440 POULTRY CULTURE 



chicks. The ventilator must be so constructed that there will 

 not be a draft on the birds. 



The most common cause of the small oil hovers catching 

 on fire are : soot collecting in the chimney, holes in the burner 

 becoming clogged, filling the lamp too full. It is therefore 

 best to keep chimney clean and holes in burner open, to fill only 

 two-thirds full, to keep the wick long enough, to trim properly 

 by cutting the top square and clipping the corners so there will 

 be a round flame or to rake off with a match the charred wick. 



Guard against the accumulation of oil gas in the u per 

 chamber of the brooders. After a certain amount of this gas 

 has accumulated, it flashes, and the whole interior of the 

 brooder catches fire. 



There is also a possibility that when the wick burner gets 

 too hot the wick will siphon more oil than the flame can consmne 

 and ignition takes place and the hover catches on fire. There 

 have been constructed and put into use wickless brooders 

 which eliminate this danger. 



Filth of all kinds must be guarded against. Filth harbors 

 harmful germs, and in many instances germs of contagious 

 diseases. The location of the brooder should be dry. 



The indoor brooder should be located in a building that is 

 dry, has good ventilation, and can be easily cleaned and dis- 

 infected. There must be protection against enemies, as cats 

 and rats, and a scratching room must be provided when the 

 chicks are old enough to scratch for their feed. 



As stated before, the outdoor brooder is provided with a 

 hover, in some of v/hich there is provided a radiator. This 

 radiator in some instances is a hot-water coil, while in others it 

 is a metal drum in which a lamp is located. When a water- 

 coil is used the system is similar in structure to that of the 

 incubator. It is recommended by some to have an inch of 

 sand sprinkled on the floor, in the second compartment, in 

 which they are fed and receive a sun-bath through a glass 

 door. In nature a hen in brooding her chicks sits on the 

 ground. To mimic the hen the brooder must supply top heat. 

 There must be ventilation to carrj' off the respired air and supply 

 them fresh air, but there must not be any draft on the birds. 

 The sand placed on the floor in a way mimics nature and is 



