REARING OF CHICKENS. 



633 



reared in an artificial manner. The ordinary farmer who adheres to the 

 hatching and rearing by means of hens does not need to adopt the dry 

 feeding system. 



It is not necessary to enter at great length into the question of 

 artificial brooders, but this system is indispensable where operations are 

 upon a larger scale. There are two kinds of brooders, which are called 

 outdoor and indoor respectively. Of the former of these, the Hearson 

 brooder is typical, consisting of a sleeping compartment heated by means 

 of a lamp, and a covered run. Another very excellent type is the 

 Cyphers brooder, differing in construction, and of American make. There 

 are many others which could be named, but that is unnecessary, as these 

 are representative of their different classes. The former is fitted with 

 wheels, and can easily be moved about. Indoor brooders do not require 

 the run, as these are placed under cover, and the birds run out into the 

 brooder house, which is generally fitted with a wooden floor, and upon 

 the floor is placed the cut chaff into which the dry chick feed is thrown. 

 This method is one which has proved itself abundantly successful, and 



Fig. 186. Hearson's Brooder. 



yields very satisfactory results. For a period of three years, as recorded 

 in the "Journal of the Board of Agriculture," the average number of 

 chickens raised on the College Poultry Farm, Theale, was about 95 per 

 cent., and growth was excellent in every way. In America another 

 system is adopted by which long pipes are fitted to the brooder house, 

 but that has been less satisfactory in that they are not adaptable quite 

 to the same extent as individual brooders. From experiments and 

 observations carefully recorded, it has been proved that, inclusive of cost 

 of egg and hatching, a chicken can be raised to twelve weeks old for 9d., 

 but that does not include labour and interest on capital. If, therefore, 

 we take the actual cost at Is. each, it will be seen that the margin of 

 profit in chicken raising is a very considerable one, but, of course, much 

 depends upon the success with which the work is carried out, and the 

 above notes will indicate the directions which, up to the present time, 

 have proved themselves to be in every way satisfactory. 



