\ j : ; 3 Price 25 Cents. THE POULTRY KEEPER SERIES. | No. 3. ANAGEMIENT YOUNG CnICKS, fi Porm ts COBS. EDITOR OF THE POULTRY KEEPER and FARM, FIELD AND STOCKMAN. PUBLISHED BY Mie = RY POW IS, Proprietor of THE POULTRY KEEPER, and FARM, FIELD AND STOCKMAN. 89 RANDOLPH S7., CHICAGO, ILL. THE POULTRY KEEPER SERIES. No. 3. MAMAGEMEM OF YOUNG CHICKS. | /BY P. H. JACOBS, EDITOR OF THE POULTRY KEEPER, and FARM, FIELD AND STOCKMAN. ° * PUBLISHED BY WV Vile ect ONVELS: Proprietor of THE POULTRY KEEPER, and FARM, FIELD AND STOCKMAN, 89 RANDOLPH ST., CHICAGO, ITL, CHICAGO, ILL., U.S. A.: 188-4. THE POULTRY KEEPER SERIES. See py P: He JACOBS: No. 1. POULTRY FORSPROPID 3 eo ee ee Price 25 Cents. No. 2. INCUBATORS AND BROODERS.................. Price 25 Cents. RNro. 3. MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS............ Price 25 Cents. NWro. =. DISEASES OF POULTRY: = 2.30250 c soe ee Price 25 Cents. No. 5S. ONE THOUSAND FACTS ABOUT POULTRY..... Price 25 Cents. TO THE READER. In presenting the PoULTRY KEEPER SERIES the author has consid- ered it proper to arrange the subjects under appropriate titles, thereby believing the readers will be better enabled to select those portions which directly interest them. It is much better to present different subjects in separate works, at a small cost for each, than to refer to alarger volume containing much that may be foreign to the reader’s requirements. As the author has devoted many years to the study of poultry, and also interested himself in breeding nearly all the varieties, as well as conducted numerous experiments, he sin- cerely trusts that the readers will reap many times the cost of this work, and that each and all may be successful. Respectfully, THE AUTHOR. —:0:— COPYRIGHT, 1885, BY Wn Wn 15s DOV gS THE EGG AND THE CHICK. In this little book, which we devote entirely to the management of young chicks, we think it proper to begin our subject with the process of incubation itself. Everyone knows, says an eminent authority, that an egg is composed of yolk and white in a thin membrane, aJi enclosed in a shell very brittle and of various colors. The yolk is composed of blood assimilated through the working power of the hen, and a proportion of oil drawn from the grain she eats. The white is a thick mucilage derived from the green or vegetable portion of her daily diet, while the membrane or skin is made from the woody, fibrous substance of the same. The yolks, or ova, grow in a cluster on the spine, and pass through a tuft of soft skin between the lungs and the kidneys, one being formed every twenty-four or thirty-six hours while the hen is laying, which is enclosed in a very thin skin. On the maturing of the yolk this skin breaks, letting it drop into the mouth of a funnel-shaped duct, in length from fifteen to twenty inches, consisting of three divisions, the terminus of each being an elbow. The inner side of this canal is very soft and pliable, being composed of folds lapping partially over each other, the last division being very much finer in texture than the others. While passing through the first division, the length of which is five inches, the yolk makes three distinct revolu- tions and the white is put on in the same number of layers. In the second, the same length as the first, the yolk, with the white around it, gets its shape from the rotary motion of its course; and also the membrane which encloses it; while in the third division the shell is received, which is a thin fluid, in color to suit the breed. At the turning of this division the duct is globe shaped, and here the egg turns and comes out big end or head first. The egg is fertilized by the influence of the male bird, which passes through a small duct along the spine of the cluster of small ova. The yolk is suspended in the center by two spiral cords, one end being attached to each end of the yolk, the other end, passing through the white, being fastened to the membrane lining the shell. These cords are laid 6 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. “right and left handed,” thus holding it with the heavy side down, no matter in what position the egg may be held or placed. The chick is formed entirely from the white, and here we see the use of the three revolutions, in the first division. The first layer forms the bone and sinew, the second the flesh, the third the skin and feathers. The first part formed is the eyes, appearing as two black specks, one on each side of the suspending cord at the large end, next the skull bone between, and in order the neck, spine, legs and wings. At nine days there is a complete circulation and life, and at fourteen days the white is all taken up. The cords have now made a connection in the stomach and protrude from the naval in a num- ber of blood vessels and enclose the yolk in a network of smaller ones, and through these the chick Qraws its nourishment from the yolk, transformed to its original substance, blood. After the shell is cracked, and the chick has gained strength, these two large blood vessels draw into the belly what remains of the yolk, the naval is closed, the course is all clear, and having cracked the shell all round, the little creature gets its head against one end and its tiny feet against the other, the parts separate, and out rolls the chick. The subject may be further discussed with interest. According to the views of experienced investigators, the