44 POULTRY BREEDING IN 



The floor of this room should be of concrete, the sides 

 of movable glazed frames, and the roof of boards covered 

 with asphalted felt, slates, or zinc. The interior ought to 

 be fitted along the sides with movable shelves, which 

 can be drawn out for cleaning ; these shelves will be 

 divided into separate compartments three feet long, two 

 feet wide, and one foot high ; the sides should be made 

 of galvanized iron wire ; so also the front, which forms 

 a door. In each compartment ought to be a frame 

 lined underneath with long fleece, the same as in the 

 portable artificial mothers. In these compartments the 

 chickens are placed from their birth up to a week or 

 ten days old, after which they are put under the care of an 

 artificial movable hen, in small establishments, or in the 

 rearing home in large establishments. (See fig. 17.) 

 These compartments ought to be covered with felt carpet, 

 which must, however, be kept well cleaned, and occasion- 

 ally dipped in boiling water. 



Fig. 14. 



The best way to supply food and water to so young 

 chickens is by means of two saucers, one within the other, 

 between which the food or water is put. This will pre- 

 vent their wetting themselves or scratching the food about. 

 (See fig. u.) 



This hatching-room will require no heating apparatus, 

 as the heat from the hatching apparatus, which is kept in 



