BROODING THE CHICKS 79 



A very little lard rubbed on the head of the chick's 

 will help, too. 



Chicks reared in a brooder require more attention 

 than those raised with a hen, although, happily, the 

 lice nuisance is escaped, at least, for the first few 

 weeks. The lice seem to appear even on incubator 

 and brooder chicks after a time, coming from no- 

 body knows where. However, when a hen has the 

 chicks, you can scatter chick feed generously in the 

 litter and go away for the day with a reasonable ex- 

 pectation that biddy will look after matters while 

 you are gone and that the youngsters will be safe 

 and happy when you get back. But you can't play 

 truant when using a brooder. Feeding must be 

 done regularly and the heat must be properly regu- 

 lated. If the chicks get too hot or get chilly, the 

 results are likely to be equally unpleasant. And 

 yet, running a brooder is not an irksome or difficult 

 task. Of course, something depends upon the time 

 of year. If the season is well advanced and the 

 chicks can be put on the ground early, the work is 

 made easier. There are both indoor and outdoor 

 brooders. The latter may actually be used out of 

 doors with the ground covered with snow and in 

 zero weather, but caring for them is not a job to be 



