12 



verse is true in nature's method of rearing 

 chicks. Instinct unerringly guides the acts 

 of the prospective mother-hen in hiding her 

 nest, and isolating her downy brood so long 

 as they remain under her control. This is 

 nature's method of rearing strong, vigorous, 

 healthy chicks. While we may not improve 

 upon her methods, we can imitate them so 

 closely as to secure equally good results. 

 Hence at the time of starting the incubators 

 we secure a sufficient number of broody 

 hens to mother the prospective hatch, and 

 stock each nest with tested infertile egg's, 

 treating each hen with louse powder twice, 

 and anointing their heads with head-louse 

 ointment before the chicks appear, other- 

 wise the treatment will kill them also. 



If chicks become chilled or overheated in 

 an incubator after hatching they will dwin- 

 dle and die in spite of the good offices of the 

 mother-hen ; therefore we must be on the 

 spot when the hatch is due, and, when over, 

 the door is propped open to allow suffieient 

 change of air to prevent panting with open 

 mouths, and not enough to cause the chicks 

 to pile up for warmth. When conditions 

 are right they will be spread evenly over the 

 tray, sleeping quietly. I emphasize this 

 point because a mistake or a little careless- 

 ness here will render all our labor and effort 

 of no avail, since a chilled or scalded chick 

 had better be dead so far as ultimate results 

 are concerned. As fast as they get strong 

 on their legs, place them under the hens at 

 night, giving to each hen 35 chicks, making- 

 sure the hens are on a fiat surface, otherwise 

 the chicks will fall out and become chilled. 

 The last batch removed will be the weaker 

 of the hatch, and should be given to a gentle 

 mother. 



When three days old, begin feeding com- 

 mercial chick-feed, soaking it in water for 

 20 minutes, and spreading it on a clean 

 board. Feed sparingly four or five times a 

 day for the first week on wet feed, giving 

 no water nor grit. Begin feeding dry chick- 

 feed and drinking-water the second week, 

 but no grit until two weeks old, and then 

 sparingly. The gizzard of a young chick 

 is a very small organ ; and if given access to 

 fine sharp grit, chicks will fill their gizzards 

 with it to the exclusion of life-sustaining 

 food, and literally starve to death in the 

 midst of plenty. The ignorant attendant, 

 thinking to cure an imaginary distemper, 

 dopes them with more grit and shells, with 

 fatal results. When three weeks old the 

 colony houses are isolated, and the chicks 

 given a gi-ass run, or fresh-grown oats, with 

 chick-feed or cracked corn and wheat morn- 

 ing and night, having access also at all 

 times to hoppers full of dry-mash food the 

 same as given to laying hens. If these in- 



GLBANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



structions are obsei'ved the result will be 

 strong healthy chicks. 



The chicks are hatched during April and 

 May, and the colony houses should be of a 

 size to accommodate the hen and her brood 

 until they are full grown. Some of the pul- 

 lets will begin laying in September, but 

 should not be pushed for egg production 

 until about November 1, when they are to be 

 assembled within the winter laying-house, 

 and not permitted to step outside until their 

 year of egg production is completed and 

 they are taken to market. 



FEEDING FOR HIGH-PRESSURE EGG PRODUCTION 



This is the most interesting stage of the 

 progTam, and tlie enthusiastic attendant 

 watches the rapid development of his pets 

 and the reddening of their beautifully curv- 

 ed combs with bright anticipations of future 

 success in the form of heaping baskets of 

 beautiful eggs of snowy whiteness; and if 

 lie performs his part faithfully and intelli- 

 gently his hopes will soon be realized. Next 

 to the rearing of the chicks, this is undoubt- 

 edly the most critical part of the poultry- 

 man's experience; for the success of the 

 whole venture depends upon the correct 

 feeding of a scientifically balanced ration. 

 A mistake here will result in a waste of 

 expensive food material and a proportion- 

 ate decrease in profits. Every feed contains 

 a certain amount of necessary moisture 

 varying from 8 to 90 per cent of its weight; 

 hence the wisdom of supplying so-called 

 dry-mash foods unmixed with water. 



Since tlie hopper system of dry-mash 

 feeding has been uniformly successful, and 

 has economized labor to the extent of mul- 

 tiplying the number of hens that can be 

 eared- for by one man, and in one flock, it is 

 not worth while to consider any other; and 

 the subject of greatest importance is, how 

 to compound the mash feed correctly. Space 

 forbids a discussion of the composition of 

 feed stuff and the nutrient value of differ- 

 ent rations. Suffice it to say, it has been 

 determined by carefully conducted experi- 

 ments that the following ratio of mixing 

 feed is second to none as an economical egg- 

 making mash food : 100 lbs. corn meal, 100 

 lbs. ground oats, 100 lbs. gluten meal, 100 

 lbs. middlings, 300 lbs. bran, 100 lbs. beef 

 scrap, 100 lbs. alfalfa meal. This compound 

 sliould be kept constantly before the fowls 

 in hopi^ers, while the morning and noon 

 ration consists of a light feed of scratching 

 material of mixed grains consisting of 

 cracked corn, wheat, buckwheat, and millet. 

 This is scattered in straw six inches deep, 

 and the hens are literally compelled to 

 scratch for eveiy kernel of grain they get. 

 At 4 o'clock P. M. they are given all the 

 corn and wheat they will pick up in 20 min- 



