POULTRY & BEES

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 9 June 1904, Page 8

POULTRY & BEES

HOMEMADE BROODER. '•* It Is Effective and Constructed en Simple and at the- Same Time Correct Principle*. '.' A plan is shown herewith that gJv.es a brooder constructed on simple and at the same time correct principles. The diagram (Fig. 1) is very nearly seliexpianatory. A box three feet square or thereabouts has in the bottom a brooder lamp or stove. Above this'is a sheet of sheet iron as large as the inside of the box and supported at the four sides, and by an iron' prop near | the lamp, if it. is inclined to sag. Make the edges air-tight, with cement, so that no fumes from the lamp can get up above the sheet iron. Have a sheet iron drum made- as< indicated in Fig"B and set this into the brooder floor, filling in the rest of the floor about drum with cement, that there may br ' no danger from Are. The drum need not be over six inches in height. It has a half dozen openings undter the top, as shown in- the sketch. When the

lamp is lighted air enters at one side above the sheet iron, is heated and rises in the dram, passing out through the openings into the chick chambers and is diffused about it. Three br four ventilating holes are in the wall near .the floor for the exit of cold air. This gives a constant movement of warm air into the brooder. These openings can be partly closed when desired. An opening in the side near, the bottom of the lamp chamber and £&e near the top on the opposite aid es give fresh air. for the lamp and an exit for its fumes. The lamp is inserted through a small door in the side of the box. One whole aide of the brooder chamber is a drop door, for the easy sweeping, out of the floor. The top (in door) can have<a pane of glass in it, so one may see the chicks and the thermometer hanging against one side. Glass on two sides gives light. The top must fit Tery tightly. If this brooder is to be used out of doors a roof must be added, as indicated by dotted lines. The corners of the brooder are cut off, as seen in Pig. 2, so that the chicks may not crowd into them and the weak.- be trampled upon and smothered by the stronger, should the chamber ever be? come cold. —Farm and Home. ■'j ■' NOTES F0R J BEEKEE_BSBSJ With good management it costs little to keep a few hives of bees. Do not neglect to look for the queens or brood wuennpening the hives in the sgring. No matter when bees are moved, they should be fastened up 6o that none can escape. To a very considerable extent'spring dwindling is the result of poor winter management. Have the entrance to the hives and the vicinity around them clean i and convenient for the bees to get out and in readily. The life of bees during the working season is very short, and it requires -n good laying queen to keep up the forc£ of bees in the hive. The proper time to transfer bees from box hives to inovnble frames is early in the spring, before the comb becomes heavy with brood and honey. Hives should be located in good season in whatever particular 'location they are expected to occupy in readiness to receive the swarms as they" come off. If any colonies are found too weak in the. spring to take care of a frame of brood give them bees from the strongest colonies, but be careful not to give them the queen When the weather gets warm enough for the bees to fly without becoming chilled give them finely ground "cornmeal,.wheat or the finer parjs of sifted-' ground oats. '» " The secret of large honey crpps* is strong colonies and plenty of rppm fojr the bees to store honey. Giye ; each/ frame in the hive exactly one and a half inches of space. Do not- open the hives to excite the bees when it is too cold for them to fly. The best time to remove surplus for brood frames is after three days; of good honey weather. Do not open the hives to excite tha bees when it is too cold for them tcj fly. The best time to remove surplus for brood frames is after two or thretgi days of good honey weather. ; If in the spring any of the coJoniea are found without queens give tlieuva frame of brood. Do not allow the colonics to rear queens until drones archatched to insure mating.—St. Louis. Republic. .. „ H