76 ARTIFICIAL BROODING 



infertile eggs from the incubator may be used for 

 this purpose. Then feed them some good commer- 

 cial chick food, or if this is not easily obtainable, 

 give them a mixture of steel cut oatmeal, millet 

 seed, and fine cracked com. 



Never feed any sloppy, wet feeds, as it has a ten- 

 dency to cause bow^el trouble. Give them plenty 

 of milk or water to drink and keep the vessels clean, 

 a scouring each day will not take much time and 

 will be a precaution against disease. 



Give the chicks plenty of green food, sprouted 

 oats, or tender grass, also some fine beef scraps, or 

 some raw meat cut up fine. They relish the latter 

 and it does them much good, serving the same 

 purpose as insects. 



Keep the little ones busy by feeding the ground 

 grain feeds in the litter, and feed them four or 

 five times daily. 



If the foregoing advice is closely followed the 

 amateur poultry raiser will have little trouble in 

 raising a flock of healthy chicks and developing 

 them into vigorous pullets and cockerels. 



If a common, ordinary shallow dish is used the 

 chicks will invariably hop into it, not only contin- 

 ually getting their feet wet but also keeping the 

 water so soiled that it is unfit to drink. An auto- 

 matic water fountain will prevent this, and is the 

 only device which should be used on a well regu- 

 lated poultry plant. There are many kinds upon 



