Better keep the growing chicks shut up nights,there are other enemies to be looked out for after they get too big for the cat.
If you are through breeding, don't keep those best hens laying after they want to sit.If you want to show them next season, let them sit three weeks and thus reduce the surplus flesh.
See that the drinking water is placed in a shady place,and that dishes are well cleaned once a day and refilled at east twice a day. A growing chick must have pure water at all times.
If you have any surplus breeding stock for sale send an add now. Dont carry them over till fall, thereby crowding the growing stock, but sell enough now to make the proceeds raise the chicks,,
Seperate the sexes as soon as you can tell them and they will both grow faster, It is also a good plan to take the cocks away from the hens, as soon as you are through breeding, providing you have room;but we do should advise doing so at any cost, as soon as they begin to moult..
Just as soon as the setting hens are out of the buildings, the entire buildings shuold be thoroughly fumigated by burning sulphur. Take a pleasant day and shut all the fowls out and see that each door and window is closed tight and left so all day. The same process should be repeated in the fall just before cold weather.
Feed rice once a day to the young chicks and keep it up as long as you can afford to,then feed cracked corn, cracked wheat and boiled oats once a day after they are four months old.We believe that cooked food and cracked grain is much better than whole grain and uncooked food for growing chicks.
Feed as early in the morning and as late at night as you can ,and three times during the day. When the chicks get older and do not seem hungry three hours from the last feed, then is the time to begin feeding one less feed per day, and not until then.This rule can be followed until but three times a day will do, morning noon and night.
If the little chicks have no natural shade,put up some small sheds or shelters.A good shelter can be made by driving four posts in the ground and nailing a roof on by using one side of a large dry goods box for that purpose.If several of these are placed in a yard where the chicks are confined, they will be much enjoyed by them and is much better than to compel them to huddle together in their coops in case of a shower.