productive powers of a hen depend upon her constitutional capability and the feeding. The statement that a hen has a certain number of germs of ovules in the ovary at birth, and that these mature during certain periods of her life, is simply bosh. Itis a baseless, imaginary supposition, and quite inconsistent with what is known as the laws of animal growth. If these 600 ovules exist, at what time were they formed? They must have existed in the young chicks, and if so, they must have been in embryo in the eggs. This is not possible. It might as well be said that every fat globule in the milk of a cow has been numbered and provided for at the birth of the calf, because these globules are produced by cell growth in precisely the same manner as the ovules in the ovary ofahen. It was once said, years ago, that the whole ofa tree existed in embryo in the seed—the roots, stem, branches and leaf. Thisisa parallel misstatement to that in regard to the hen. The absurdity is apparent to anyone who thinks about it, and one is as absurd as the other. The fact is the hen at birth has no apparent ovules, nor is the ovary fully formed. This grows and matures as the chick grows and increases in age and size, from the ordinary cell growth, by which the bone, muscle and other parts of the fowl are produced from the blood, which is made from the food. The food is eaten and digested and changed into blood; the blood forms the matter from which the cellular tissue of the animal is built up. If MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG COHICKS. 7 the food is not sufficient for all the wants of the animal, its life is first sustained, then its sustenance is added to, but its reproductive functions are not completed or set in action. For this full purpose of a living creature, whether plant or animal, full and sufficient nutriment must be provided. A hen will not lay eges unless fully fed, simply because the ovules in this ovary cannot be formed with- ut the necessary substances, which must come from the blood. And these ovules are formed by an abundant growth of tissues in proportion to the supply of food. The better a hen is fed, and the more judicious care bestowed upon her, the more eggs she will pro- duce. As some hens have been known to lay over 2,000 eggs in the course of a long life, it is very clear that a large number of ovules must have been produced somehow, although she was provided with 600 at her birth. The whole statement is one of those foolish “facts” of “popular” science of which so many are turned out of the science mills. Common sense is very much needed in the investigation of every subject; and it is a great pleasure to opserve that truth is being elicited from day to day, and ignorance and superstition are gradually passing away; yet, despite the claims of those who take the above view, others maintain that the hen has in her ovaries, in round numbers, more than 600 egg germs, which develop gradually and are successfully laid. Of these 600 the hen will lay twenty in the first year, 135 in the second year, and 114 in the third. ‘In each one of the following four years the number of eggs diminishes by twenty, and in the ninth year she will lay at most ten eggs. In or- der to obtain from them sufficient product to cover the expense of alimentation, they should not be allowed to live over four years. The Demand For Chicks. Before going further we will state that the fear on the part of some is that the market for poultry and young chicks may be over- stocked, and that prices for chicks, fowls and eggs may become so low in price as to be unprofitable. Such has been the claim for fifty years. When the railroads began to branch out in every direction and open new avenues to market, it was thought that everything would fall in price, and provisions be much cheaper. Turkeys were then driven to market on foot, and so were hogs and sheep. Eggs could be bought for six cents a dozen in some places, and even in winter fifteen cents was considered a high price. At the present day there is no section of our country that is without railroad facilities, and yet we are not overstocked. Overstocking the market is not an easy matter. It requires organized effort to do so, and with all the 8 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. schemes and plans that may be made for so doing, the market only remains in such condition for a day or two. If all the farmers around Chicago should combine, and each keep 1,000 hens, with incubators to assist in hatching the chicks, the Chicago market could not be overstocked a week. Let it be remembered, too, that Chicago is but one of the number of markets that are open to the sale of poultry and eges, to say nothing of the increased demand which is always occasioned by an unlimited supply. The poultry market cannot be overstocked. The greater the number of eges sent to market the larger the number of purchasers. In proportion to cost, eggs are higher, asa usual thing, in price than any other production of the farm. Despite the increase in numbers of those who are engaging in the poultry business, the supply falls short of the demand, and the greater the attempt to fill the demand the wider the difference between supply and demand, as may be proved by the fact that, although there is now more poultry and eges produced than in former periods, we are compelled to import eggs from Europe