A SELF-SUPPORTING HOME 



cluck them to bed, they are apt to go to sleep 

 in one of the outer corners. 



Never neglect airing the brooder at least 

 twice a day. Any carpenter can make an 

 extra cover for the hover like the one which 

 comes with the brooder; it is a simple matter 

 to tack a fringed piece of flannel or felt round 

 it, and having the two, one can be exposed 

 to the sun and air for hours every day, with- 

 out inconveniencing the chicks. 



FOOD FOR THE FIRST TWENTY DAYS 



Nothing for the first twenty-four hours, 

 because the yolk of the egg, which is absorbed 

 into the abdomen, must be digested and 

 assimilated before any other food is taken, 

 or the bowels become congested, dysentery 

 sets in or at least indigestion ; the result 

 being slow-growing, scraggy chicks, which 

 are a misery to themselves and a disappoint- 

 ment to their owners. 



The second day, hard-boiled eggs, chopped 

 149 



