BROODING 



107 



shaped like that of the most perfectly trimmed house 

 lamp; that is, it should conform to the shape of the 

 burner top slightly higher at the center and of 

 crescent shape. A pointed or irregular flame is liable to 

 cause trouble. The flame of the lamp should be increased 

 if more heat is needed and should be lowered to 

 lessen the heat. In some brooders, automatic regulators 

 assist In keeping an even temperature beneath the hover, 

 but they are not absolutely 

 to be relied on. The heat in 

 the brooder should be regu- 

 lated to conform to weather 

 conditions. When it is cold 

 or damp outside, more heat 

 is needed under the hover 

 and in the nursery than is 

 needed when a higher tem- 

 perature is at hand. 



Troubles of Chicks Due to 

 Lack of Care in Brooding. 

 Brooder chicks are more 

 subject to certain troubles 

 than those brooded natu- 

 rally, due to the failure to 

 provide the right conditions 

 and a lack of care in brood- 

 Weakness of the legs, 



ing. 



contraction of the muscles, 

 crooked toes, and vertigo are 

 among the ailments most 

 prevalent among brooder 



(a) 



FIG. 8 



chicks. They result from overheating, from chilling, or 

 from eating unwholesome food. Slipping on smooth 

 places may bend the legs of young chicks. Overheating 

 will cause them to suffer, and too much heat under the 

 floor will shrivel the flesh on their shanks and feet. 

 None of these troubles will occur in broods of chicks 

 that are raised in a brooder environment that is reason- 

 ably good. 



