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The care given baby chicks during the first few days of their lives is vitally important. This cannot be 
| emphasized too strongly. Heavy mortality can usually be traced right back to this critical period. Chick 
‘ mortality can be reduced greatly by following these simple suggestions, which have been found to be the most 
| satisfactory through experience gained in handling thousands of chicks. 
| The brooder stoves and houses must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The floor of the house cov- 
' ered with clean chaff, cut clover or sand to the depth of at least one-half inch. The stoves started at least 
| two days before the chicks arrive, with the temperature at the edge of the canopy around 100° Fahrenheit. 
| When the chicks arrive examine them carefully, and see that all are bright and lively. Some may show 
' signs of slow development after a few days. Such chicks should be removed from the main flock where they 
| can be given special attention. Unless they show signs of improvement, they should not be put back with the 
' others, but should be either fed for market or destroyed. The best time to put the chicks under the hover is 
| just before dark. Take a few out of the boxes at a time and get them settled under the hover before putting 
| the others under. Avoid excitement and noise as much as possible. 
| Chicks which have travelled some distance are usually upset and nervous. Be sure that they have quieted 
| down before giving them any feed. Grit and tepid water should be before them all the time. Do not give 
cold water under any circumstances. 
THE FIRST FEEDING 
| On the label of our boxes you will find the date the chicks were hatched. Give them their first feed of 
| “Square Deal” Buttermilk Starting Feed when they are seventy-two hours old. You cannot bé too careful 
| about the first feedings. Baby chicks are extremely delicate, and are often killed by too much kindness and 
_ too much feed. After they have become thoroughly settled, put down several clean boards or papers, and put 
| on them a handful or two of “Square Deal” Starting Feed. Attract their attention to the feed by tapping the 
| boards lightly with the finger tips. Do not allow the chicks to eat longer than fifteen minutes at each feeding, then 
| gather up all the feed which was not eaten. They should be fed four times a day in this manner for the first four 
| days. Leave the feed before them a few minutes longer each day, and one the fifth day put the feed in hoppers, 
keeping it before them all the time. On the evening of the fourth day scatter a few handfuls of “Square Deal ” 
| Baby Chick Grains in the litter. Thereafter give the chicks a light grain feed both morning and evening. 
| If there is any green feed available, such as lettuce or sprouted oats, give the chicks a little of this each 
| day. It will help materially. 
| Follow these directions and feeding instructions carefully until the chicks are six weeks old, with the ex- 
ception of the grain ration, which should be changed from “ Square Deal” Baby Chick Grains to “ Square Deal ” 
Developer Grains after the fourth week. At the end of the sixth week, start to change the feed to “ Square 
| Deal” Buttermilk Growing Mash, by mixing equal parts of starting feed and growing mash, gradually reduc- 
ing the quantity of starting feed until the chicks are on the growing mash ration. This change should be com- 
_ pleted in two weeks. 
Keep a close watch on the chicks for lice. Clean the brooder houses frequently and spray with a good dis- 
infectant each time. As soon as the weather permits, get the chicks on the ground into the sunlight. This will 
tend to prevent leg weakness, toe picking and other vices. 
As soon as the cockerels can be determined, separate them from the pullets and feed them for market. 
| “Square Deal” Buttermilk Fattening ration should be used for this purpose. 
When the pullets grow to maturity, change their feed from growing mash to “Square Deal” Buttermilk 
_ Laying Mash and Scratch Grains in the same way the change from starting feed to growing mash was made. 
