FEEDING THE CHICKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1938, Page 9

FEEDING THE CHICKS

SELECTED SYSTEM. The “Poultry World” (England) advises its readers to introduce their chick'ens to the selected system at an early age. It does so in the following terms: — “Much controversy centres round the exact age at which chicks should be given their first meal after hatching. Of more importance is the introduction of the selected feeding system at an early stage. Chicks are somewhat fussy, and after they have become accustomed to any particular grain they will not readily take to anything which is strange to them. Nor can one compel them to change their ideas about it. Supposing, as an example, you start your chicks with pinhead oatmeal and continue with it for some time, you will find it most difficult to get them to take to kibbled maize. In fact, when you add it to the oatmeal or split groats they will leave the maize grits. That is sufficient to advise us that we must give the chicks from the start a mixture of grain which includes maize, grits, if they are expected to have the latter at a later stage. “Chicks do not take well- to dry mash if they are not introduced to it at the start, but instead have chick grain only. They will eat it, but not with the same eagerness. Therefore, one should introduce chicks from the start to dry mash, and a good plan is to give it with chick grain added for the first meal. “Wet mash is somewhat different because chicks will take to soft food at any time. The custom is to give it from about the second week, and if it is provided before then it should always be fed on the dry or crumbly side. Otherwise bowel trouble may be caused.