in order to satisfy those who are willing to purchase. There is no such thing as overproduction. True, there may be times when large quantities may be shipped and remain in market for a short time, being slow in selling, and depressing the price somewhat, but the market not only reverts to its normal con- dition, but the excess sent forward causes a corresponding reaction, which not only enhances prices but elevates the apparently over- stocked market to one demanding a greater supply. Production creates demand. The natural law which prevents an oversupply except at the expense of an undersupply in another direction ordains that the extra demand for a certain article lessens the demand for another, and consequently the purchasers who may be added to those preferring poultry are taken from those who formerly were purchasers of substitutes, Which rule governs the production and sale of commodities all over the world, and in thus admitting that there may be overproduction of some articles there will be no overproduction of all, and at no period can necessary articles of food be sent to market in excess without at some future time finding common level. As a scarcity arises it attracts attention and thus enables us to maintain an equilibrium on all productions, but too much cannot be produced. Then, again, if too much can be produced, which may be acinitted for comparison, there is never, nor can be, an excess in quality. Good poultry will sell, even if every storehouse and market stall be piled up with carcasses. Buyers not only demand a supply, MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. 9 but they are willing to pay wellfor the best. If poultry is to be made a business, therefore, it is apparent that a small investment for a sitting of eggs from a good strain of pure-breds is but a drop in the ocean as compared with the profits to be derived from the increased price which poultry of good quality always brings. The Foundation of Success. The foundation of success in hatching young chicks, either under hens or in incubators, is vigorous, healthy parents. Many parties collect eggs from anywhere and everywhere, whether the season be cold or warm, and attach the same value to all, provided the eggs are fresh. That is a point few overlook—the freshness of the eges—but while it is essential that the eggs be fresh, yet it is still more important that they be procured from stock of good quality and full of vigor. Eggs from fowls confined in yards, no matter how well provided for the hens may be, will not hatch as well as those from hens that are in the full enjoyment of liberty and with unrestricted range, nor will eggs from very fat hens give as good results as those from hens in moderate condition. The eggs from pullets do not hatch as well as do those from hens, and the eggs from hens mated with large, coarse, clumsy cocks are not always as satisfactory as those from flocks headed by an active, ight and attentive cock. Eggs that have been exposed to severe cold are sometimes useless, while those from hens afflicted with even the slightest ailment may at times disappoint the poultrymen. Everyone who desires to raise chicks for market, if he expects to buy eggs, should personally attend-to the improvement of his neighbor's flock. The plan adopted by the writer of this proved a successful one, and may be put in practice anywhere. Desiring to raise broilers for market, using incubators for that purpose, the principal difficulty was not only to get good eges but to procure them from suitable stock. Having a flock of two hundred fine, well bred Plymouth Rocks, of which a large proportion were fully developed, vigorous cockerels, those suitable for the show room were sold at fair prices. The remainder, though equally as good as those sold, were deficient in a few insignificant points, such asa twist in the comb, or a black or white feather on an undesirable portion of the body, which defects, while debarring them from com- petition for prizes, in no matter detracted from their merits as suitable cockerels for crossing on common hens.- Noticing that our neighbors, though willing to use pure-bred stock, were not partial 10 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. to paying a fair price for cockerels, we quietly went among them and offered to trade Plymouth Rock cockerels for scrub cocks. Our offers were always accepted, and our neighbors intimated that they would be happy at some time to show their appreciation of such neighborly kindness on our part. We replied that we asked no compensation except that when they had eggs to spare they would allow us the first opportunity of purchasing them, as we were willing to pay as high a price for them as could be procured else- where. They did not see any imposition in our modest request, and agreed to oblige us. Thus, we displaced their scrub cocks, which we sent to market, and were able to procure eggs that would hatch chicks one-half Plymouth Rock, to say nothing of the fact that we received flattering compliments for our liberality in exchanging pure-breds for scrubs, while it is apparent to the reader that our real motive was a selfish one. However, as we conferred benefit on our neighbors, also, no doubt our selfishness was tempered with a trace of justice. The incident is mentioned here as a case showing that one can “love his neighbor as himself’ in a manner conducive