Money in Broilers and Sqtiabs. 57 



CHAPTER VII. 



Drooping Wings in Chicks — Roofing the Brooder Houses— Bowel 

 Troubles in Young Chicks — Dressing for Market— Raising Stock 

 Birds. 



Complaint is time and again received that the wings of some 

 of the chicks being grown for broilers grow tqo fast, causing the 

 birds to droop and die. We wrote to a number of poultrymen on 

 the subject and secured the following replies: 



F. Bause, New Berlin, Pa. ; "I pull the large wing feathers as 

 soon as the chicks droop." 



Aug. D. Arnold, Dillsburg, Pa. : "I find the use of sweet milk 

 the best preventative for drooping wings in chicks. Give milk in- 

 stead of water to drink." 



Whiting Farm, Holyoke, Mass. : "We do not consider it neces- 

 sary to clip the wings, as the chickens will do fully better without 

 this. Where such a course is necessary, the food ration is usually 

 at fault, or other conditions." 



W. Theo. Wittman, AUentown, Pa. : "Most people believe that 

 it is the wing feathers that grow too fast, or are abnormally de- 

 veloped. This is not it ; the chick has not grown fast enough. Hence, 

 anything that stunts the growth helps to develope this wing 

 trouble, and in most cases it is a matter of the wrong kind of feed. 

 Chicks from eggs laid by inbred or closely confined stock are apt 

 to come that way." 



W. W. Kulp, Pottstown, Pa.: "I cut (never pull) the wing 

 feathers and tail. I cut them before they droop, as it is easier to 

 prevent than cure. If you pull them you might injure the socket 

 where the feather grows. A new feather will grow in the socket, 

 but it will generally be without color. Nature seems to say it is 

 hard work to grow a feather after such treatment, without putting 

 it in color." 



C. E. Howell, Elmira, N. Y.:, "We make it a practice to clip 

 off the ends of the flight feathers on all chicks when they are about 

 ten days old, and think it is a great help in a general way, for it 

 retards the growth of the wings. However, if the wings grow faster 

 than the remainder of the chick, there is always a cause. The three 

 principal causes of the trouble are, ist,their feed ; 2d, improper heat 

 or exposure; 3d, lack of exercise. With a close watch on these 

 essential points, very little trouble will be found with the chick's 

 wings." 



