572 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



but the chicks do not as a rule grow as rapidly as when a part of the 

 feed is ground. When the chicks are from four to six weeks old, the 

 frequency of feeding may be decreased to four times a day. 



Green Feed. Green feed must be supplied in some form. If 

 the chicks are cooped on young grass they will help themselves, but 

 if confined in small yards green feed should be given them. To be 

 easily assimilated, some tender and easily broken green stuff should 

 be furnished, such as finely cut grass from the lawns, lettuce leaves, 

 onion tops, chopped fine, or boiled vegetables. 



Animal Food. When chicks have a free range they pick up 

 insects and worms. These are most abundant during the spring 

 and summer and it is at this time that the chickens thrive. When 

 they can not get these abundantly animal feed must be furnished 

 in some other form. Beef scraps, animal meal, green cut bone may 

 be fed. 



Milk. Young chickens are fond of milk. It is highly nutri- 

 tious and promotes growth, and may take the place of other animal 

 feed to some extent. Skim milk is excellent ; if whole milk is fed it 

 is well to dilute it with one-third to one-half of water. 



Grit. Grit is another necessity. A dish of chick size grit 

 should be always before them, that they may help themselves. 



Water. Fresh, cool water should be constantly accessible, so 

 that a drink can be taken whenever wanted. Many cases of cramps 

 are caused by letting the chicks become thirsty and then fill up on 

 water. 



Charcoal. Many successful poultrymen keep it before the 

 chicks, while others never use it. If chicks are not thrifty it is one of 

 the simple things to supply before changing the feed or beginning to 

 give medicine. (Agr. Dep. F. B. 287.) 



After the chicks become old enough and hardy enough to do 

 without artificial heat they are removed from the brooder house and 

 placed in colony houses. These should have a door and window in 

 front and be provided with perches. When the chicks are placed in 

 these houses temporary runs are made by means of poultry wire. 

 The chicks are thus confined for a week or two until they become 

 waywised to their new home. Then the wire is removed and the 

 chicks are allowed unrestricted range for the rest of the season. 



If the colony houses are too near together the chicks sometimes 

 get in the habit of crowding into certain houses at night instead of 

 remaining uniformly distributed among the different houses. This 

 can be prevented, quite largely, by closing all openings so as to ex- 

 clude animals prowling about at night, for the entrance of a skunk 

 or weasel into a house will cause the chicks to shun that particular 

 house when they go to roost on the following night. Also the chicks 

 are enabled to find their own homes more promptly when the houses 

 are painted different colors. 



A Chick Feed-Hopper. The hopper-feeding of finely cracked 

 grain to young chicks calls for a device with a large available feeding 

 surface, handy to fill, easy to clean and which will prevent the chick- 

 ens from scratching out the grain. Such a device is made by cutting 



