106 PRACTICAL POULTRY PRODUCTION 



as they will do much better than when kept continuously 

 indoors. Weak and crippled chicks should be killed as 

 soon as noticed, because they rarely if ever develop into 

 desirable stock. Brooders and brooder houses should be 

 disinfected at least once a year and more frequently should 

 disease occur in the flock. 



Care of purchased day-old chicks. Whenever day-old 

 chicks are purchased, provide a brooder of sufficient capac- 

 ity for the number bought and have it in working order and 

 regulated when the chicks arrive. Should the brooder not be 

 ready, take the chicks from the shipping box into a warm 

 room, feed and return them to the box, and repeat at inter- 

 vals of about 5 hours until the brooder is ready. It some- 

 times happens that delay in the delivery of a brooder places 

 one at a disadvantage as to what to do with the chicks. 

 In such cases a fireless brooder may be constructed tempo- 

 rarily, such as is described on page 104. After the chicks 

 have been placed in their brooder and made comfortable, 

 they should be managed as described in the foregoing pages. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Discuss the advantages of natural as compared with artificial 

 brooding. 



2. Discuss the care of a sitting hen at the time of hatching. 



3. Describe the method of treating lice on chickens. 



4. Discuss the points to be kept in mind as concerning the care 

 and location of the brood coop. 



5. Describe the method of wing banding chicks. 



6. What are the essential features to be kept in mind in the 

 construction of a practical, comfortable brood coop? 



7. Why should the mother hen be confined until the chicks are 

 weaned? 



8. What principles are necessary for the successful brooding of 

 chicks by artificial methods? 



9. Describe three systems of brooding chicks artificially. 



10. Describe the construction of a fireless brooder. 



11. At what temperature should a brooder be operated during the 

 first twenty days? 



12. When day-old chicks are purchased, what steps should be 

 taken before they arrive? 



