88 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



shanks with, toothsome flesh. Arrangements are made 

 so that consecutive hatches, at regular intervals, shall 

 supply a sufficient number of chicks to fill the brooders 

 and meet the orders without delay. The treatment of 

 the chicks in the brooding pens is such as has already 

 been described in the chapter on Brooding, except that 

 their exercising place is somewhat more restricted and 

 they are induced to eat all the food that they can readily 

 digest. The temperature of the air around them musi 

 always be under control and completely comfortable. 



It is practicable to take an old farm house or any 

 tightly constructed building, place in it a modern steam 

 heating system and use the rooms for growing squab- 

 broiler chicks. Several layers: of building paper or news- 

 papers are placed upon the floors and over these is 

 spread a few inches depth of sand. Upon the sand is 

 strewn a layer several inches deep of chaff, short cut hay 

 clover, alfalfa or straw. Radiators or coils of iron pip- 

 ing convey the steam heat to the rooms and keep the 

 brooding quarters at the desired temperature. If the 

 warmth is always sufficient no hovers or enclosed brood- 

 ing boxes are needed. If there is any danger of the 

 temperature falling during the night so that the chicks, 

 hovering on the littered floors of the rooms, will be 

 uncomfortable or chilly the steam heater should be of 

 larger size. The heating power ought to be sufficient 

 to maintain a comfortable temperature surrounding the 

 chicks throughout the coldest, windiest, stormiest night 

 of the winter. In case the temperature of the rooms 

 is not sufficiently high in extremely cold weather, sim- 

 ple hovers made of empty soap boxes, carrying pails of 

 hot water, may be used to supply extra warmth. 



HOME MADE HOVEE. 



A supplementary hover is easily constructed by tak- 

 ing a good empty soap-box, removing the top and any 

 nails that stick out on the upper side, turning the box 

 bottom side up, and cutting a round hole in the top of 

 sufficient size to receive and hold a water pail of or- 

 dinary size, letting the bottom of the pail down into the 



