POULTRY ON THE GENERAL FARM 
Grain is the principal, and, too often, the only food of the 
chick. The common farm way of feeding grain to young 
chickens is to mix corn-meal and water and feed in a trough 
or on the ground. There is no particular advantage in this 
way of feeding, and there are several disadvantages. The 
feed is all in a bunch, and the weaker chicks are crowded 
out, while if wet feed is thrown on the ground or in a dirty 
trough the chicks must swallow the adhering filth, and if 
any food is left over it quickly sours and becomes a menace to 
health. Some people mix dough with sour milk and soda 
and bake this into a bread. The better way is to feed all of 
the grain in a natural dry condition. 
There are foods in the market known as chick foods. The 
commercial foods contain various grains and seeds, together 
with meat and grit. Their use renders chick feeding quite a 
simple matter, it being necessary to supply in addition only 
water and green foods. For those who wish to prepare their 
own chick foods the following suggestions are given: 
Oatmeal is probably the best grain food for chicks. Oats 
cannot be suitably prepared, however, in a common feed-mill. 
The hulled oats are what is wanted. They can be purchased 
as the common rolled oats, or sometimes as cut or pin-head 
oatmeal. The latter form would be preferred, but either of 
these is an excellent chick feed. Oats in these forms are ex- 
pensive and should be purchased in bulk, not in packages. If 
too expensive, oats should be used only for a few days, when 
they may be replaced by cheaper grains. Cracked corn is the 
best and cheapest chick food. Flaxseed could be used in small 
quantities. Kaffir-corn, wheat, cow-peas—in fact any whole- 
some grain—may be used, the more variety the better. 
Farmers possessing feed-mills have no excuse for feeding 
.chicks exclusively on one kind of grain. If there is,no way 
of grinding corn on the farm, oatmeal, millet seed and corn 
chop can be purchased. At about one week of age whole 
Kaffir-corn, and, a little later whole wheat, can be used to 
replace the more expensive feeds. 
Green or bulky food of some kind is necessary to the 
healthy growth of young chickens. Chickens fed in litter 
from clover or alfalfa will pick up many bits of leaves. This 
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