38 BIGGIE POULTRY BOOK. 



down" a coop occupies but little room when stored 

 under shelter, as all coops should be when not in use. 



Whatever the style of coop used, the chicks should 

 be fed as soon as they are put into it. This is best 

 done at first on a clean board laid on the floor or just 

 in front of the coop. 



As to what the first few meals should consist of, 

 there is some difference of opinion even among prac- 

 tical poultry keepers. It is certain, however, that the 

 traditional hard-boiled egg is not essential for the first, 

 or for any other meal. When a hen steals her nest 

 and brings off a brood, she feeds them successfully on 

 weed seeds, insects and sundries until she brings them 

 to the poultry yard and they can get the food fed to 

 the rest of the flock. 



Bread crumbs, moistened with sweet milk, are 

 acceptable and nourishing for the first meal. Where 

 a limited number of chicks are raised, the commercial 

 chick feed, composed entirely of small grains, or large 

 grains, cracked fine, is a very good bill of fare. Finely 

 cracked wheat, hulled oats and corn make an excel- 

 lent mixture, using equal parts of each by measure- 

 ment. This finely cracked feed should be constantly 

 before the chicks. A person o?much experience uses 

 bread crumbs and rolled oats, dry, the first week, and 

 then for two weeks a mixture of equal parts by bulk 

 of bran, middlings and corn meal, with a handful of 

 meat-meal to the quart of the mixture. This is scalded 

 an hour before feeding. If the bowels of the chicks 

 are too costive he adds more bran; if too loose, more 

 middlings. 



Many make mixtures like the above into a stiff 



