66 Feeding Chickens. 



reduced by degrees to four or five, which may be con- 

 tinued until they are full grown. Grain should not be 

 given to newly-hatched chickens. The very best food for 

 them, after their first meal of bread-crumbs and egg, is 

 made of two parts of coarse oatmeal and one part of barley- 

 meal, mixed into a thick crumbly paste with milk or 

 water. If milk is used, it must be fresh mixed for each 

 meal, or it will become sour. Cold oatmeal porridge is an 

 excellent food, and much liked by them. After the first 

 week they may have cheaper food, such as bran, oatmeal, 

 and Indian meal mixed, or potatoes mashed with bran. 

 In a few days they may also have some whole grain, which 

 their little gizzards will then be fully able to grind. Grits, 

 crushed wheat, or bruised oats, should form the last meal 

 at night. Bread sopped in water is the worst food they 

 can have, and even with milk is still inferior to meal. 

 For the first three or four days they may also have daily 

 the yolk of an egg boiled hard and chopped up small, 

 which will be sufficient for a dozen chicks ; and afterwards, 

 a piece of cooked meat, rather underdone, the size of a 

 good walnut, minced fine, should be daily given to the 

 brood until they are three weeks old. In winter and very 

 early spring this stimulating diet may be given regularly, 

 and once a day they should also have some stale bread 

 soaked in ale ; and whenever chickens suifer from bad 

 feathering, caused either by the coldness of the season or 

 delicacy of constitution, they must be fed highly, and 

 have a daily supply of bread soaked in ale. Ants' eggs, 

 which are well known as the very best animal diet for 

 young pheasants, are also excellent for young chickens ; 

 and when a nest can be obtained it should be thrown with 

 its surrounding mould into the run for them to peck at. 

 Where there is no grass-plot they should have some grass 

 cut into small pieces, or other vegetable food minced small, 

 until they are able to peck pieces from the large leaves. 

 Onion tops and leeks chopped small, cress, lettuce, and 

 cabbage, are much relished by all young poultry. The. 

 French breeders give a few dried nettle seeds occasionally. 

 Young growing fowls can scarcely have too much food, i=o 



