CHICKEN RAISING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23700, 5 July 1940, Page 10

CHICKEN RAISING

FIRELESS BROODERS CONSTRUCTION HINTS CHOICE OF MATERIALS BY A.B.C. In the past many contrivances havo been put forward a3 ( being efficient fireless chicken-rearers. Mostly have been exceedingly expeditions chickenkillers —if they generated sufficient warmth thoy lacked good ventilation, find vice-vorsa. The writer has claimed for many years that too much heat is frequently provided chicks, with the result that they develop along the same lines as glasshouse plants, and, like them, aro subject to setback as soon as the heat is removed. Chicks can bo brooded without heat and cannot bo distinguished from heatbrooded chicks, except that, if anything, they aro more active and lighter feathered. The writer has tried out the brooder described below and has proved its efficiency. It is simple to make and run. First, let it be clearly understood that, having no heat to attract them under tho brooder, the chicks have to be taught to go under, and this requires patience for a day or two. After that, however, there should be no trouble at all. The construction of the brooder is as follows:—Take four pieces of wood lin. square and 6in long. These are tho legs. Next, four pieces 2ft. long, lin. wide and three-quarters of an inch thick, aro roquired. Fasten these to the legs, with screws for preference, making a framework 2ft. square, standing on its 6in. legs. By using screws tho frame is easily taken to pieces at tho end of tho season and put away. Use ol Flannelette Tho next process is the making of the bed-clothes. For this two pieces of storm flannelette aro necessary. Lay one on | top of the other and run the sewing machine round tliroo sides, leaving one side open. You now have a bag 2ft. square. Next, a quarter of a pound of kapok is put in between the two pieces of flannelette, spreading it as evenly as possible. Care must bo taken in this as a iumpv quilt is not good. When kapok is well spread, run machine along open side and across the square, at, say, 4in. intervals, and also down," quilting tho square. This keeps the kapok in place. The squares can bo closer than -lin* with benefit. Next, a flounce 6in. deep is sewn on to the quilt. The flounce is also storm flannelette. Use ol Trames

Wo now have a shallow box, tho quilt being the bottom. Now take tho frame of timber and drivo a few sprigs into the top of the slats. On these sprigs hang the flannelette flounce so that tho quilt hangs down inside tho frame and comes right down to the floor. Make another frame, say, 3ft. square, of inchwide timber, to go right round the four sides of the brooder frame. This is to keep tho chaff, or whatever may be used to bed the chicks on, from working awn.v from them. To keep tbo chicks from getting on top of tho quilt when they are ft few days old ft cover is needed, and should be pitched to some extent like a house roof. This can bo made by bending tin and filling in the ends with wood. It should not be fitted flush on to the brooder frame, but about half an inch of space left between for ventilation purposes. The easiest way to support the roof is to lay a couple of slats across the brooder frame and rest the roof thereon. Next week further instructions will be given.