REARING IN BROODERS . 47 



son. If the pullets show a tendency to lay before you want 

 them to they should be fed a less stimulating ration so as 

 to retard egg production. 



Causes of Bowel Trouble. 



This is caused by undigested food which acts as an 

 irritant and diarrhoea results. Other causes are too little 

 or too much heat; weak constitution; lack of exercise; im- 

 pure air or lack of ventilation; careless feeding; impure 

 drinking water; and unsanitary surroundings. Late hatch- 

 ed chickens are more troubled with it than those of earlier 

 hatches. Give them, scalded milk and charcoal with a little 

 grated nutmeg. 



If weak in their legs give them plenty of exercise and 

 fresh air. This trouble is almost always caused by too 

 heavy feeding or by too concentrated food given the young- 

 sters when they do not have sufficient chance to be active 

 enough to enable their systems to handle it. Chicks on frea 

 range are seldom troubled in this way though occasionally 

 some of the cockerels will be affected and then the condi- 

 tion may be caused by overfeeding or by injuries to their 

 backs received from larger and older males. 



Grade According to Size. 



If the growing chicks afe confined in yards, even if the 

 yards are large, they should be separated according to size 

 so that the larger ones will not mistreat the little ones 

 and thus check their growth and development. A half doz- 

 en six or seven-pound cockerels will prevent three times 

 as many smaller ones in the same pen from getting as 

 much food as they need and from enjoying the freedom 

 from annoyance that is necessary for proper developrhent. 

 This is not so necessary in the case of pullets, though when 

 trough feeding is practiced the larger ones will always 

 crowd out the sniailer. 



By hopper feeding this difficulty is avoided, the big 

 ones can go to the hopper and eat what they desire and 

 go away, leaving a chance for the younger ones to satisfy 

 their hunger without fear of being attacked. Hopper feed- 

 ing also saves at least two-thirds the labor of caring for 

 the flock. 



