IN THE POULTRY YARD. {41 
As I had taken great pains with my breeding pens, and the 
weather had been quite favorable, the hatches were, what I called, 
very good. They averaged nearly ten to each hen, giving me 473 
chicks. These I divided amongst thirty seven hens, giving an 
average of thirteen chicks to each. 
Our system of caring for the chicks was as follows: The date of 
setting and the date when due being clearly marked on a card 
tacked to each nest, there was no room for mistakes. When a 
hen was due she was not removed from the nest for food, but was 
allowed to sit until she came off of her own accord. I allowed 
-very little meddling—the only thing that was permitted being the 
removal of the empty shells. Young chickens need no attention 
for twenty-four hours after they leave the shell, and if left forty- 
eight hours they will not suffer. ‘This is no doubt a wise provis- 
ion of nature, whereby the birds that do not come out as soon as 
the others are not left to be chilled. When the hen led the young 
brood off, they were fed with cracked corn,* from which all meal 
and dust had been carefully sifted. An hour or so after this they 
had all the chopped meat they could eat with plenty of clear 
water. At this time we unfortunately hadno milk, and could not 
get any conveniently. ‘his was a mistake, as I soon found, and 
ever afterwards I contrived to have plenty of milk on hand when 
I expected to hatch out many broods. But on water, corn, 
meat and bones they throve very well. When set on the grass, 
they could pick plenty of green stuff, and by the time the 
weather got too cold, they were able to peck at a cabbage with 
good effect. 
A favorite morning food was made by scaldin-y horse feed, allow- 
ing it to stand until stiff, and working it into stiff dough with more 
dry feed. ‘This they ate greedily, and throve well on it. I found 
that by keeping the hens from wandering about and leading the 
chickens with them, the latter got along much better. Meat 
* Most writers advise soft food for the first meal. I have found that we have 
_ better success when we use.a hard food. The young chickens naturally do not 
‘find soft food; they need something hard and sohd to excite the gizzard to 
action, and after that give them the richest and moat nutritious food possible, 
