CHICKS WITH BROODERS. 45 



Much of the sickness and mortality that befalls brooder 

 chicks is due to chilling while they are very young, or 

 from foul air and dampness in badly constructed 

 brooders. 



After ten days, the temperature of the brooder 

 may be reduced to 80 or 85 degrees, and still lower in 

 two weeks more. As chicks grow they generate more 

 and more heat when they nestle together, and so re- 

 quire less in the brooder. When the weather becomes 

 warm it may be necessary to shut off all heat in the 

 day-time and during warm nights. 



Manufacturers are prone to rate the capacity of 

 their brooders too high. A brood of fifty is large 

 enough no matter what the capacity of the brooder 

 may be. Broods of one hundred can be handled until 

 a month old, but after this stage is reached such a flock 

 outgrows the largest single brooder or apartment. 

 Much harm is done by the common practice of put- 

 ting large numbers together. 



Each brood of fifty chicks should have an outside 

 run of not less than one hundred square feet in which 

 to exercise until a month old. After this age they 

 should have free range. 



There are many kinds of brooders, some warmed 

 by hot air, others by hot water ; some furnish bottom 

 heat, others top heat, and still others diffuse a current 

 of warm air from the center outward. 

 One of the latter is shown in Figure i. 

 Some are built for indoor and others for 

 outdoor use ; a double outdoor brooder 

 is shown in Figure 2. In raising large FlG - * 



numbers, single brooders in separate buildings are 



