Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-09

cubator chicks means success in poul-
try raising; while lack of attention or
improper methods in the handling OF
the chicks means certain failure. Most
poultry raisers fail to recognize this
fact. the result being that where their
April and May Matched chicks should
be well grown and developed by Au-
gust, and the pullets should be laying
or ready to lay by the middle of Oc-
tober or the first of November, fire.
quently such pullets do not begin lay
ing until January. Lack of proper care
is wholly responsible for this, because
chicks properly cared for and given the
attention they demand cannot help
growing and developing and cannot be-
come sick or infested with vermin.
Too many persons who raise chick.
ems on a rather small scale make the
big mistake of removing them from the
incubator before the brooder is ready
for them. The chicks taken from the
warm incubator and kept in a box OF
elsewhere in temperature twenty de.
grees or more cooler than the incu-
oator receive setback from which
they never fully recover. Bear in mind
That the incubator. or it's nursery com
partment. is heated to at least "a or 9;
degrees. while the temperature of g
room in the house is seldom higher
than 70 degrees a a height of six feet
above the floor. At the floor the tenn
perature of room heated to. rs de
grees will be. usually, not higher thar
Do degrees, or even so degrees, anC
chicks kept in a box in such a tenn.
perature. right out of the incubator
are certain to become chilled. Cover
ing the box keeps the chicks somewhat
warmer. and at the same time cuts of
all ventilation. thus subjecting the
chlcks to condition fully as bad as
mat created by lack of warmth.
Unless incubator chicks are properly
hardened to outdoor conditions anC
10 conditions outside the incubator II
Wnich they were Matched. serious los.
is bound to occur. But this harden.
ing must be gradual. and it must moi
oeg1n until the chicks are week te
ten days old. Up to that time the TEN.
pefature under the hover must be main.
tanned at 80 degrees; for the first day
or so W or "a degrees under the hover
VIII not be too warm. From the very
nfst, however, care must be taken t6
insure that plenty of fresh air is ad
mitted to the brooder. and that the
ventilation is such as will surely pre-.
vent hot, close atmosphere.
At the end of the first week the tenn
perature in the brooder-that is. undeI
me hover itself-should be lowered
snshuy. say, to between 80 and IS de
Even then it will be well to raise tn,
temperature at night to SIS degree.
| under the hover. taking care tina
plenty of fresh air is admitted to tn,
brooder. "
AZ the end of the second week thu
mover temperature may be lowered I,
no degrees at night. a week later i
maze may De 1nrther lowered, to about 4
degrees The lowering of the hove
temperature in all cases should be yer,
gradual, and in no case should it b.
lowered more than degrees at an,
one time, while a reduction of or
degrees at time would be better
At, the end of the fourth week tn
| chicks will require practically no ar
tlfcial heat during the day, and yer,
| little at night. except in sharp, coo
| weather. II the night promises to turf
OF cold and frosty the lamp flame ma,
be turned a trife higher. though tn
hover temperature need not be raise,
to more than 20 or IS degrees. Afte
the chicks are five to six weeks oil,
| they will require practically no artifi
cial heat at any time.
AS the temperature is reduced. NOR,
and more ventilation should be sivel
and more fresh air admitted to tn,
brooder. OF course, a small run sho,lt
be provided for the chicks, and the,
should be induced to remain out of tn,
brooder and on the ground as much a
possible during fine weather, though
they must be kept in IL the weather i
cold and wet. 1t is a good practice Il
reed the chicks in the small run. which
should be moved every few days t.
give the chicks fresh ground BY tn,
| time the chicks are a month or 81,
weeks old-weather permitting-the,
should be given practically free range
Usually they will range to considerable.
distances from the brooder, scratchins
returning to the brooder or runway Il
eat now and then, unless the weather
drives them in.
ner-not removed from the incubator
until their quarters are ready in q
properly warmed. we'll ventilated brood
er. and kept in temperature regu-
strong. sturdy. thrifty fowls. that
speedily outgrow their need of the
brooder andn soon adapt themselves to
less sheltered conditions. A writer in
the American Agriculturist says in this
connection:
I have found it as bad to leave the
chicks too long in the brooder as to
remove them too soon. Usually my
chicks are ready at about four weeks
oI'' oithoush Solls III tHe season L
generally have to leave them week
or two longer. Sometimes | find it
best to move from the first brooder to
a larger and less close one for a week
or two before making the final change
When ! do this | usually move the
first time at about three weeks. This
is especially good with the early broods
and where the first brooder is crowded
After removing the chicks from the
brooder I continue to promote hardi-
all fha H.
ing low. fiat roosts. T see that the
chicks make use of them. If the nights
are chilly or windy I close doors and
windows at first, but steadily accus-
tom the chicks to a free circulation of
air. In very short time my brooder