Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1915 — SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF ARTIFICIAL BROODING [ARTICLE]

SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF ARTIFICIAL BROODING

St. Louisan Find* Capons Make Good Foster Mothers for Orphan Chicks I have found a solution of the artificial brooding problem through an article which was recently published in The Republic’s poutlry page, advocating the use of capons as foster mothers for orphan cft|fks. The article was written by George Beuoy, of Kansas, and told about the advantages of using capons in place of artificial' brooders for mothering the chicks hatched in incubators. I happened to have one White Wyandotte capon left from last year’s flock, which I had promised to a relative for the coming Sunday’s dinner, but I decided to give the brooding experiment a trial, so substituted some frying chickens for the dinner. One of my small incubators was full of hatching eggß at the time, and I im-' mediately placed Mr. Capon in a dark coop for a day, to get him accustomed to his apartments. The second night I placed two of the fluffy little chicks under him and stepped back to watch developments. 'He raised up on his feet for a few minutes and seemed rather puzzled every time he settled down to feel the chicks nestling into his feathers. He did not like it at first, and I was afraid the experiment would be a failure, but soon he began to cluck like a brooding hen and settled down so carefully that I decided to take a chance on the entire flock of chicks, so gave him twenty-six in all to look after. The next morning I went out about daylight to see how he was enjoying his new job, and found him hovering over the chicks like he had customed to it for a long time. I gave him a little feed and water that day, but did not let him out of the coop until the following day, when I gave the chicks their first rations. He picked up pieces of the food in bis bill and called the chicks just like an old hen. After they had eaten all I had prepared for them he began to scratch in the loose earth for insects and particles of grit. He worked as hgrd as any old hen would have done for that flock of chicks, but did not lead them very far away from the house at any time. I never had chickens thrive better, and after that brood had been mothered for five weeks, the weather being quite warm, I decided to try weaning those chicks from him so I could give him another brood which were hatching. I shut him up in a dark cop for two days, giving him plenty of feed and water, and then put two of the baby chicks under him as I had done with the first lot. He was perfectly satisfied, and I gave him altogether thirtyone chicks this time. He is just as industrious for these as for the first brood, and 1 know that my brooder troubles have been solved for the next season, for I am going to caponize enough cockerels this year to provide live brooders for all the chicks I expect to hatch next season. I plan to make each capon raise four floGks of chicks during the season, beginning about the first of February. The earlier broods will have to be hovered longer than those hatched in warm weather, but each capon can take care of more chicks than a hen, owing to larger size and softer feathers. # After the hatching season is closed the capons can be fattened for eating purposes, the same is if they had not served as stepmothers for several flocks of chicks. As capons do not get their full growth until about the time that the first chieks are hatched, the additional cost Of feed for each capon is not an important item. The advantages are the saving of work in caring for the chicks which otherwise would be placed in an artificial broodgrs, and in 4 their better health resulting from getting the proper temperature when they need brooding. Thousands of little chicks die annually because they are chilled or overheated artificial brooders during the first week of their lives. For that reason some poultrymen will use only natural incubation and brooding of the hens. From the financial standpoint there is a large saving in using capons to raise the chicks, no matter whether the chicks have been hatched in incubators or under hens. If the latter method of incubation has been adopted the capons can take the baby chicks and the hens can be returned to the laying pen, where they soon will be producing more eggs. If they are of standard breeds the eggs produced during the otherwise brooding season will be worth at one dollar per setting at least two dollars. Mr. Beuoy advises me that capons with broods of chicks do not fight among themselves as will a. bunch of old hens, nor will they try to kill any stray chicks which may join their flocks, but that they are good protects ors of their charges against the invar sion of rats, cats and hawks.

Tomato plants are quite tender and if transplanted too early may be injured by cool nights- The plants will stand in the bed or cold frame for some time without danger of stunting, hence it is not necessary to transplant very early. All danger of frost should be over and the weather favorable for rapid growth before transplanting in the rows where the plants are to remain. vnung plants will need frequent cttttitration to aerate, warm and pulverize the soil and to prevent a crust from forming on the surface. „When showers are frequent cultivation should be done often. If plants are properly cultivated when young they are not apt to require so much attention when they get a start of the weeds.