450 POULTRY CTTLTUHE 



fence should be gradually moved farther away as the chicks 

 grow older and stronger, and after they have learned to return 

 to the hover for heat. Young chicks should be closely watched 

 to see that they do not huddle together in a corner, and not 

 only get chUled but trample some and smother the weaker 

 under ones. They should be made to return to the hover to 

 get warm when they are cold. Much exposure to cold leads 

 to bowel trouble, weakness, and a heavy death-rate in the 

 flock. 



Since weak chickens mean weak constitution, and weak 

 constitution a bird no good, either for fattening or breeding, 

 it is well to immediately kill "those that fall by the wayside. " 



The small hover of 50 chick capacity, heated by a kerosene 

 lamp, is in common use and is very satisfactory. It consists 

 of a metal drum in which is located a kerosene lamp. The 

 lamp receives its air from the room and not from under the 

 hover. The drum becomes heated and the heat is deflected 

 downward, thus simulating a hen in brooding. The hover 

 is round in shape and surrounded with felt reaching within 

 about 1 inch of the floor, and is slitted so the baby chicks may 

 pass in and out with ease (see Fig. 170). 



BROODING ON A LARGE SCALE 



Hot-water brooding is perhaps the best method in use, for 

 similar reasons as given under the above discussion. 



The hot-water methods are used either in connection with 

 hovers or for open pipes and overhead brooding. 



As illustrated in Fig. 177, the hot-water system usually 

 has 3-foot square lirooders with a 2-foot circular hover. These 

 are arranged in a row, with an alley on one side, or between 

 in those cases where two rows are used. On the opposite, 

 or outside pens and outdoors, runs are provided. These runs 

 outside the building are spaded up and sown in rape or oats, 

 and thus by digging up the ground and admitting sunlight 

 there is allowed the action of the soil's bacteria, which split 

 up the organic matter, polluting the ground, and thus preparing 

 the nitrogen content in a form that can be utilized by the grow- 

 ing plants and purification of the soil results, as well as the effects 