to both morality and profit, and is certainly applicable to our readers who desire to procure eggs from the best stock. It will pay to buy eggs of pure breeds and give the cockerels to your neighbors every season. Feeding Chicks. In our former two books in this series, “Poultry for Profit” (No. 1) and “Incubators and Brooders” (No. 2), we gave full direc- tions for the management of sitting hens and incubators, as well as much that may be useful to many in regard to the management of young chicks, and hence we are somewhat restricted in order to avoid inflicting the reader with repetitions. It is well, however, to lay down a course of feeding for the chicks from the time they emerge from the shells to the time when they are sent to market. Before doing so let us notice the fact that all kinds of food have their special functions. Some are fat-pro- ducing, and do not supply sufficient phosphates and lime for the bones. Others are deficient in nitrogen, and do not furnish nutri- tion for the muscles, feathers and internal structure. Hence, a young chick may starve in the midst of plenty simply because it is deprived of some particular element which the system demands. Whenever this occurs, disease of the bowels is the result, and for the first four weeks the chicks must be fed early, late, and often, and on a variety of food. When we state that they must be fed early no doubt some may object, but if chicks are to be made to pay, our MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. 11 readers must be as willing to jump out of their beds on a cold morn- ing, for the purpose of feeding them, as to get up at an early hour in o:der to attend to the horses, cows, or other stock. It is business, and demands attention. Another reason for feeding them early is that there isalong period of time between supper and breaktast during the winter months, and the more we shorten that interval the better for the health of the chicks, and the faster they wlll grow. Hence, in our bill of fare we fix the times, assuring our readers that it is just as important to observe regularity in feeding as in the manner in which it is done. Preparation of Food. Before stating how to feed we advise our readers to keep on hand, always ready for use, a few of the following preparations, which can be made cheaply, especially if one of Wilson’s bone mills is used, the price of which is only $5. Preparation No. 1.—One pound wheat, ohne pound corn, cne pound oats, one pound buckwheat. Parch the whole until very brown, and then grind the mixture to a fine powder. Now add to it half a pound of finely ground bone, half a pound ground charcoal, half a pound chalk, and two tablespoontuls of common salt. Preparation No. 2.—One pound fine bone meal, one pound chalk, one pound ground meat, and one ounce each of salt, sulphur and finely ground carbonate of iron. Preparation No. 3.—Mix five pounds clean oats, five pounds wheat, three pounds corn, and two pounds buckwheat. Grind the whole together. Preparation No. 4.—Mix ten pounds clean oats, five pounds corn, five pounds wheat, three pounds buckwheat, and one pound charcoal. Grind the mixture fine, and add one pound chalk, one pound bone meal, a quarter pound of salt, and five pounds coarse bran. Preparation No. 5.—One pound oatmeal, one pound rice, one pound corn meal; the mixture to be well cooked until thoroughly done. Then add one quart of milk, and let it boil down till quite thick, so that when cold it may be crumbled into pieces. If it burns, scorches, or dries too much, no harm will be done. Preparation No. 6.—One pound bran, one pound shipstuff, one pound buckwheat meal, one pound oat meal, one pound corn meal, one pound crude tallow, one quart milk, one ounce salt. Cook well to a stiff mass. Preparation No. 7.—Three eges (well beaten), one quart milk, 12 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. and one tablespoonful of salt. When it comes to a boil, thicken toa thick mass with oat meal and corn meal mixed. Preparation No. 8.—Cook enough rice in a pint of milk to make apaste. Then add one egg (well beaten), a teaspoonful of tincture of iron, and while boiling add enough of Preparation No. 1 to thicken it to a crumbly mass when cold. Preparation No. 9.—One ounce tincture of iron, one ounce pare- goric, and one ounce tincture of camphor. Preparation No. 10.—One ounce tincture of iron, one ounce tincture of camphor, one ounce tincture of cayenne pepper, and one ounce paregoric. Preparation No. 11.—One pound fenugreek, one ounce ginger, one ounce sulphur, ohne ounce carbonate of iron, and one ounce chalk. Preparation No. 12.