r,58 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE 



attended to. Supply fresh water and a little feed each day 

 and the hen will do the rest. 



On the morning of the twenty-first day after the eggs were 

 warmed in the mother's nest, indications of chick life in the 

 outer world may be looked for. In only rare cases will it 

 be necessary to do more than allow them to look after them- 

 selves. The last act in the development of the chick before 

 breaking the shell is the absorption of the remaining portion 

 of the yelk. This serves to nourish the body for at least 

 thirty-six hours after birth, so that there is nonnecessity for 

 being in a hurry to remove the chicks from the nest. This 

 need not be done until they are all out of the shells and 

 thoroughly dry — provided, of course, that the eggs were all 

 placed under the hen at the same time. 



(b) Hatching by Artificial Processes. — By this is meant 

 the use of an incubator. All good dealers in these machines 

 supply full directions for their use, so that it is unnecessary 

 to go into any exposition of the system here. 



6. The Brooder or Colony House. 



Strictly speaking, the term brooder is applied to a 

 heated house for young chickens, the purpose of which is 

 to take the place of the mother hen. 



When the chicks are ready to be removed from the nest, 

 they should be made comfortable in a small house which we 

 choose to call the brooder, or colony house, assuming, of 

 course, that the spring is far enough advanced to allow of 

 their being placed outside. This little house should be 

 warm, dry, airy and well ventilated, proof against cats, dogs, 

 etc., and provided with a run for the chicks. The mother 

 may be allowed to run out with the chicks if the run is not 

 too large. 



The most economical is that which may be large enough 

 to serve as a home until they are able to take care of them- 

 selves when the new stock are put in together. We suggest 

 the following: (see Fig. 102). 



The floor should be built upon 2x4 scantling to serve as 

 runners, of matched boards, close and detached from the 

 house so that cleaning may be done easily and well, size 2 

 ft. 6 in.x4 ft. 6 in., a little larger than the house. 



The house should be 2 ft.x4 ft., shanty roof, 24 in. high 

 on the low side and. 3 ft on the high side, 



