100 



PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODVCTION 



usually be traced to faulty incubation or lack of health and 

 vigor in the breeding stock. Brooding systems are classi- 

 fied according to their capacity as follows: Individual brood- 

 ers or hovers holding from 25 to 100 chickens; coal and oil 

 stove brooders with a capacity varying from 200 to 1,500 

 chicks and hot water pipe systems, the capacity of which 

 is unlimited. 



When possible, the beginner should thoroughly inves- 

 tigate brooding equipment such as is used by successful 

 poultrymen or farmers in his community and which has 

 been in operation for some time. Thus one can decide 

 which system or kind of brooder is best for individual use. 



Individual hovers and brooders. Small individual hov- 



Figure 102, — Artificial brooding of chickens, showing the arrangement of 

 kerosene heated outdoor brooders. Chickens which have access to a shaded 

 range such as is here shown develop and thrive better in warm weather 

 than those not having shade. 



ers and brooders are heated by hot air or hot water with 

 kerosene oil, and sometimes gasoline is used as the source 

 of heat. Usually these small individual brooders are divided 

 into two compartments of equal size. The hover is located 

 in one compartment, which is artificially heated. In the 

 other compartment, which is known as the cool, or exer- 

 cising, room the chicks become accustomed to a cooler tem- 

 perature before going out of doors. These two compart- 

 ments are separated by a solid wooden partition, with the 



