The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-22
Mrs. W II. ASTEN's Pets.


Yesterday an Express representative
visited the residence OF Mr.. William b
Asten, opposite the Alamo mills, on inyi
tation of that gentleman, 10 witness the
Matching OF chickens by patent process.
Halsted's centennial incubator is used, and
most interesting was il to see and have ex-
planned how the Matching care Tor and
raising Of the chickens is accomplished. The
pleasant and interesting duty of superin-
tending the process is accepted by Mrs
Asten, who has thoroughly posted hersel on
all its most minute details The incubator
is placed in back room ofthe Commodons
residence, where the Thermometer does not
vary more than ten or fifteen de, raes dur
ing the day or night, and where the Their
mUmeter does not fall lower than fifty de.
grees Fahrenheit. The incubator in use
is Of stuall size, receiving only nine dozen
eggs, or about AS many as are usually given
to nine hens. The eggs are placed in
drawer. and covered with unbeached COT
ton cloth, and water pans above this draw
er are filled, and a lamp at the end of tho
incubator. consuming about the same
amount OF oil as common kerosene lamp
is kept constantly burning. The wafer is
heated by this lamp, and kept at from one
hundred to one hundred and five degrees,
which affords the warmth necessary tor
Matching. The eggs are turned over once
or twice day, as instinct prompts the mo-
therly hen to do with her beak, in order
that the sides may be the more equally
affected by the warmth. In three weeks
the time i'll which the eggs hatch when
under hen, the chicks began to appear.
During the period of incubation, waite,
from which the chill has been removed. is
sprinkled over the eggs. The most pre-.
nnripug TINA in liG Of Ia,
uiicial heat is said to be during the first
ten days, when it is very necessary TO
maintain an even, moderate heat. Mrs.
Asten has now coming out her second
brood Of chickens. Upwards OF fniy have
been Matched and We're running about the
warm room as lively Us Crickets, and some
of the younger ones clustered under a
warm stove. For two or three days af er
Matching, the chicks require no food, only
attention TO be kept warm and to be allow
ed II little excise, Alternately, through the
day, therefore, they are allowed freedom,
and placed in basket in which is q flannel
cloth that is folded over them, when they
are placed hear the stove and give evil
dence of their comford, by their perfect
quietude. Mrs. Asten says that about
eighty per cent of the eggs placed in the
incubator have Matched, SD far rs her ex-
perience has extended, She now has forty
chicks Of former Matching that are fully
ieatGered and large enough TO take care OF
hemselves-indeed. some of them are large
enough to fry. These are nearly two
months old IL lisa remarkable fact that
the chickens raised in this way feather
sooner and grow more rapidly than when
raised by hen, and anothergreat advant-
age is that they are entirely free from
vermin. The process is most interesting to
understand and as little trouble attends
it, and the cost of feeding the young chicks
for the first mouth is only about cent n
piece, Mrs. Asten, with herhusband, thinks
ii heats the old-fsshiohed and natural way
very badly.