90 BUILDING THE FRAME 



Many broods are started with too much corn meal, 

 and later too much cracked corn in their grain foods. 

 Corn contains a very small percentage of ash or min- 

 eral matter, very little protein, and a very large per- 

 centage of carbohydrates, as a fattener it is excellent 

 but as a bone and muscle builder it has very little 

 value. I do not wish to leave the impression not to 

 feed any corn to the growing chicks, but what I wish 

 to convey to the amateur poultry raiser is the danger 

 in feeding too much corn, or for that matter too 

 much of any food which contains too much fat form- 

 ing substances. Americans and especially the farm- 

 ers rely too much upon corn as a food, and the low 

 price, compared with other grains grown upon our 

 farms offers an incentive to use it more freely. To 

 feed lots of corn because it is cheaper will in the end 

 prove to be poor economy, and such a policy of sav- 

 ing is condemned by every experienced poultry 

 raiser. 



Strength and vigor must be in the chick when it is 

 hatched, but that strength and vigor must be encour- 

 aged and must grow with the development of the 

 chick. No matter how healthy and strong the chick 

 may be when hatched, the strength will soon dis- 

 appear when not given the proper feed and atten- 

 tion. It is much easier to run a flock down than to 

 build it up, and nothing will run down a flock of 

 chicks quicker than improper feeding. 



Oats and wheat contain a good percentage of the 



