ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION I95 



year for the past five years in thirteen colony houses 

 (Figure 82) which formerly w6uld have required 

 about fifty ordinary kerosene-heated brooders. In 

 •experiments conducted by Prof. Rice it was found that 

 in large colony-brooder houses with a large hover, 

 where the temperature was kept at 100 degrees, 100 

 chicks could be brooded as successfully as fifty in a 

 flock, and continued experiments show that 200 could 

 be handled with practically the same labor and no 

 ■.more loss. 



The secret of brooding in large flocks, if there is 

 any, is to maintain a temperature of 100 degrees at all 

 times accessible to the chickens. The larger the flock 

 the more important it is that a high temperature be 

 maintained, because the greater is the danger of 

 •crowding. If the temperature of 100 degrees is main- 

 tained, the chickens will spread out of their own 

 .accord. They can be trusted to remain in the temper- 

 ature which is most comfortable to them, which also 

 will be the temperature best suited to their needs. 

 This heat cannot, with safety, be so well maintained 

 with a kerosene burner, but with a blue flame gasoline 

 burner and a brooder properly constructed, there is 

 little or no danger of fire. 



A five-gallon can is suspended inside the house at 

 the top and filled as needed with gasoline. A pipe 

 leads this to the burner arranged beneath the hover 

 where a constant flame is maintained. The flame can 

 be regulated at the will of the operator. 



The "A" type of house (Figures 83 and 84) is 

 •eight feet square, inside floor measure, has twelve-inch 

 side walls and is six feet, six inches from top of floor 

 to top of ridge board. The sub framing is made and 

 both floors laid before the upper part of the building is 

 put together. The sills are gotten out first. They are 

 ,:made of two by twelve-inch stock and are cut eight 



