THE INTESTINES AND CROP 



to pick up, there is little need to. pay any attention to the supply of vege- 

 table food, but just as soon as the chicks are kept in confinement or an 

 attempt is made to raise them on bare ground or in buildings where 

 they cannot get fresh succulent green food, this item becomes of the ut- 

 most importance, although it is frequently overlooked. It is possible to 

 bring some broods to maturity with only a very limited supply of green food, 

 but in the majority of cases unless raw vegetable food is fed freely the results 

 will be disastrous. 



Raw Vegetable Food is Necessary , 



One of the most satisfactory food rations is a dry grain chick food 

 kept always before the chicks with a constant supply of granulated bone, 

 pure beef scrap of good quality, charcoal, grit and pure fresh drinking water. 

 This ration should be supplemented with daily feeding of raw vegetable 

 food unless the chicks are running on grass land. Raw potatoes and raw 

 beets are undoubtedly the most satisfactorj^ raw vegetable foods for feeding 

 small chicks. They should be fed cut in large pieces scattered about so that 

 all chicks have an equal opportunity to pick at them. Scalded cut clover 

 may be fed occasionally, also rye, oats, or wheat sprouts but cabbage should 

 be fed very sparingly as it is liable to cause digestive disturbance and diar- 

 rhoea, particularly if it has been frosted. Where the chicks have already 

 developed diarrhoea raw potatoes are the best form of raw vegetable food. 



In addition to the dry grain food, which should be supplemented as 

 the chicks get large enough with hard wheat and fine cracked corn, some 

 cooked food should be fed occasionally to afford variety, and for this pur- 

 pose there is nothing better than thoroughly boiled cracked rice or boiled 

 wheat. These grains should be seasoned slightly with salt while cooking, 

 and should be boiled almost dry and fed when cool. 



Beef Scrap Should Be Tested 



Extreme care must be employed in selecting the meat food or beef 

 scrap, as it is through infected beef scrap that many oases of bowel trouble 

 due to impure food arise. Good beef scrap should not have a foul odor, 

 neithershouldit be lumpy or full of vegetable fibre (adulteration with cotton 

 seed hulls). If the scrap is lumpy and the lumps show white in the interior 

 on being broken apart the scrap should not be fed to either young or old 

 stock, as it is only fit for fertilizer. 



A good way to test beef scrap is to examine it first for lumps. If none 

 are found and the scrap smells reasonably sweet wet up a little of it with 

 scalding water. If a foul odor is given off the scrap is not fit for feeding 

 small chicks. If the odor remains sweet and meaty it is usually safe to 

 feed the scrap. Scrap should always be tasted to ascertain if it is salt, as 

 sometimes scrap is sold for poultry feeding that contains a considerable pro- 

 portion of salt, and when fed trouble results. Good pure meat scrap may 



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