—Equal parts of castor oil and glycerine. The above preparations have their special purposes, which will be explained as we proceed, and it may be stated that the poultry- man should also lay in a supply of such articles as may be required for use from time to time in the shape of medicines, stimulants, ete. Ground bone meal for chicks may be procured of any seedsman, especially trom those in the large cities. Ground meat is the refuse of soap-boiling factories, from which the fat has been extracted, and the meat ground to a fine condition. Bill of Fare. The chick comes from the egg full, nature having made prepara- tion for its nourishment for at least twenty-four hours, by allowing it to absorb the contents of the yolk just previous to emerging from the shell. Consequently the chicks should not be fed for twenty- four hours, and thirty-six hours will be no inconvenience, SECOND DAY. Begin feeding as early as possible. Five o’clock is an excellent time to fix upon, but if at four o'clock somuch the better. Some poultrymen get up early and feed by the light of a lamp. The second day, however, is not so urgent, and feeding need not begin until eight o’clock. Give hard boiled eggs, white and yolks mixed, finely crumbled. Place the shells in a stove, let them dry, and then crumble and give them also. At noon give the same food, but place a little milk where they can reach it for drinking. No water will be necessary. At four o’clock do the same, and also at eight o’clock. Be sure and keep a plentiful supply of gravel on the floor for them, which should be very fine and mixed with sand. MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. 13 THIRD DAY. Be careful to keep the floor clean by cleaning it off every night and morning, for such is indispensable to health, and never omit the sand and gravel. At five o’clock give hard boiled eges as before, with the milk for drink. At eight o'clock give stale wheat bread crumbs. At twelve o’clock give corn bread crumbs, at four o’clock give wheat bread crumbs soaked in milk, and at eight o’clock give hard boiled eggs as before. Here it will be noticed that we are beginning to omit the eggs, which will cause disease of the bowels if persisted in. Let the food be cooked except the milk, which should remain convenient, all the time, in little vessels that permit the chicks to drink without walking in it or in any manner getting themselves wet. FOURTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 6. At eight o’clock give mashed potatoes. At noon give No. 1 (scalded). At four o’clock give No. 8. At eight o'clock give No. 3 (scalded). FIFTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 5. Ateight o’clock give No. 4. At noon give No.6. At four o’clock give No.7, and at eight o’clock give No. 8. SIXTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 4 (scalded but cooked is better always) to which may be added a little chopped onion. At eight o'clock give No. 5, with a little chopped cabbage added. At noon give No. 1. At four o’clock give nothing but a little chopped meat. At eight o'clock give No. 1. Be careful to scald the dry food with boiling water, or cook it a little every time it is fed. SEVENTH DAY. At five o’clock give No 5. At eight o’clock give coarse oat meal or screenings. At noon give No.1. At four o'clock give a little chopped meat. At eight o’clock give No. 7, mixing with it some finely chopped onion. EIGHTH DAY. The chicks will now begin on their second week, and the eight o’clock morning meal, and four o’clock afternoon meal, may consist of coarse oat meal, sorghum seed, screenings, or any kind of small grain or seeds, using whole wheat as soon as the chicks are old enough to swallow such. Once a week cracked corn may be used, and with every meal of soft food give chopped cabbage and onion. At five o’clock give mashed potatoes, thickened with No. 1. At eight o'clock, small grain, as mentioned above. At noon give No. 4. At four o’clock, grain, as mentioned, and at eight o'clock give No. 6. 14 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. NINTH DAY. Be careful to add the cabbage and onion to each meal. At five o'clock give No. 8. At noon No. 3. At night No. 7. TENTH DAY. At five o’clock give No.1. At noon give No. 4, and at night give No. 5. ELEVENTH DAY. At five o’clock give No.6. At noon No.8, and at night give No. 4. TWELFTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 8. At noon give No.4. At four o’clock give a little chopped meat, and at night give No. 6. THIRTEENTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 3. At noon give No. 8, and at night give Nomis FOURTEENTH DAY. At five o’clock give No. 1. At noon give No. 5, and at night No. 6. : We have given a bill of fare for the first fourteen days, and have varied it some, though endeavoring to make it as nourishing as possible. Our object in thus varying it is to avoid disease of the bowels, and also to supply the system with all the elements that may be required. We suggest cooking the food for the reason that raw meal of any kind is injurious. It may seem troublesome to resort to so many preparations, but we simply suggest them, though the ingredients only need be kept, so that they can be mixed as required. Where hundreds of chicks are raised, however, it will be found convenient to have the articles ready prepared. In suggesting green food we do not confine ourselves to cabbage and onions. Good tender grass, when it can be procured, cut into half inch lengths, is excellent, and in winter good clover hay, cut in the same manner, mixed and scalded with the soft food, will be excellent. Turnip tops, kale, early rye, lettuce, or any green food, will answer. A beet, turnip, or carrot, chopped fine, and fed raw, is relished at times. Itis the variety that keeps the chicks in health. The grain may be changed as frequently as possible. Sorghum or broom corn seed may be substituted for screenings at periods, and also pop corn. Cracked corn should be given twice a week. Whole wheat and buckwheat may be given as soon as they can eat such. Instead of giving a bill of fare for days we will suggest one for weeks, and mention that milk, though excellent, may be omitted as drink when fed in the soft food, if preferred. Although we did not so state above, yet the eight o’clock, morning, and four o’clock afternoon meals should be of grain. MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. 