The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-06
The I Asriissqple,,l:al iE'Aateasion
Service of IIniversitysof
Vermont Warns
IMPROPER BROODING
is EXPENSIVE
Produces Small Fowls-Either Hen or
Standard Brooding Equipment Should
Be Used-Hatching Is Late This
Spring

BURLINGTON, May 6.-The Agri
cultural Extension service of the Uni
vcrsitv of Vermont has issued the fol
lowing bulletin to farmers and poul
trymrn advising the use of the old hen
or standard brooding equipment.
At this time of the year farmers
and poultrymcn face the problems of
successful chick rearing. Each year
finds new conditions confronting them
which must be met and overcome. This
year finds late Matching. The hens gem
orally were late in starting to lay, rs a
result incubating with hens on the Whole
will be late. Those using incubators
and Matching considerable numbers of
chicks have been handicapped by very
cold late spring so that the necessity
of having a reliable brooding equipment
is paramount says IL. A. ID. Leggett,
extension specialist in poultry at the
University of Vermont and State Agri-
cultural college. ITO make the hen a
satisfactory early brooder, not more
| than 1920 chicks should be given her,
| and she should have dry roomy quar-
| tiers. it is not the best policy to allow
| the hen to run at large. Much better
| results will be had by continuing the
hen to a small portable yard for the
| first three weeks; three feet by two feet
| so arranged that the chickens can run
| in and out, while the mother stays in
| side to brood. After the chicks are
| three weeks old the hen can be allowed
to run with the chicks. The location
of the brood coops should be shielded
from the cold winds and rains of early
| spring A shed or in lea of buildings
makes a satisfactory place. Warmth
and dryness are two great necessities OF
successful early brooding.
For those using incubators and rear
ing by breeders, it IS well to get ;
strongly constructed good brooder, on
Kat has sufficient heating capacity t.
furnish heat should the outside temper
tture fall to or below freezing. Lool
well to the construction of the LAM
aud heating apparatus in order to safe
guard oneself against possible fire an,
heavy losses For those who hatch il
llaree numbers the best broodcr equip
mcnt is Il I0xl2 shed in which is locate,
u
are easy to operate and the cost of run
ming is lowest per chick capacity. Tn
i | coal burning stove equipment does pes
when run to nearly full capacity. I
/ newer kind of brooder equipment an
j | one which has many attractive feature
/ | 5 the blue flame kerosene heater. Ihes
| have various capacities and sizes froI
/ 800 chicks to 500 or 600 They are au
tomato in regulation and reliable
| kept clean. Cleanliness in mechanica
brooder apparatus is absolutely neces
| sary.
For the owner who raises from Z
| to $50 chicks yearly the adaptable o
| portable hovers are recommended. ines
are both kerosene burning. The adaT
table type has the lamp and heater en-
| closed in a galvanized case, which is at
| tached to the brooder on the outside
| The heat is piped into the brooder an
hover. The portable type has the heate
and hover all in one unit and can b
used in any room or coop, or even move
4 ,bout in the coop as the operator ma
i wish. The dust raised by the chicks
IS their workings often cause the lamp |
J, | portable hovers to smoke and 90 on
leaving the chicks without heat an
e | causing the chicks to crowd togethe
I "While it is possible to rear chicks
y ircless hovers, home made breeders. c
' | IN the kitchen near the stove, yet tn
losses which annually result from sue
orooding methods deter experience