37 



this dread disease soon succumb. Careful spraying of the interior 

 with a one per cent, solution of carbolic acid helps to keep the 

 conditions sanitary. 



Under the head of improper feeding (d) very striking results 

 were obtained by feeding different lots of chickens rations which 

 varied in the extreme. The experiment with the chicks kept in 

 the brooders showed at the end of thirty days, in the lot fed on 

 egg, liver and green stuff, a mortality of 63.7 per cent, chiefly 

 from digestive troubles, resulting in diarrhoea. The lot fed on 

 grain alone showed a loss by death of 32.7 per cent, mainly from 

 digestive troubles, strongly indicated by abnormal enlargement of 

 the gall bladder. The lot fed on grain and green stuff suffered a 

 mortality of 9.5 per cent. The lot fed a complete balanced ration 

 of egg, meat, grain and green stuff had a death list of only 3.5 per 

 cent. By using the proper amount of animal food with the grain 

 food and supplying the necessary green food, a large proportion 

 of the untimely and unnecessary deaths may evidently be pre- 

 vented ; provided, of course, that due attention be given to the 

 other factors of environment, and to the breeding from vigorous, 

 healthy parents. 



Another phase of the brooding problem relates to the degree of 

 shelter, the maintenance of a proper temperature and ventilation 

 for the chicks. The sudden variations of the weather during win- 

 ter and spring in New England make it desirable that there be 

 provided four degrees of protection or comfort for brooder chick- 

 ens : — 



1. An inviting, properly ventilated hover, kept continuously, 

 uniformly and sufficiently warm, to which the chicks may at any 

 time resort, as they would to the mother hen, and warm up. 



2. A ventilated, lighted brooder or apartment, warm enough to 

 protect the checks from chilling on raw days and sufficiently attrac- 

 tive to tempt them from the hover as much as possible. 



3. A run protected from winds and storms by being enclosed 

 within a brooder house, or, if outside, covered with a hot-bed sash. 



4. An outside yard, available in pleasant weather, into which 

 even the youngest chicks should be tempted by litter, grain, green 

 food and scraps whenever the sun shines and the winds are not too 

 severe. In some way the chicks must be provided with a sure 

 refuge, where they will be comfortable whatever the weather. 

 They should, however, by every means possible be induced to 

 keep out in the fresh air and take exercise as they would with the 

 moiher hen in the pleasant spring weather. These hints will also 

 apply to a considerable extent to chicks raised by the natural 

 method. 



