ON CHICKENS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 12, 13 July 1935, Page 28

ON CHICKENS

The early bird gets the worm! There is nothing like ample free range on clean ground for growing chicks. The best chicks reared are those allowed their full liberty with a good broody hen. She will teach them to scratch earlier, and they wlil be far stronger than their sisters reared under mass production methods.' Before setting a hen on eggs make certain that she is thoroughly clucky. It is best to place her on some dummy eggs' for. a few days until she is quite at homein tier new surroundings. See that she does not suffer from scaly legs, and dust her thoroughly for body lice. Do not. expect 100 per cent, fertility from dual-purpose breeds early in the season. From 700 eggs set recently, over 150 were removed at the first test as infertile. This is certainly a high average, but the breeders were on free range, though in large flock matings. Better results always come from small matings than from larger flock pens. Try to get the chicks to eat as quickly as possible. • The old idea that it is advisable to starve chicks for 24 hours after hatching has been disproved under test. At the same time, it must be remembered that the wee chicks do not require much food for the- first few days, and care must be taken to see that no stale food is left about. If the maker's instructions say that a brooder will hold 500 chicks you can safely put just half this number under the brooder. Maybe an expert could rear the full number successfully, but it is always best to be on the safe side. Always brood in as small units as possible, as the chicks do better, even if more labour is involved. Watch the water supply. Chicks are rather silly things, and they will quickly dirty the water, which must be kept clean at all costs.* For the first few days place some layers of newspaper under the water tin, and renew these ' just as soon as they become damp. Stray cats are very fond of young chicks, and the only method of avoiding losses is to see that the cats disappear, or else keep the chicks in movable netting runs. In any case the sleeping shed should be ratproof. Young chicks require plenty of protein, which can be supplied in the form of milk or meat. Up to 20 per cent, may be fed for the first eight weeks, when the amount must be cut down to as low as 5 per cent., otherwise maturity will be forced too much. If you.are. buying day-old chicks, place your order immediately, as everyone wants "them about the same time and most breeders are already booked up for • the ideal hatching dates. Kemember that they cannot be produced like sausages, although some cheap chicks do resemble sausages in that their ancestry is not always known! Do not try to rear chicks without a heated brooder, if you have not had experience. Quite a number use fireless brooders, but they do need far more attention than heated ones. See to it that all incubator and brooder lamps have a new lamp wick. The old one may appear good enough, but they soon become blocked with dirt, and any chance of fire must be avoided. Some large poultrymen always take out .a special seasonal insurance cover on their incubators and chicken sheds. If you Have ever seen 500 chicks burnt in a,brooder,you.will appreciate the value of such a cover.

Electric incubators and brooders are popular today, and the risk of damage through the power failing is so small that it need not enter into account.