The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-11-09

KANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION BEOoDER
chicks are not normal and hence no,
as livable as hen hatched chicks.
This loss of wee chicks is the most
discouraging part of the poultry busi
ness. IL this loss is much greater than
Is or 20 per cent there is something
radically wrong somewhere. aud the
mistake must be found and rectitied 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 pout-
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 foorless 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 il built of cheap lum
her must be 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 df 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 shu'
in, opening the coop sufficiently for the
chicks to come out and exercise. The
hen If 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 fol-
several weeks when the grass Is wet
Breeders for chicks have until with
in the last few years been heated will
kerosene lamps Lately great fat
has arisen in poultrydom for iireles:
brooders. These fireless brooders ART
simply boxes arranged for slow ventl
lation. The chicks are kept warm b.
lowering under cloth arranged II
such a fashion as to represent th
featbered body of the mother hen
Chicks can be raised in fireless brood
ers. and in warm climates the metho'
ia all right. In the colder seasons an
: climates, however, fireless breeder
have not been found practical by tn
majority Of poultrymen.
Lamp Breeders Best.
Lamp brooders holding from so
100 chicks have been successfully use
= for many years and are considered til
best means yet devised for handlin
y young chicks on a large scale. Steal
or hot water heated brooder house
. have never proved very successfu
= and as they are expensive. to sta
with. should advise the poultryma
a to bc very sure he knows what he
= doing before investing money in
r plant of this kind.
!, The brooder should be large. havll
!, not less than nine square feet OF flo
y mace. The greatest trouble WI
% lrooders in operation is the uncertai
70 ty of the lamp. The brooder lar
should have sufficient oil capacity al
4 large wick. Brooder lamps are OFT
exposed to the wind. and If cheap
to constructed or poorly inclosed the
IN mlt will be q chilled brood of chic
IT r perhaps fire.
~ In a lamp heated brooder one mi
,e. see that the heat is provided In su
at 4 way that the chicks in attempting
dy get warm will not crowd in cornt
and trample each other to death. l
best brooder heater or hover .consi
Of a Tin drum. inside of which cir
~ .ates the hot fumes from the Ian
~ Beneath this drum the chicks hov
oA rhe best form for the heating drum
i disk with a hole In the center. sol