HOME-MADE FIRELESS BROODER— A home-made, fireless 

 brooder may be constructed as follows and it will answer all practical pur- 

 poses: Take Yi inch or 1 inch lumber and make a box 11 inches high and 

 20 inches square. Rip the box S inches from the top and six inches from 

 the bottom, and hinge on one side so that they will close as tfiey were 

 before being ripped. In each end of the top bore three 1 inch holes and, 

 from the two center holes (one on each end) have tin tubes running from 

 holes to points four inches from center. Leave other holes as they are. 

 These holes are for ventilation and the tubes from two of the holes will 

 convey the air to and from center of brooder, while the other four will 

 ventilate the outer edges. Make a frame to fit into bottom part and set on 

 cleats so as to come flush with point where bottom and top of box join. 

 Tack porous cloth to this frame, either canvas or muslin, and let it sag in 

 the center to within 2 inches of bottom of box. On top of this canvas or 

 muslin put pads of cotton batting, say a layer about 2 inches thick. Have 

 this layer of padding such that you can gradually lessen it as the chicks 

 grow. Remove it entirely at 3 to 4 weeks if weather is mild. Later you can 

 remove the cloth entirely. The bottom part of this box line with felt on sides 

 and always have a warm litter of finely cut straw or clover in the bottom. 

 Leave an opening in front of the box 354 inches square for cLicks to go 

 out and in. If nights are very cold it may be well to partly bank up opening 

 with litter so as to keep out some of the cold, though the opening should not 

 be closed entirely as it also provides ventilation. This brooder will be found 

 all right. As many as fifty chicks may be kept in the brooder for one week, 

 twenty-five for three weeks, and twenty until they weigh V/i pounds each. 

 There are also many styles of fireless brooders on the market that may be 

 bought reasonably and save the trouble of making. 



MATING— No Matter how well situated your poultry farm may be, 

 or how good its buildings, or how excellent your incubators and brooders, 

 success cannot be obtained unless you can secure strong and fertile eggs. 

 The first consideration must be the health of your stock.. The male birds 

 must be kept in vigorous health and the number of females with which they 

 are permitted to run must be limited. With the American and English 

 breeds, one male to each ten females, with the Mediterranean, one male to 

 each fifteen females, and with the Asiatic, one male to six or eight females, 

 are about the right proportions. 



SELECTION OF EGGS— Care should be exercised in selecting eggs 

 for hatching. There is a great difference in eggs and, although it is not 

 generally known, it is possible to arrive at some idea of their hatching 

 qualities before they are placed in the incubator. An egg which will produce 



Fresh Egg 



Egg at 7 Days 

 Illustration No. 17. 



Air Cell at 

 Hatching Time 



24 



