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Page Fourteen
THE CABOLINA UNION FARMER
[Thursday, January 23, 1913.
Poultry Department
Conducted by Uncle Joe.
HATCHING CHICKS.
Many now have started hatching
out more or less early chickens. In
a great many localities there is a sort
of competition as to who can produce
the first tomatoes and the first chicks
in the new year, and those who have
already set down are by now seeing
lifQ moving. The early hatched chick
en is always more troublesome than
later on, but if well cared for, they
pay for the extra trouble. The cock
erels can be sold off early at a good
price, and the pullets come on to lay
and will often continue right through
the fall and winter. If a large roomy
coop is provided for the hen, and a
good dry fioor, there should not be
much difficulty in doing a good part
for the chicks. If the hen is not
crowded, she can keep the youngsters
proof against the cold, but if the fioor
is damp, or only the bare earth used,
the cold and wet can strike right up
into them, and the hen has no
chance. Provide a dry covered run
separate for the youngsters, and keep
plenty of dry ashes down, for this can
easily be replenished and raked over
before it becomes foul. The food
can be given in little troughs and re
moved as soon as they have had, their
fill. Give water or milk to drink,
and let the vessel be so arranged that
the chicks can only get their bills in
it, thus avoiding wet, cold feet. Cut
up finely any sort of green food that
is handy—growing wheat, oats, rye,
clover, kale, rape, or even turnip
tops. For the first week feed every
two hours from 7 a. m. to 6 p. m.,
giving them rolled or flaked oats at
each feed. After the first week feed
a variety of cracked grain, corn,
wheat, oats, and any seeds you hap
pen to have, such as cane, peas, etc.
Never feed them a wet, sodden mass
of corn meal. If you must feed them
corn-meal because “mother did,”
give it to them dry, mixed with dry
bran and placed in vessels so it can
not be fouled or scrathed out. The
meal being dry, they cannot eat
enough to hurt them.
The brooding coops for these early
hatches should be located facing the
south, and well protected from the
north winds. Dry cold will not hurt;
it is the wet and wind together that
plays havoc with the early hatches.
With the boarded fioor and the front
properly shut up, no vermin can get
in, and while allowing for ventila
tion at the top of the coop, the rain
should not be able to blow in. So
have the roof well over the side all
around. On all nice, warm sunny
days, it is well to allow the chicks to
run at large up in the day, keeping
the hen confined to her coop.
Securing Fertile Eggs.
The problem of securing a large
percentage of fertile eggs is of great
importance to every poultry raiser.
Their success depends on their abil
ity to obtain them. This subject de
serves a great deal more attention
than it receives. It is very discour
aging to set a lot of eggs, have the
hens set on them three weeks and
then in the end hatch only one or two
chicks from each setting.
Eggs that are strong in fertility
come from strong, robust, healthy
fowls and they hatch good, strong
chicks. It must be remembered, that
it requires the right kind of feed,
good care and a knowledge how to se
lect breeders to secure fertile eggs.
Of course the fertility of eggs de
pends a great deal upon the condi
tion of the male. If he is not in
good condition, or if he is allowed to
run with too many females, the eggs
are liable to be infertile. The male
is half the fiock, and should be in
perfect condition.
The number of females that should
be allowed to run with a male de
pends upon his age, vigor, the breed,
and whether the birds are kept in
confinement or on free range. A male
that is in good condition ought to be
able to take care of ten hens if a
Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte or Rhode
Island Red, and from fifteen to twen
ty if White or Brown Leghorns.
The male should be at least one
year old and not much oyer two years
old. One that was hatched in Feb
ruary, March, or April, will, if prop-
early deared, will be in good condition
for breeding purposes the next sea
son. He should run with the hens
only during the breeding season, so
that his vitality will not be impaired.
The females should be in the pink of
condition and at least one year old.
Pullets hatched in February, March,
or April will be fit for breeders the
following year.
It is a well known fact that eggs
are more fertile in the spring and
summer months than during winter.
This shows that freer range and a
variety of green food help in obtain
ing more fertile eggs.
Inbreeding is another cause of in
fertile eggs. Where it has been prac
ticed a number of years the strain
will at last “run out”. The eggs will
be weaker in fertility each year and
the fowls will be smaller each year.
To have strong, robust, healthy fowls
you must introduce new blood
about every ten years into your
fiocks. Good sound grain should be
fed at all times. Fresh water, char
coal, grit and if come-at-able oyster
shells should be kept before them at
all times.
The poultry house should be well
ventilated, but no draughts, as an
abundance of fresh air, is essential to
health. .
Question; “I have pullets which I
will use as breeders the season now
opening mated with a two-year-old
cock, hatched in March and April,
1912, and are as large as hens, but
are not laying yet. Should I force
them for eggs, or allow them to lay
In their own good time?
“Would it be safe to use eggs from
this pen for incubation as early as
February 1, provided the pullets be
gin to lay this month?
“Am told that first litter of eggs
laid by pullets should not be used for
hatching, but should wait until the
pullet becomes broody and starts on
her second litter. Do you thihk this
the better plan, or could I use the
first eggs laid?”
Answer: In regard to forcing your
fowls for eggs, I would not advise
you to feed condiments or stimulants
of any kind. It would be safe to use
eggs from this pen for incubation at
the time you mention, and, in fact, at
an earlier date if the birds begin to
lay sooner. It is not necessary to lose
the first litter of eggs laid by pullets.
This “litter” idea exists largely in
some people’s imagination. The third
or fourth egg after mating is likely
to be fertile as well as all others laid
after that, as long as the bird is in
the breeding pen, and all such eggs
are suitable for hatching. i
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regard to the purchase of Provisions, Farming Implements, Buggies, Wag
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This office is prepared to give you information as to the best place
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This Bureau is -designed not only to give you much valuable infor
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BufirRV
Plow
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Carriaee
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Cement
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Chum
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