BROODING 37 
a foot and a half above the floor. The 
stovepipe may be pulled down through the 
opening in the roof, cleaned, and put up by 
the stove. The opening in the roof may 
then be covered with roofing paper so that 
it shall be tight. 
Feed Trays. The feed trays which are 
used for the small chicks up to the time they 
are eight weeks old may be made of a board 
a foot wide and two feet long, with laths or 
narrow strips nailed around the outer edges. 
It is necessary, of course, that the chicks be 
able to get at the grain readily. While they 
may soil the grain in such a tray, this will be 
offset by the fact that the chicks will have 
easy access to the feed. This is essential. 
Providing Gravel. Before the chicks are 
transferred from the incubator to the brooder 
house enough fine gravel—not sand—should 
be put in the house to cover the floor one- 
half inch deep. A fire should be built in the 
brooder stove so that this gravel will be 
thoroughly dried out and warmed and will 
give the operator a chance to regulate the 
stove. On top of this gravel should be placed 
a layer of chaff from the barn or finely cut 
