NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL BROODING 



97 



in sections of the country that have extremely cool weather 

 in the early spring. 



The center slat in the front is removable, sliding into 

 a small wire staple at the top and dropping into a square 

 hole at the bottom. The slats are made of strips one inch 

 square. The long narrow door at the top in the front of 

 the coop is kept open for ventilation except in cool weather 

 or on cool nights. This opening as well as the ventilators 

 mentioned above should be covered with a % in. mesh 

 wire netting. 



Confine the mother hen. The mother hen should be 

 confined to the brood coop until the chicks are weaned, the 



Figure 98. — New lumber need not necessarily be used in the construction of 

 such coops for they can easily be made from dry-goods boxes or other 

 available material. 



chicks being allowed free range after they are a few days 

 old. Hens that are allowed unlimited range and have to 

 forage for feed for themselves and chicks often take them 

 through wet grass where the chicks may get chilled and die 

 or become lost. 



Then, too, most of the feed the chicks secure when 

 the mother hen is not confined goes to keep up heat of the 

 body and to produce energy. The feed consumed by those 

 that are with the hen that is confined to the coop produces 



