CHAPTER XVIII 



FEEDING CHICKS, GOSLINGS, DUCKLINGS, 

 AND POULTS 



Note to Teacher : The student should be given exercises in mixing 

 chick feed and in feeding chicks. 



229. Feed Requirements for Chicks. Young chicks require 

 about one pound of protein or muscle-building material to four 

 of starches, sugars, and fats combined. 



230. Mashes Necessary for Chicks. The amount of protein 

 required by chicks makes the feeding of mill by-products and 

 other by-products of high protein content necessary. 



231. When to Feed the Baby Chick. Forty-seven per cent of 

 the yolk of the egg- is incorporated in the abdominal cavity in an 

 abdominal yolk sac as abdominal yolk and is sufficient for the 

 food requirements of the chick for more than three days after 

 it is hatched. Do not feed the chicks till after they have been 

 hatched seventy-two hours. 



232. First Feed of the Baby Chick. The first feed of the baby 

 chicks should consist of sour curdled milk or fresh buttermilk. 

 This feed should not be given before the chicks are seventy-tv^ro 

 hours old. In the case of incubator chicks, they should be taken 

 from the incubator and fed some sour milk the third day after 

 the first chick hatches. The second day the chicks should be 

 given two light feeds in addition to the milk, and the third day 

 they should be put on full feed. By following this method, the 

 digestive organs are gradually brought into play and time is 

 allowed to use the stored up food of the abdominal yolk sac. 

 (Examine a baby chick just out of the shell, or one that haf; 

 died while pipping out, for the abdominal yolk sac.) 



