80 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 
welcomed. Later in the season, they give excel- 
lent satisfaction. 
The chicks should not be removed to the brooder 
until thoroughly dry, and it is well to start the 
brooder lamp by the time the eggs begin to pip, so 
that it will be nicely heated and ready for the chicks 
as soon as the chicks are ready for it. The floor 
should be sanded like the hen’s coop and a supply 
of clover or alfalfa cut into short lengths for litter 
provided. The heat should be from ninety-five to 
a hundred degrees for the first week and decreased 
at the rate of five degrees a week thereafter, making 
the reductions gradually, of course. When the 
chicks are put into the brooder they will run up the 
temperature several degrees, which should be an- 
ticipated. 
Although the thermometer is necessary, observa- 
tion will determine more accurately the degree of 
comfort which the chicks are enjoying. If they 
are found stretched on the floor and panting, the 
heat is too great; if they huddle closely, it is insuf- 
ficient. If they settle down contentedly slightly 
apart, perhaps with some heads sticking through the 
felt, they are satisfactory proof that the heat is 
just right. Lack of ventilation is a frequent cause 
