WITH 4200 HENS 47 



is the fuel and the floor is covered with straw. The 

 burner must be cleaned regularly, and especially with 

 very young chicks one cannot let the flame die out en- 

 tirely ; it would take too long to start it up again and 

 bring the temperature back. The tiniest splash of burn- 

 ing oil on the bed of warm straw would spell the doom of 

 the house and all in it; and we think we have a chance 

 to save the other houses when there is a reasonable space 

 between. Ours are set from 15 to 20 feet apart. 



The brooder yards are each 40-50 feet wide and 90 feet 

 long, subdivided into three sections. The first section is 

 18x24 feet. It is surrounded by a 2-foot fence. (See il- 

 lustration page 84.) An 8-inch board is used at the bot- 

 tom and a 3-inch strip at the top. One-inch mesh netting 

 covers the intervening space. A panel made of 12-inch 

 boards is kept in the yards and on windy days, also when 

 the chicks are first turned out, the panels are fastened 

 into place, forming a 2-foot windbreak and shelter all 

 around this first yard. A sloping 2-foot roof extends in- 

 ward from this fence, about 30 inches high on the inner 

 edge, forming shade in hot weather and protection dur- 

 ing light rains when the chicks may be outdoors. 



Running water is provided in this first yard, under the 

 roof, a shallow crock and a float valve being used. 



The second division of the yard is about 20x50 feet. This 

 yard is enclosed by a fence with an 18-inch strip of 1J4- 

 inch mesh netting at the bottom and 6 feet of 2-inch mesa 

 netting above it, the base board being 10 inches wide. 

 There is quite.a saving in this form of fence construction. 

 Twelve-inch lumber costs more in proportion than 10- 

 inch ; and under present market conditions the difference 



