NATURAL HATCHING AND REARING 1 59 



to absorb the yolk,. This sustains it and gives it nour- 

 ishment for twenty-four to forty-eight hours and until 

 this yolk is thoroughly assimilated by the system it is 

 unwise and injurious to give other food. Thousands 

 of chicks are killed annually by feeding them too soon. 



They can go without food as long as sixty hours 

 after hatching and no harm will be done. Up to this 

 time they should have received no, food. But they 

 are now ready for their first meal. Give them water 

 to drink in a vessel into which they cannot get their 

 bodies. Whatever their first food may be, give them 

 only a small quantity, the best rule for feeding being 

 "little and often." 



Two distinct methods of feeding have their 

 special advocates, the wet, that is, with mixed up 

 dough ; and the dry, that is, without the addition of 

 water to the food stuffs. I have used both methods 

 with success, but think, on the whole, the dry method 

 or a judicious combination of the two is the more sat- 

 isfactory for most persons. But whichever of the two 

 methods is employed, the food should approximate to 

 a balanced ration, that is, should 'have enough of 

 muscle and fat forming elements to promote the 

 growth of th_e whole organism. 



Corn, whether finely cracked or ground into meal, 

 does not make such a ration. There is too much of 

 the fat and too little of the muscle forming elements. 

 Yet, when chickens run out and eat grass and where 

 insect life is abundant, they may do well on a corn diet, 

 because they secure for themselves the lacking ele- 

 ments. If to the corn is added some form of animal 

 food, the ration will be better. For a single grain, 

 provided it could be obtained cheaply enough, I should 

 prefer barley. I have used oats, corn meal and beef 

 scraps with very satisfactory results and with even 



