POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. 177 



There are no mysteries connected with the raising of the 

 young chickens. Every chick that is well hatched out by the 

 21 st day of incubation, has the right to live, and it will do so if 

 it is kept dry, at reasonable temperatures, and is not allowed 

 to over-eat. 



The most careful work of the poultryman during the whole 

 year is required in getting the chicks through the first 3 weeks 

 of their lives successfully. If they are vigorous up to the fourth 

 week there is little liability of injuring them thereafter by any 

 system of feeding, if it is only generous enough, and they have 

 their liberty. 



FEEDING THE COCKEREES FOR MARKET. 

 When the chickens are about 9 or 10 weeks old, and the 

 cockerels weigh a pound and a quarter to a pound and a half, 

 the cockerels are put by themselves into vacated brooder houses, 

 100 to a house. Each house has a yard in front, about 12 feet 

 square. They are fed on porridge, 3 times a day, in V-shaped 

 troughs, with 4-inch sides. The porridge is made of 6 parts 

 corn meal, 2 parts middlings, one-half part linseed meal and 2 

 parts beef scrap. Not having milk, it is mixed with tepid water. 

 It is made thick enough so that it will drop and not run, from 

 the end of a wooden spoon. They are given all they will eat in 

 half an hour, when the troughs are removed and cleaned. 

 When the yards get dirty, they are bedded down with sand, 

 straw or hay. The birds will stand this feeding for 2 or 3 weeks 

 with good appetites. When they commence taking less food 

 they are dressed for market and usually weigh about 2% pounds 

 dressed weight. 



GROWING AND DEVELOPING THE PULLETS. 



When the cockerels are taken out for finishing, the pullets of 

 the same age, are moved to the grassy range, still occupying the 

 same portable houses in which they were raised. At this time 

 the method of feeding is changed, and dry food is kept by them 

 constantly, in troughs with slatted sides and broad detachable 

 roofs, so it may not be soiled or wasted. The troughs are from 

 6 to 10 feet long, with the sides 5 inches high. The -lath slates 

 are 2 inches apart and the troughs are 16 inches high from floor 

 to roof. The roofs project about 2 inches at the sides and 

 effectually keep out the rain except when high winds prevail. 