15 THIRD WEEK. Give No. 8 in the morning, to which should be added green food. At eight o’clock give grain. At noon give a tablespoonful of No. 2, with mashed potatoes, for twenty chicks. At four o’clock give grain. At night give No. 6. The above is for the first day. The second day give No. 4 in the morning, with green food. At eight o’clock grain. At noon give mashed turnips (or potatoes) thickened with No.1. At four o’clock erain, and at night give No. 7. Alternate the two methods, using one the first day and one the second, and continuing until the end of the week, when the chicks will then be three ‘veeks old. FOURTH WEEK. Give No. 8 every morning. At eight o’clock grain. At noon give mashed potatoes or turnips thickened with No. 3, with a table- spoonful of No, 2 to twenty chicks. At four o'clock give grain, and at night give No. 6. Always add green food to the noon meal, but omit it in the others. At night add a teaspoonful of ground meat for every ten chicks to No. 6. Three times a week a small piece of beef, or liver, may be chopped fine and boiled with the mashed potatoes. FIFTH WEEK. Give the same except to substitute No. 5 for No. 8. At noon use No. land No. 3 mixed. No. 2 may be also used with No.5. This diet may be continued until the chicks go to market. Hints During Feeding. Never feed on the ground, but always on a clean surface, which will prevent gapes and other diseases. Little troughs are best, which should be shallow, and low enough for the chicks to eat with- out difficulty. Be careful to clean out the troughs as soon as the chicks have finished their meal, as any excess of food left over will ferment quickly and generate disease. No fixed quantity can be estimated as to how much a chick will eat. A healthy chick will eat more than a sickly one. The proper course to pursue is to give them as much as they will eat up clean at ameal, care being taken to remove the surplus, except the grain, which they should scratch for. In winter but little water will be required, but it should be pro- vided plentifully in summer. It should never be allowed to freeze, nor should. the chicks tread in it, or soil it in any manner. The vessels should be so constructed as to allow them to drink at a small aperture only. 16 MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHICKS. When the chicks are raised in brooders they may be called to their feed by giving afew raps or taps on the bottom of the brooder. They will understand the call before they are two days old. Put ten drops of tincture of iron in every pint of the drinking water as a tonic, and change the water morning and noon. Should the chicks show signs of costiveness of the bowels, by the vents clogging up, wash the parts in warm water, and anoint with No. 12. Givethe sick chick three drops of No. 10,and if it does not improve give one-quarter of a teaspoonful of No. 12. The sick chicks should be separated from those that are heaithy. In cases of looseness of the bowels, with scalding of the rear parts, wash the parts with warm water and anoint with No. 12. Then give one-quarter of a teaspoonful of No. 12 with three drops of No. 9, and add a pinch of No. 11 with the soft food, three times a day until the chick is well. ‘Should the whole brood show signs of diarrhoea feed on No. 8 in preference to other preparations. and if the chicks do not improve within twenty-four hours give No. 1 in the morning, No. 5 at noon, and No. 8 at night, but when thus dieting leave out the green food, and add a teaspoonful of No. 11 for twenty chicks. Should no improvement take place add also a teaspoonful (to the night meal only) of No. 10. Should constipation attack the brood, feed three times a day on a mixture of mashed potatoes and turnips, to which finely chopped onion is added, and thickened with No. 1. Many of the bowel diseases arise from colds. If a chick once becomes chilled it never recovers from the shock, an4 the effects of cold are charged to the feed, when in fact it is due to the chick becoming exposed at some time or other. About 90 degrees is the proper temperature for a brooder, and the heat should never get over 100 nor below 70. A few chicks together will thrive and grow faster than when crowded. One-half the failures are due to crowding. In a majority ot cases the chicks trample the excess of number to death until the minimum is reached, and the poultryman should save them the trouble, and himself loss, by reducing the number together to the lowest possible number in the first place. Should you at any time find a dead chick in the brooder when visiting the chicks in the morning it is an excellent indication that the chicks are overcrowded. A brooder may not be overcrowded the first week and yet be overcrowded the second week, as growth accomplishes that which numbers tail to do. MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG - CHICKS. a7; Not over fifty chicks should be placed in a brooder, and they should be gradually thinned out as they grow until finally fifteen chicks of fair size are allowed to remain. In feeding if you notice a struggle on the part of some to reach the feed provide more troughs. The accommodations should be ample.