234 Farm Poultry 



grit is not at hand. As nature does not provide 

 grit in the digestive organs of the newly hatched 

 chicken, it is necessary to furnish this grit in order 

 that the chick may grind its first hard food. As 

 nature provides nourishment for a chicken for a 

 day or two after it is hatched, grit is not absolutely 

 needed until the third or fourth day, provided the 

 first food is quite soft. As the chick becomes older, 

 coarser grit is required and its supply should never 

 be neglected. 



DRINKING-FOUNTAINS 



One of the difficult problems that the amateur 

 poultryman has to solve is how best to keep pure 

 drinking-water continually before the little chickens. 

 Small chickens drink frequently, and as their little 

 beaks are sometimes more or less loaded with soft 

 food, which is deposited in the drinking-fountain 

 whenever the beak becomes wet, the question of 

 how to keep the water pure is not an easy one to 

 solve. As it is necessary to keep the drinking-foun- 

 tain at a warm temperature, it soon becomes tainted 

 and, unless given frequent attention, will emit a 

 disagreeable odor. This condition must not be 

 allowed to exist, for all food and water consumed 

 by the fowls, particularly the young, should be free 

 from taint. There is no greater stumbling block 

 to the novice than the lack of cleanliness. 



Many automatic fountains will keep water before 



