26 COMMERCIAL EGG FARMING 



flock. No attempt is made to keep them from 

 fighting, the best birds among the survivors 

 being used as breeders the following season. 



The runs outside the brooder house are 

 dug up as soon as they are vacated. They 

 and then limed and seeded to some quick- 

 grovcing crop. If possible two crops are 

 taken from these yards before the next spring 

 so as to insure the sweetening of the land. 

 Though these yards are used but eight weeks 

 in the year these precautions are religiously 

 carried out every year. If evidences ac- 

 cumulated of the land becoming "chicken 

 sick," or full of gape worms I should disinfect 

 the yards with a strong disinfectant before 

 digging them. If that failed I would remove 

 the soil to a depth of six inches and replace it 

 with absolutely clean soil. 



As soon as the brooder house is emptied the 

 pens are cleaned and very carefully and 

 thoroughly disinfected. All the boards are 

 creosoted and fresh sand is put in the pens to 

 be in readiness for the following spring. 



The cost of coal for this brooder house 

 works out at about a half cent per chick per 

 month. 



