THE CHICK BOOK 



21 



morning and put clean sand on the floor to absorb moisture 

 and to ease the chickens' tender feet from the hard floor. 



GEORGE H. NORTHUP. 



CARE OF BROODER CHICKS— COLONY COOPS AND 

 NEW GROUND. 



After many years with Buff Cochins we have almost 

 adopted and believe the saying that, "If you hatch ten 

 Cochin chicks and a board does not fall on them, you are 

 almost sure to raise the whole ten." A good brooder, proper 

 food, pure water, plenty of shade and green grass, freedom 

 from lice, and the proper attention, will make Cochin rais- 

 ing the simplest thing in the world. 



Our chicks are hatched both by hens and Incubators, 

 and we find absolutely no difference in the chicks, with the 

 exception that those hatched by incubators are free from 

 lice. 



It is almost impossible to raise to maturity chicks from 

 unhealthy and improperly cared for parents. It is equally 

 impossible to raise chicks that have been improperly incu- 

 bated, whether by hens or incubators. 



It is just as probable that you will get improperly incu- 

 bated chicks from hens as from incubators; for how often 

 do you see a poor, run-down, emaciated hen bring into ex- 

 istence a flock of chicks when she is so weak, poor, and run- 

 down that she is barely able to stand. This is not the fault 

 of the hen, but of the failure of the proper attention having 

 been given her. One can readily understand how impossible 

 it would be to start and develop into active and vigorous 

 life chicks that have been brought into the world under such 

 unfavorable circumstances. Therefore, our flrst aim is to 

 get our chicks from healthy, well cared for parents, and then 

 to have them hatched under the most favorable conditions. 



When the chicks are hatched we leave them under the 

 hen or in the incubator at least twenty-four hours. If they 

 are taken out sooner than this, they are not so strong, and 

 the chance of raising them is much lessened. They are then 

 given a thorough dusting of Persian insect powder. This is 

 very important, as they cannot thrive when lice are present. 



We raise our chicks in outdoor brooders, using two hun- 

 dred chick size, and put from forty to flfty chicks in each 

 brooder. The brooder is gotten clean and is heated to ninety 

 degrees the day the chicks are due to hatch, so that every- 

 thing is in readiness for them. They are given plenty of 

 water at once, and their first food consists of fine dry rolled 

 oats. During the flrst ten days they are fed exclusively on 

 rolled oats and millet seed. They are fed six times a day, 

 alternating with rolled oats and millet. On the tenth day, 

 they are given in addition to the rolled oats and millet, well 

 baked corn cakes, chopped flne. If they become droopy we 

 add to and mix thoroughly with the corn cakes some finely 

 ground prepared grit. This is the only medicine little 

 chicks need. It is surprising to note how quickly they 

 brighten up on this treatment. When three weeks old we 

 gradually add to their rations cracked wheat and finely 

 cracked corn, cutting out the rolled oats. We continue to 

 feed the millet and corn cakes in conjunction with the 

 cracked corn and cracked wheat until they are six weeks 

 old. We then cut out the millet and corn cakes and substi- 

 tute hulled oats and American poultry food. The American 

 poultry food is given at noon, and to this is added twice a 

 week fresh ground green bone. 



We believe in feeding frequently and in small quanti- 

 ties at a time, as overfeeding is sure to make chicks dull 

 and stupid and eventually bring on indigestion and infiam- 

 mation of the crop. In giving the different rations we alter- 

 nate and change as much as possible in order to keep them 

 from tiring of any one ration. We give them fresh water 



twice a day, being very careful to keep the same In the 

 shade. As we use outdoor brooders we are able to have 

 them constantly on the move and thereby give the chicks 

 pure fresh earth and grass. 



It is very Important to provide plenty of shade in sum- 

 mer. It is equally important to place the brooder for one 

 hour each day, while open, where it will be subjected to the 

 direct rays of sunlight, as this method and cleanliness are 

 the only means of preventing the origin and spreading of 

 tuberculosis, which is sure to occur in a close, crowded 

 brooder, especially if dark and damp. 



When the chicks are first put into the brooder they are 

 confined for from one to three days, the length of time de- 

 pending on the state of the weather. The brooders being 

 placed on a nice green grass plat, we then provide for each 

 brooder, one hundred yards of wire netting, one foot wide, 

 with one inch meah. When the chicks are flrst liberated 

 from the brooder we drive stakes into the ground and make 

 a coil enclosing about three square feet of space. As the 

 chicks become more active, and readily cover this space, it 

 Is gradually enlarged from week to week, until the whole 

 hundred yards are in use. This method has saved us lots 

 of worry and trouble, for when the chicks are young and are 

 flrst liberated, if given too much space they are almost cer- 

 tain to stay away from the brooder, and it is very difficult 

 to teach them to return to it. Then again, brooder raised 

 chicks have no mother to look after them and in case of a 

 storm they can be very readily found and driven to a place 

 of shelter. We have found that it is not so much the size 

 of the run that makes healthy chicks, but it is the frequency 

 with which they are changed from old to new quarters. 



When they weigh about one and a half pounds or are 

 nicely feathered, we divide them into lots of twelve each, 

 being careful to have each lot the same size and develop- 

 ment. These are placed in colonies, each colony being all 

 cockerels or pullets. Each colony is provided with a coop 

 four by flve feet, three feet high in front and two feet In the 

 rear. These coops are provided with a storm door, and also 

 with another door covered with flne mesh screen. This lat- 

 ter door is used on warm nights, and protects the chicks 

 from vermin, etc., and the outer door, which is hinged at 

 the top, Is lowered about one- third, which protects the 

 chicks in case of storms during the night. The bottoms of 

 these coops are covered with a thick bed of straw. This is 

 to prevent the breast bones of the chicks from becoming 

 crooked, which is very prone to occur with Cochins. We 

 never provide them with roosts until they are one year old. 

 When they are eight months old they are provided with 

 more commodious quarters, and those showing promise of 

 becoming choice exhibition specimens are cooped either in 

 pairs or singly witli the object of preserving their massive 

 foot and leg feathering. A. W. RUDY & SON. 



LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CHICKS IN BROODERS. 



The most successful way that I have found to raise 

 chicks in brooders is the following: Build a brooder house 

 for each brooder, say about six by eight feet, with a door 

 and a window to the south. Have these brooder houses 

 scattered about the orchard, about one hundred feet or more 

 apart, each house to be furnished with a one hundred-chick 

 brooder. In this put from fifty to seventy-five chicks. It 

 is not advisable to put more than seventy-five chicks in any 

 brooder, fifty would be better, as I find that I usually can 

 raise more of the chicks when I only put fifty chicks in a 

 brooder than when I put in seventy-flve or one hundred, be- 

 sides you will have stronger and healthier chicks at matur- 

 ity. I have no yard for the chicks, but give them free 

 range. I do not let them run out until about a week old, 



