1086 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



after hatching no more liable to die off " sudden like," with- 

 out any apparent cause than those hatched in the natural way. 



Farmers who do not care to raise more than two or three 

 hundred early chicks each season will not, generally speaking, 

 unless they keep non-sitters exclusively, find incubators profit- 

 able ; but those who desire to raise anywhere from three hun- 

 dred to a thousand or more early chicks must, if they would 

 get their chicks out early enough to command the best prices, 

 use incubators. 



Care of Young Chicks. When the mother hen is quiet 

 do not meddle at all while the chicks are coming out; but if 

 she be restless and inclined to tramp around in the nest, remove 

 the chicks as soon as dry, and keep in a warm place in the 

 house until all are out; then place hen and chicks in the coop, 

 which should be prepared beforehand for their reception. In 

 cold weather these coops must be placed in a building or room 

 that can be warmed artificially when necessary, and in order to 

 economize space as much as possible each hen should be given 

 from fifteen to twenty chicks. 



Do not feed the chicks until they are from sixteen to twenty- 

 four hours old. The yolk-sac, which is absorbed by the chick 

 the last thing before it leaves the shell, is sufficient in the way 

 of food until the chick is strong on its feet. The best food that 

 chicks can have at first is undoubtedly the yolks of hard boiled 

 eggs crumbled and mixed with stale bread crumbs that have 

 been just moistened with milk. If eggs for chicken feed are 

 scarce, use curds made by warming a pan of thick sour milk, 

 and then draining off the whey. Cooked oat-meal and rice are 

 also among the best kinds of food for young chicks, and should 

 be added to the bill of fare after the first two or three days. 

 The kinds of food mentioned are rather expensive for chicken 

 feed, but as young chicks require but little at a time for the 

 first week, they may be fed on such food for a week or so at 

 very little expense. It pays to give chicks a good start, for 

 those that are stunted to begin with will never make as nice 

 broilers or be so good for any purpose as those that are fed 

 generously from the start. 



