REQUISITES FOR HEALTH 



the treatment of a serious sickness. Even in such cases the wisdom of 

 doctoring the bird is of doubtful quality. Spending several dollars worth 

 of time and medicine in an attempt to cure a dollar bird, thereby endanger- 

 ing the health of the balance of the flock, is suicidal policy. Minor ailments 

 that give way to the prompt application of simple remedies will prove worth 

 treatment, but in the long run the poultryman will find that a Small grave- 

 yard is more profitable than a large hospital. The poultry keeper who knows 

 how and when to use the axe does more to insure healthy poultry than the 

 man who resorts to the medicine bottle. 



INBREEDING 



Inbreeding is bad practice. Hereditary tendencies possessed alike by 

 both parents are prone to be exaggerated in the chicks. For this reason 

 never mate males and females possessing the same fault. Evil tendencies 

 seem even more readily transmittable than good ones, and, for this reason, 

 what the breeder gains in standard points by inbreeding he may lose in 

 health and constitution. There is, however, less danger from carefully 

 conducted inbreeding, if not overdone, using fowls of known parentage 

 whose physical conditions and development are known to be of the best, than 

 from the indiscriminate introduction of unknown new blood. Nature balks 

 at inbreeding and demands new blood, but she requires that it shall be above 

 reproach. Secure health by breeding for it, and keep the birds healthy by 

 good care. 



START THE CHICKS RIGHT 



Eggs fiom healthy fowls will produce strong, sturdy chicks when in- 

 cubated under normal conditions. The test of incubation is the chick. A 

 healthy chick comes out on time, neither too early nor too late, comes into 

 the world with a vigorous kick and- peep, is strong, large, well-developed, 

 bright, lively and hungry. This chick has the hereditary tendency to health 

 — a sound constitution. Whether it will develop properly or not depends 

 now on the care and food it receives. A healthy chick should grow all the 

 time from birth to maturity. Much depends upon how Ijhe little chick is 

 started, and proper treatment at this time will often prevent trouble later on. 

 For the first twenty-four hours small chicks should have no food. When they 

 are removed from the nest or from the machine, oare should be taken not to 

 chill them, and each should be given, before being placed in its new home, 

 whether brood-coop or brooder, a little drink of pure, fresh water by dipping 

 its bill. It is very little trouble to do this, and the results are well worth the 

 effort. For twenty-four to forty-eight hours after they are placed in the 

 brooder or brood-coop, little chicks should have, as first food, dry stale bread 

 crumbs, barely moistened with milk, to which has been added a little sharp 

 sand. The effect of this food is to clear the chicks' digestive organs and to 

 assist in the proper absorption of the yolk. This food should be discontinued 

 at the end of forty-eight hours, when the chicks may be put on any good dry 

 grain chick food. Dry grain chick food is recommended because when it 



