ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING 



KEEP THE BROODERS CLEAN 



Change the htter and replace with new Ktter material and 

 sand at least once a week. The brooder must be cleaned often 

 and kept clean. After the brood has been weaned be sure to 

 thoroughly clean and disinfect the brooder and thoroughly scour 

 the floor and sides of both brooding and exercise chamber with 

 good yellow soap and water. If a little creolin or other non- 

 poisonous disinfectant can be added to the water so much the 

 better; if creolin is used, add one teaspoonful to each quart of 

 water used for scrubbing. After washing out the brooder, dry 

 as thoroughly as possible and then expose the parts to strong 

 sunlight. If possible place the brooder where it will be in a 

 strong current of fresh air, as this will materially aid in the dry- 

 ing and cleansing process. Remember always that sunlight is 

 the best natural disinfectant and purifier and that thorough 

 exposure of the interior of the brooder to sunlight will do more 

 to kill disease germs than anything else. 



Where brooders have been in use for some time and the 

 woodwork has become stained and darkened it is a good plan 

 to give the interiors a, thin even coat of good hot whitewash. 

 Do not add disinfectants to whitewash used on the interior of 



CARE OF BROODER AND CHICKS 



PREPARATION FOR THE CHICKS— SIMPLE 

 METHODS PRODUCE POSITIVE RESULTS 



C. H. CURTIS 



OUR experience with brooders and brooder chicks con- 

 vinces us thete is a good deal to be taken into con- 

 sideration. Under right management it is a simple 

 thing to run a good brooder and raise healthy chicks. We will 

 give some of our methods of operating a good brooder. In the 

 first place when we begin to think about incubating eggs we begin 

 to plan how to take care of and provide for the baby chicks. 

 When they arrive, brooders that we are to use or the coming 

 season, whether old or new ones, are given a general overhauling, 

 something like this: They are thoroughly cleaned and renovat- 

 ed, and then we use a good lice destroyer inside. We do this 

 for several reasons. One is we commence to kill lice before the 

 chicks go into the brooder; the next reason is, it makes a good 

 disinfectant and helps to keep the air pure in the brooder. We 



45— COLONY OF LIGHT BRAHMAS AT THEIR NOON MEAL 



the brooders. The whitewash will also aid in Hghting up the 

 interior of the brooder when the lids are closed. 



At the end of the season when the brooders are to be stored 

 for winter, be sure to clean them up thoroughly as advised above. 

 Never put away your brooders badly soiled from a season's use; 

 thoroughly clean and disinfect them. Before storing be sure 

 that the brooder is in good repair and thoroughly sweet and 

 clean. Store in a dry place protected from the weather. If you 

 are careful to follow this plan the brooder will be easily made 

 ready When needed at the beginning of another season by simply 

 exposing it for a while to fresh air and sunlight. In brooding 

 chicks as in all other lines of poultry work, it is the careful atten- 

 tion to details — "the little things that count" that brings success. 



use the liquid lice killer and allow it to , thoroughly dry, after 

 which we cover the bottom of the brooder with dry sand (such 

 as is used for building plaster) to the depth of an inch or an inch 

 and a half. This we find to be a very good litter for the hover 

 or mother part of the brooder, as it makes a dry floor for the 

 youngsters to travel over, and also helps to keep the floor at 

 a good temperature for warmth. The droppings become dry 

 and hard upon this litter, and when you come to clean the brood- 

 er it is very easily and quickly acoomplsihed. We have a small 

 hand rake for this purpose, and every morning the droppings 

 are raked up and removed from the brooder, for we believe that 

 you cannot keep a brooder too clean nor the air in the brooder 

 too pure for the good of the youngsters. 



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