CHICKS FROM DYING IN THE SHELL 59 



horns and Minorcas never become broody the first year, and seldom the 

 second. They do not make good incubators because they are too nervous. 

 If you go near the nests where they are setting they will fly off like "a shot 

 out of a gun," and often break their eggs. I set every hen that became 

 broody last summer on duck eggs, and then did not have enough, so I 

 thought I would force some to set, but they set standing every time, hence, 

 you see, if I had not resorted to artificial incubation to hatch my chicks, I 

 would have (excuse slang, please) "come out of the little end of the horn," 

 and missed all those nice fried chickens, $250 and 500 pullets that are pay- 

 ing for our living today. 'Tis true some do not have success with incu- 

 bators, but there are so many different makes of machines on the market 

 today, and as they are all the best, so the companies that make them 

 claim, you see it would be very hard for a person having little or no prac- 

 tical knowledge of the natural laws of incubation and what mechanism is 

 required to constitute a good machine, to distinguish the difference be- 

 tween a good and a poor machine. 



For best results an incubator must have a good heating device; one 

 that will distribute a uniform heat throughout the egg chamber. There 

 should be ventilators in the bottom, ends and top, and the operator should 

 have good instructions telling how and when to use these ventilators. The 

 cause of chicks dying in the shell is the lack of oxygen in the egg chamber 

 at pipping time. 



It is just as essential to have a good brooder as it is to have good in 

 cubators; if you try to get along without one I would advise you to try to 

 get along without the other, and you should have at least two brooders to 

 one incubator. There is where I have made a mistake, to my sorrow 

 crowding too many chicks in one brooder. It will cost a little more at the 

 start, but it will pay big dividends in the end. 



Keep the temperature at ninety the first week, and as the chicks grow 

 older and stronger, gradually lower the temperature and in a little while 

 they can do without artificial heat altogether. We made a large brooder 

 ourselves, which is comparatively inexpensive, to put our chicks in after 

 they are three or four weeks old. They are too young to wean from a 

 brooder at that age, and it keeps them safe from vermin that usually in- 

 fest the poultry yards The little chicks become very much attached to 

 their brooder and rely upon it for shelter and protection just as much as 

 they would a hen. Do not feed brooder chicks anything but grit for 

 thirty,six hours after hatching, and I would advise you to take a dose or 

 two yourself, for you may need a little grit to help you through trying 

 difficulties that are sure to arise at the end of eight days if you overfeed 

 your chicks. In raising brooder chicks always keep in mind that "cleanli- 

 ness is next to Godliness," for you cannot raise chicks where lice, mites 

 and filth exist. 



