58 999 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



QUESTION Can chicks be hatched profitably every month in 

 the year? 



ANSWER No, unless they are produced as broilers from Octo- 

 ber to February, and incubators and brooders are employed with 

 special brooder houses. 



QUESTION Is it wise to attempt to raise late hatched chick- 

 ens? 



ANSWER Chicks may be hatched in June and July if one is 

 prepared to give the extra care needed to keep them growing by 

 extra attention to feeding and watering and protection from the hot 

 sun. 



QUESTION What causes leg weakness in chicks ? 



ANSWER Board floors will cause it by creating a stiffness in 

 the legs and feet. Exposure to cold and wet will cause it by bring- 

 ing; on an attack of rheumatism. Overfeeding induces it by adding 

 weight to the body before the legs can gain equal strength. 



QUESTION What can be done with chicks when the long feath- 

 ers of the wings attain such enormous length as to extend past the 

 tail and seemingly have a depressing effect on the chick? 



ANSWER Stop the growth by clipping the feathers close to the 

 base. 



QUESTION Will incubator chicks be absolutely free from lice 

 if the machine is not infested, and if they are not allowed to come 

 in contact with hens or other fowls or buildings where lice are ? 



ANSWER Yes. That is one of the valuable features of the in- 

 cubator. 



QUESTION Will chicks thrive better on an earth floor than on 

 a board one? 



ANSWER Yes. 



QUESTION Why is it necessary to keep the young chicks in 

 the brooder in the morning till the dew is off the grass? 



ANSWER It is not necessary. It is often advocated but a 

 good healthy strong chick will thrive better not shut up. 



QUESTION Is it generally profitable to buy chicks that have 

 just been taken from the incubator ? 



ANSWER There is some trade in this branch of the business, 

 but in most cases it is unsatisfactory. Chicks need constant brooder 

 care and ample food for the first few weeks and they usually get a. 

 setback when shipped. 



