52 



HOW TO FEED POULTRY FOR ANY PURPOSE WITH PROFIT 



mashes used for adult birds may be given to chicks, if 

 reasonably free from coarse meat scrap and from oat 

 hulls. For novices handling brooder chicks it is generally 

 safest to use either all dry feeds or to have the soft feeds 

 well cooked. Dry feeds tend to correct looseness of the 

 bowels which often results from chickens becoming too 

 warm or too cold, and which is likely to be increased 

 rather than diminished by the feeding of moist mash as 

 commonly prepared by inexperienced poultry keepers. 

 Those who wish to use moist mashes for brooder chicks 

 ought first to make themselves proficient in making moist 

 mashes that laying hens will eat freely, with good results 

 in egg production, and keep in continuous good condition. 

 When one can do that, he is warranted in trying moist 

 mashes on his chicks to secure the greatest consumption 

 of feed and the best growth. Until he has demonstrated 

 his skill with hens it is safer to omit moist mashes and 

 take the best results that can be obtained without them. 

 If the moist mash is not made right and used right, the 

 dry mash gives the highest average and most uniform 

 results and the least loss. 



Where chicks are confined to the brooder house, or 

 have access only to yards so small that they do no more 

 than afford outdoor air and a little more room for ex- 

 ercise, they should have feed before them practically all 

 the time. The number of times it is necessary to give the 

 feed depends on the size of the brood and the arrange- 

 ments for feeding. It is possible with small broods to 

 arrange so that feeding and watering need be 'done only 

 once a day. That plan is not advised except for those who 

 grow only a few chicks, and who must be away from 

 home much of the time, and so can not give them close 

 attention. It involves risks of either shortage of feed or 

 waste in feeding that people who have to make their poul- 

 try pay do not habitually take. However, where it is 

 necessary to do this either regularly or occasionally 

 any method that places a sufficient supply of feed where 

 the chicks can get it will answer. 



The covered feeding pans for dry mash, with holes 

 around the edge of the cover through which the chicks 

 can eat the mash; or troughs (for either dry mash or 

 fine-cracked grain), from which the chicks can feed, but in 

 which their droppings do not fall to any considerable 

 extent; and fine grain scattered in litter on the floor of 

 the brooder house, will provide feed accessible at all 

 times. With a drinking fountain of the size required for 

 a day's supply of water, all that the chicks need for 

 nourishment can be put in the house at one time. This 

 of course could be done for a flock of any size, but it is 

 not commonly done because when there is someone about 

 to attend to the chicks at intervals through the day it 

 is more satisfactory to give feed at several different times. 



Where the feed will not lie more than a few hours 

 before being eaten it is not so necessary to protect it from 

 the droppings, for the greater part of it will be eaten 

 within a short time after it is given, and what remains is 

 mostly consumed before it has lain long enough to be 

 much fouled by contact with droppings and chickens' 

 soiled feet. -The longer feed lies exposed to such contacts 

 and to the air, the less appetizing it is, and if the supply 

 is liberal (as it must be when the intervals between feed- 

 ings are long) the tendency is for the chicks to scatter 

 it if possible, and to pick it over for the bits of meat in 

 it, or apparently sometimes in search of something 

 their ration lacks; for the instinct of the chick seems to 

 prompt it to do this. Exposure and picking the feed over 

 result in more or less waste, with less actual consumption 

 of feed than when it is given fresh from three to five 



times a day. Also in feeding in vessels that protect the 

 feed from fouling, and in keeping a littered floor in the 

 right condition to protect the feed and compel a reason- 

 able amount of exercise, the time required for one feed- 

 ing is as much as for two or three feedings in open 

 troughs or on a sanded floor, or in a light litter. 



Then again, the feeding is but one thing for which a 

 poultry keeper makes frequent rounds of his brooders. 

 The heaters must have attention twice daily, and may 

 need it oftener. Ventilation of the house is likely to call 

 for attention later in the morning and earlier in the eve- 

 ning than the regular hours for attending to heaters. The 

 potential value of the chicks far exceeds their actual 

 value though in the case of a large stock of chicks that 

 is considerable; and to get the chicks started right means 

 much to the poultry keeper who depends upon them for 

 his living. Therefore, while they are small he considers 

 it good policy to keep such close watch over them that 

 nothing can be wrong for more than a short time without 

 being seen and put to rights. Taking this attitude of 

 watchfulness over his chicks the careful poultry keeper 

 does not regard five or even six feedings a day merely 

 as routine of feeding not absolutely necessary, but con- 

 siders the advantages of frequent feedings in connection 

 with the advantage of frequent inspections to make sure 

 that all is well. 



A poultry keeper who takes this position and most 

 experienced and successful growers of poultry on a large 

 scale do will not adopt a definite schedule of meals 

 evenly dividing the day; but considering all occasions for 

 making the rounds of the brooders each day, will ad- 

 just some of the feedings to other necessary routine, and 

 as far as possible combine the tasks that there is occa- 

 sion to do at nearly the same time. In general, the larger 

 the broods of chicks the more necessary it is to watch 

 them closely. More things can go wrong in a large 

 brood; there are more chicks to "start something" which 

 ought to be stopped before the whole lot engage in it. 

 All the evils of chicks massing and crowding when fright- 

 ened or chilled increase with the size of the flock. A 

 poultry keeper who has had some disasters that would 

 have been either avoided or greatly mitigated had he been 

 promptly on the spot, learns to keep close watch on every- 

 thing relating to the welfare of his young chickens, and 

 in following this policy he finds it convenient to feed at 

 frequent intervals. 



Brooder Chicks With Good Range 



The advantages of close oversight of chicks in brood- 

 ers during the first few weeks cause most poultry keepers 

 who grow large numbers of chicks to prefer to have the 

 brooder houses quite close together while the chicks re- 

 quire heat, rather than to attempt to give the benefit of 

 range at this stage, though a good range may be avail- 

 able. They consider the saving in time in making each 

 round of the brooders in these few weeks as of more im- 

 portance than the extra work in providing green feed. 

 There are, however, many places where the number of 

 thicks reared each season can be handled in a single 

 brooder using a coal burning heater, or in a few such 

 brooders. When this is the case it may be entirely prac- 

 tical with certain easy restrictions, to give brooder chicks 

 much the same advantage of range that would be given 

 chicks with hens on the same land. 



Small chicks in brooders cannot be allowed full 

 freedom to wander at will as may safely be done with 

 chicks whose hen mothers are cooped; but after 

 they are four or five days old they certainly should 

 be allowed the run of small yards at the brooder 



