374 CARE OF THE GROWING STOCK 
months old. If allowed to roost too early, crooked or twisted 
breast-bones will be the result. The floor should be covered with 
a good dry litter of an absorbent nature. The litter should be 
cleaned out at least once a month, or oftener if the droppings 
show signs of remaining moist. 
Management.—The plan should be to take the chicks directly 
from the brooder house to their permanent developing houses. 
Frequent changing and transferring is undesirable, as it keeps the 
birds unsettled and they will not grow properly. In feeding 
and caring for them disturb them as little as possible. 
As soon as sex can be distinguished readily, the time varying 
with different breeds, the males should be separated and placed 
on another range. If they are allowed to remain in a mixed flock, 
neither sex will develop to the size and vigor at maturity which 
they would attain if separated. Thereafter the management of 
the two sexes is entirely different. The pullets should develop to 
normal size so that they will be in good laying condition at the 
proper time in the fall. The males should be in market condition 
at as early an age as possible. The males to be matured as breed- 
ers should be selected and given separate range, while those for 
broiling or roasting should be more closely confined. 
Supply of Feed.—In feeding the growing chicks, provide 
them with an abundance of feed of the right composition, and 
supply this in such a way as to reduce the labor to the lowest 
point and yet be consistent with best results. This can be done 
by using dry-mash supplemented by cracked grains. The dry- 
mash should be fed in large, outdoor, self-feeding hoppers, which 
are made waterproof. It is also possible to feed a part of the 
cracked grain in hoppers, but at least one feeding a day should be 
made by an attendant going around from house to house and 
scattering it. This provides a certain amount of personal atten- 
tion which is necessary for best resuits. In the case of growing 
stock this personal attention can be cut down more than in any 
other line of the poultry work, but should never be entirely 
eliminated. ; 
In handling the growing stock induce continuous growth from 
the time the birds are put on the range until they are placed in 
winter quarters. A check in growth, due to improper housing or 
feeding conditions, may retard the ultimate development many 
weeks, resulting in smaller fowls with low vitality. It is very 
important in caring for pullets to bring them to maturity at the 
