368 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



Feeding. 



Various Methods. After thoroughly investigating the many methods 

 used in feeding young poults, we find to what degree the general rules already 

 given are followed. All who succeed use practically the same methods. The 

 chief differences are as follows: first, soak some bread in milk and squeeze 

 it dry before feeding, giving it to the poults as soon as they will eat, while 

 others feed bread and milk in a saucer; second, some give a diet entirely of 

 grain, while others feed practically everything they think the poults will eat. 



Follow Nature in Feeding. Too much stress cannot be laid upon the 

 dangers from feeding unnatural food. Food that is too rich produces bowel 

 trouble and other complications. Nc feed of any kind should be given before 

 the poults are from 36 to 48 hours old. 



Feeds Used at First. 



1. Cracked Corn and Wheat, Oatmeal, Grit and Scraps. Finely cracked 

 corn or wheat or fine oatmeal, together with a little fine grit and a very little 

 granulated meat scrap. Feed the first few days. 



2. Bread Soaked in Milk. Stale bread soaked in sweet milk. Press out 

 the milk as much as possible. Poults are not slop eaters. Feed every hour or 

 two for 2 or 3 days, then add a little hard boiled egg, shell and all broken fine. 

 Caution : Never use sour milk and do not feed bread soaked in this way after 

 it has soured. 



3. Chick Foods. A diet of one of the dry grain chick foods is good for 

 poults the first two weeks. 



4. Rolled Oats, Hard Boiled Eggs and Lettuce. Rolled oats, hard boiled 

 eggs and lettuce, all chopped fine, make a good food for the first week. This 

 is given to chicks being raised in brooders. 



5. Clabbered Milk and Onion Tops. Make a curd by scalding clabbered 

 milk. Squeeze as dry as possible before feeding. Mix this with finely chopped 

 onion tops and add a little black pepper. 



6. Hard Boiled Eggs and Stale Bread. Mix hard boiled eggs and stale 

 bread into a crumbly mass. Many feed this with good results. 



7. Bread, Milk, Onion Tops and Eggs. Soak stale bread in milk and 

 squeeze dry. To this add hard boiled eggs and onions, chopped fine. As the 

 appetite increases, stale bread, corn meal, onion tops, rolled oats, oat meal, 

 middlings, etc., may be added to the ration. 



8. Wheat, Oatmeal and Cracked Corn. A mixture of broken wheat, oat- 

 meal, and finely cracked corn is fed by one of the most successful breeders in 

 the country. 



Grit. Grit should be kept before the poults from the first. The poults 

 cannot grind their food without it. Coarse sand is fine for this purpose, and 

 it will supply all the grit that is needed if kept constantly on hand. 



Water. Give the poults plenty of good clean water. Keep it before them 

 at all times and keep the water dishes scalded out. 



Charcoal. Charcoal is another fine thing for the poults, as it is a safe- 



