140 HATCHING AND REARING 



Until they begin to forage, this grain feed can be given three 

 times a day, at morning, noon and night. If available, sour skim 

 milk, kept constantly before them in hoppers or fountains, is 

 good. This is the generally accepted practice in feeding brooder 

 chicks, but it may be possible to modify the ration slightly. 



Importance of Fresh Air. — From the time the chicks are a few 

 days old they should be encouraged to go out of doors as much 

 as possible; the fresh air will make them grow more rapidly. 

 Poor results in artificial brooding are often due to keeping the 

 chicks in too high a temperature, and to lack of fresh air. 



Things to be Avoided in Brooding. — The heaviest loss in 

 brooding chicks may be attributed to one of the four follow- 

 ing causes : First, overheating, or running the brooder at too 

 high a temperature, and keeping the chicks confined to the 

 heat, which results in delicate hot-house birds without stam- 

 ina, which develop a severe diarrhoea. Second, chilling, or 

 keeping at such a low temperature that the birds crowd to- 

 gether to keep warm, and many die of suffocation, while others 

 are generally weakened in constitution. Third, there is often 

 considerable loss because the young chicks pick at each other's 

 toes. This is called cannibalism, due to a thirst for blood, 

 and is particularly common with the light, active breeds. 

 The habit can be largely overcome by putting the birds out of 

 doors on clean grass range, and giving them meat scrap, wheat 

 bran and ground bone, mixed in equal parts, and put where 

 they can get it all the time. Fourth, many brooder chicks 

 are lost as the result of infectious diseases. Contagious white 

 diarrhoea may be inherited from the mother hen, and is quickly 

 communicated by one bird to another. Bacillary diarrhoea 

 in a flock can be checked by giving an abundance of sour 

 skim milk, but when flocks are affected by this disease it is 

 better to begin with new stock and eggs from another source. 



Weaning. — After chicks are five weeks old the temperature 

 should be gradually lowered and artificial heat done away 

 with. This will wean the cliicks from warmth so that they can 



