

 hard grain, two handfuls for each bird, or if you choose, 

 the hard grains may be fed in the evening after the 

 fowls go to roost. At 10 A. M. give each pen a head of 

 cabbage or two or three mangels; split the mangels in 

 two. At 11 A. M. give the birds another drink of clean, 

 warm water. At 2:30 P. M. start feeding the mash, to 

 every four quarts of mash used, steam one quart of alfalfa 

 or clover, and add to the mash. Mix very dry and serve 

 warm. Keep in hoppers before the birds at all times, 

 beef scraps, oyster shell and grit. Feed ground bone 

 twice a week if you can procure it at a reasonable figure. 



