Connecticut western news., 1881-07-20
A GREAT POULTRY ESTABLISH.
 NEWT.

gentleman who has taken much pains and delight in experimenting in the newest methods of matching and rear ing chickens, as well as in feeding fowls for the production of eggs.
 The buildings are substantially built, and consist of four ranges of GOODS, each ITO feet long, with yard attached, fenced with good picket fences nine feet high. Each building has roof sloping northward, and is 15 feet wide by TO feet long. The southern side is pro- vided with large windows occupying nearly half the front side of the build ing, and also with sliding wooden venti- lators which can be all thrown open or closed together by means of a simple at tachment of wire running the whole length of the building.
 A passageway, three feet wide, ex- tends the whole length of the buildings on the north side; from this passage the folws are partitioned off by lath fence through which they reach their heads to feed from the small trays ar ranged on the floor of the passage. This arrangement is an excellent one, since it prevents the fowls from scratch ing and soil1ng their feed, while at the same time the trays and drinking pans are easily accessible to the attendant.
 The roosts have wide board directly beneath them, from which the droppings arc scraped every day before they have time to become trodden down or offen- sive. Each cocp is 8 by 12 feet, with a yard about 8 by 20. As there are some eighty of these coops, each able to &C., commodate about 15 hens, thereis room enough for over 1,20O. The present stock, however, hardly numbers so many. f-G
 There are several breeds kept, the Light Brahma, the Brown and White Leghorn, the Plymouth Rock, the Polish, and the Cochin China. The best layers of eggs are the Leghorns, and the first cross from Brahma hen with 8 leghorn cock; in fact, this cross is a very useful one both for eggs and for poultry, coming to early maturity and being very productive.
 But the most attractive as we'll as the most peculiar feature of this establish ment is the artificial matching and breeding apparatus. Hens, indeed, are used to a considerable extent for hatch ing, but the artificial process bids fai2 to surpass them in efficiency. The incu- bator used here is known as the "per- feet hatcher ;" it is heated by couple of lamps at one end; the eggs are in trays under tank of hot water, and the temperature is regulated by metallic rod over the eggs, which, by its con- traction or expansion, breaks Or com pletes an electric circuit, which, acting on clockwork escapement, gives power enough to open or close the ventiators. The machine is bulky and expensive, but 1t does very good work, having matched from seventy to eighty per cent. of the eggs placed in it. It holds 750 eggs at time. The chicks, as fast as matched, are placed in small paper boxes lined with flannel, and kept warm till they dry of, when they are ready for the artificial mothers. These ''mothers" are of wood, lined with soft, woollen cloth for feathers, and their life's blood is warm water circulating from heater. The chicks, however, take kindly to this sort of treatment, and huddle together under the pipes as contentedly as under the mother s wings. They are fastened in at night by door of wire netting, and allowed to run, after few weeks, in fine wealth CT, out of doors in yards facing the south, in front of the GOODS.
 There were matched, at the time of visiting, April 20, over 1, 300 chicks, one or two weeks old, and probably as many more will be matched the coming month. The coops for the setting hens are in a small room arranged upon shelves, one over another, four or five tiers high. The hens are fastened in by lattice door in front; an attendant opens this door once day and takes the hens out and places them on the floor to feed, and fifteen minutes afterward replaces them, if they do not go back of their own accord. The feed for the setting hen is whole corn and water; dust bath also is at hand, and gravel to pick up if they want it.
 The method of feeding the fowls deserves notice. They are fed in the morning warm mess of soft food, con- sisting of boiled roots mixed with meal, shorts, and beef scraps. In the after noon whole grain, either oats, barley, corn, or wheat, giving them change from day to day. They have always clean water in the pans, and cracked oyster shells and cabbage or some raw vegetables always in reach to pick at. These details are matters of consider able importance, and upon attention to them hangs the success of keeping fowls in confinement. It is seldom one sees so thrifty, happy and contented a flock of fowls as is seen here.
 The appointments of the buildings are excellent. Water is supplied by g powerful windmill; everything is kept in most excellent order and cleanliness. The buildings are, perhaps, rather more expensive than would be found needfu] were profit the only object in view, but the methods of dividing and feeding are economical and easily initiated by any one.