WHEN THE FLOCK EATS AT WIIL 



329 



work on the assumption that the fowls know what is best for 

 them in the matter of food, better than the man who does the 

 feeding. Certainly this is true of some feeders, for I have seen 

 some farm laborers who appeared to have as little interest in 

 their tasks, and as little knowledge of the importance of their 

 work, as they might have over a translation of Sanskrit. Where 

 this condition obtains it is infinitely better to permit the stock to 



{Courtesy Purdue Experiment Station) 



Fig. 215. — A covered runway which can be moved from place to place is 

 best for very young chicks until they are strong enough to battle with the older 

 stock on free range. 



exercise its own judgment, by keeping all feeds before them at all 

 times, and giving them access to the feeds at will. 



There is another virtue about this method : the birds do not 

 establish any habits of waiting for the feeder two or three times 

 a day, and then gorging themselves forthwith, only to go off in 

 the shade somewhere, like a snake after it has swallowed a toad, 

 and wait for digestion. Instead, if they have always been ac- 

 customed to feeding at will, they generally eat a little, run around, 

 return and eat some more, run off again, and repeat the process 



