Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1910-06-09


KANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION BRooDBR.
chicks are not normal and hence not
as livable as hen hatched chicks.
This loss of wee chicks is the most
discouraging part of the poultry busi-
ness. If this loss is much greater than
10 or 20 per cent there is something
radically wrong somewhere, and the
mistake must be found and rectiied or
failure is inevitable.
Coops For Chicks.
The coops provided for hens with
chicks should be one of the most care
fully constructed features of the poul-
tryman's equipment First of all, they
must be rat tight and rain proof. but
not air tight. They must also be easily
cleaned. These points are best OBJ
tanned by building platform and set
ting upon it a fioorless coop. The
shape of the coop is not important, but
it should have an open front protected
by a projecting hood, so the rain can
not beat in, and covered with wire net
ting or In cool weather netting cloth.
The coop itself if built of cheap lum-
Der must he covered with roofing pa
per.
From twenty to forty chicks may be
placed with each hen, the number de
pending upon the severity of the
weather. The greatest source of the
loss OF chicks with hens is from the
hungry hen leading the little ones
around in the wet grass after rain or
heavy dew. The best way to over
come this loss is to keep the hen shut
in. opening the coop sufficiently for the
chicks to come out and exercise. The
hen II provided with corn and water
within reach need not be given her lib
erty for several days after the chicks
are hatched and should be shut in for
several weeks when the grass is wet
Breeders for chicks have until with
In the last few years been heated with
kerosene lamps. Lately great fad
has arisen In poultrydom for fireless
brooders. These freless brooders are
simply boxes arranged for slow venti-
lauon. The chicks are kept warm by
lowering under cloth arranged in
such a fashion as to represent the
teathered body OF the mother hen
Chicks can be raised in lreless brood
ers. and In warm climates the method
is all right. In the colder seasons and
climates. however. freless brooders
have not been found practical by the
majority OF poultrymen.
Lamp Breeders Best.
Lamp brooders holding from 80 to
100 chicks have been successfully used
for many years and are considered the
best means yet devised for handling
young chicks on a large scale. Steam
or hot water heated brooder houses
have never proved vey successful
and as they are expensive. to start
with. I should advise the poultryman
to be very sure he knows what he Il
doing before investing money In
plant ot this kind
Tho broosier should be large. having
not less than nlns SQUARE feet of noor
space, The greatest trouble with
brooders IN operation II the uncertain,
" OF the lamp. The broodsF lamp
should have sufficient oil capacity and
a hrEo wick RrooGsr lamps are ofteu
exposed 20 the wind. aud II ehsaply
constructed or poorly inelo~ed the re-
suit will DO a chilled brood of chicks
OF perhaps a fFe
In a lamp heated broader Que must
see that the heat Is provided In such
way that the chicks Ia attempting 10
get warm will not crowd IN corners
aud tFample zach other Go death TIC
best hroodeF heater uF hover consists
Of tin drum inside ef which clrcu
lates The hot fumes from the lamp
Heueath this drum the chicks hover
She beat form foF the heating drum l.
disk VITA a hois in the center. soms