430 
The Illustrated Book of P oultry. 
from the front a framework of wood, roofed with strong canvas, on which are sewn numerous 
anne strips, K, about three-quarters of an inch wide. Under these the chicks nestled, and could 
never c caught or strangled, as is sometimes the case with a fleece of wool. The whole 
k° aic ^ ccncicc l w ^th diy eaith, which was removed every morning, and the flannel 
part of the apparatus was to be reversed and deodorised, by dry earth being shaken into it and 
out again, at similar periods. 
With this larger apparatus was used a small temporary mother, consisting of the canvas top 
and flannel strips only, placed in one end of a tray or small box floored with dry earth or ashes, 
and covered by an india-rubber bag filled with warm water, and wrapped in flannel. In this, the 
newly-hatched chickens were placed the first day, to familiarise them with the habit of running in 
and out from under the flannel ; and on first placing them in the larger mother, a small park of 
wi rework was fixed m front to keep them from wandering too far until they had got to know 
theii way about. Beyond that, very little trouble was necessary. 
Christy’s “hydro” rearing mother. 
We reared all our chickens with this apparatus the whole of one season, with no failure or 
difficulty ; and several breeders of our acquaintance were fully as successful. But during our own 
second season, when pressure of work made it necessary to turn over all management to a servant, 
there was considerable mortality, and very few chickens really thrived. This experience also we 
found to be extensively paralleled by others. We gradually traced their comparative failure chiefly 
to two causes ; the first being sheer neglect to attend to the necessary daily deodorisation of the 
apparatus, and the second, too high a temperature. When care was taken as regards these points, 
the earlier success was repeated. 
It is, however, very difficult to prevent the Cheshire form of apparatus from becoming too hot 
for health, and the close sides confine the air to an extent only controllable by constant watchful- 
ness. Of late, therefore, it has been practically superseded, either by apparatus worked on the 
« Hydro ” plan, already described in its application to incubators by Mr. Christy, or by somewhat 
similar forms with a deep tank heated by a small lamp. We give a figure of Mr. Christy’s 
“ Hydro ” form of rearer, to be periodically filled with hot water ; and on the whole this is the 
most convenient plan for many people* The greater volume of water, kept stagnant, enables a 
* The inconvenience of providing hot water for renewal is not felt to nearly the same extent as with an incubator, the 
temperature required being much lower, and much less quantity being therefore required. 
