SELECTING AND RAISING 89 



expect the youngsters to shift for themselves, even to 

 find the food trough and water fountain. It is usually 

 fully six weeks before they can be considered able to 

 look out for themselves and to be put in a separate 

 enclosure. 



In this separate pen they will do much better, for 

 they cannot be harassed by the older birds. When 

 caught for transferring all youngsters should have 

 the tail feathers plucked out. This is best done by 

 holding the bird as represented in the illustration on 

 page 70. By grasping all the tail quills in the right 

 hand, they may be pulled at one quick pull and without 

 any seeming injury to the bird. The advantage claim- 

 ed is that birds so treated usually get through the 

 molting season better than those whose tail feathers 

 have not been plucked. 



The youngsters must not be expected to thrive on 

 indifferent treatment. They are to be the birds from 

 which future profits must be had, and must have the 

 same careful feeding and attention that is given to the 

 breeding pens. No stinting of food or carelessness in 

 the quality of water can be tolerated. They must be 

 intelligently fed and reared. Any false economy in 

 quantity or quality of the ration will show itself to the 

 owner's loss. 



Roosting pointers. — The birds must not be allow- 

 ed to roost out in the fly at night, even in the summer 

 time. Last year we had very many inquiries as to the 

 cause of sore eyes, cold in the eyes, and canker in the 

 eyes, among young birds. In nearly all cases these 

 young birds were permitted to be in the fly all night, 

 subject to sudden changes of temperature and heavy 

 beating rains. We had in our own flocks no cases of 

 this trouble for we had learned several seasons before 



