ARTIFICIAL BROODING 325 



the chicks, not merely around the edges of the hover, and 

 the chicks nestle among the strips of cloth. The jug is 

 filled with hot water and placed underneath in the center 

 of the hover. If the water is too hot a little felt should be 

 wrapped around the jug to avoid burning the chicks. This 

 will also help to retain the heat longer. 



During the first week, the jug should be refilled night and 

 morning. As the chicks grow older, once a day will be 



HOT-WATER JUG BROODER 

 A dry goods box, a hover and a gallon jug of hot water. 



often enough. In warm weather the jug may be dispensed 

 with when the chicks are two weeks old. Later, the hover 

 may be removed and the box used for brooding the chicks 

 till they are about three months old. This brooder will 

 take care of fifty chicks easily. They should be given 

 more room when two or three months old. In such a 

 brooder, with felt or burlap strips hanging over the 

 chicks, it requires very little artificial heat to keep them 

 warm, as they keep themselves pretty comfortable when 

 all are close together under the hover. Such a brooder may 

 be used for both hen-hatched and incubator chicks. Fire- 



