BROODING THE CHICKS 79 
A very little lard rubbed on the head of the chicks 
will help, too. 
Chicks reared in a brooder require more attention 
than those raised with a hen, although, happily, the 
lice nuisance is escaped, at least, for the first few 
weeks. The lice seem to appear even on incubator 
and brooder chicks after a time, coming from no- 
body knows where. However, when a hen has the 
chicks, you can scatter chick feed generously in the 
litter and go away for the day with a reasonable ex- 
pectation that biddy will look after matters while 
you are gone and that the youngsters will be safe 
and happy when you get back. But you can’t play 
truant when using a brooder. Feeding must be 
done regularly and the heat must be properly regu- 
lated. If the chicks get too hot or get chilly, the 
results are likely to be equally unpleasant. And 
yet, running a brooder is not an irksome or difficult 
task. Of course, something depends upon the time 
of year. If the season is well advanced and the 
chicks can be put on the ground early, the work is 
made easier. There are both indoor and outdoor 
brooders. The latter may actually be used out of 
doors with the ground covered with snow and in 
zero weather, but caring for them is not a job to be 
