ON A TOWN LOT 27 



shade to protect them from the hot July sun. I have since proved that 

 midsummer chicks can be easily raised by furnishing them plenty of shade, 

 fresh virater, and keeping them in small flocks. We know this can be done 

 even in the hot Southland because we have had experience in raising lots 

 of mid-summer chicks on hiy Southern Branch Farm. Little chicks are 

 very delicate birds. Too much chill or too much heat soon finishes them, 

 but after they get real muscle in their little bodies and begin to harden 

 up, they are much more thrifty and not so likely to be pounced upon by 

 disease. 



The Brooder and Its Care 



We commenced to prepare the brooder for the chickens as soon as 

 the eggs began to pip. Most all of the standard make brooders come in 

 "knock-down" — form or in sections, with directions for putting them to- 

 gether. It only took an hour or two to assemble our brooder and get it 

 ready for business. We were then ready to light the lamp and heat up 

 the brooder, ready to receive its rioting, fluffy mob of lively infants. 



Let me again emphasize the importance of using good oil in the 

 brooder as well as the incubator. We trimmed the wick daily, as recom- 

 mended by the manufacturer of the brooder, and started with a small 

 flame. As the- brooder got warm, the wick was turned up a little higher. 

 By following this plan when the brooder is first started, there will be 

 no chance to have any of the trouble I mentioned in connection with the 

 incubator. Being human, I had a little trouble. This made me more care- 

 ful because the job of cleaning the soot from the drum and pipe is not 

 an agreeable one and it can be avoided with a little care. The drum and 

 pipe must be kept clean. 



Preparing It for Baby Chicks 



While being heated, the brooder was placed level on level ground, 

 and then banked up around the edge with earth to keep the wind from 

 blowing under the bottom. I placed it facing the east so that the chicks 

 could get the warm rays of the early morning sun. I next hung on the 

 wall of the brooder, a hopper containing fine grit, charcoal and beef 

 scrap. Then put about one-half inch of coarse lake sand on the brooder 

 floor. The next day I had the temperature registering 95 degrees, which 

 is about the right temperature for the brooder to receive the chicks. I ran 

 it for a couple days before the chicks were ready to occupy it, so I would 

 be sure we had the "hang" of the proposition all right and would be able 



