Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-16
A NOVEL SIGHT.
Hatching Chickens TO Order BY the Incubator
Process.

The man who fathered the saying
might have been tip-top fellow, a good
Republican and ali that, but it is quite ev.
ident he never sat on picket fence and for
hours watched the Matching of chickens by
the incubator process. Oh, no. He lived
in those good. grand old days before schem-
ing politicians and hungry ministers were
abroad in the land endeavoring to reform
party and nation, and seeking to rob inno-
cent old hens OF their glory and hurry up
the matter Of bringing fat, acknowledged
pullets into the world without positive
knowledge as their paternity. But those
haleeon Jays are past and
we now have peculiarly constructed
machines for Matching chickens 10 order,
aud in rapid enough succession to make
the Oldest hen in the country blush with
modification, and bring smile Of joy to a
whole conference of clergymen. To sub
stantate the truthfulness of the above We
do not have to site eases outside of Wich-
ita. where fat, yellow-legged chickens are
grown on short notice. A day or so ago
the poultry editor of the DAILY EAGLE
had the good fortune to visit and
be shown through the hennery of Mr. shas
Fordham in south Wichita, two doors south
OF the First ward school house. Here we
found the premises alive with chickens of
various ages and Of diverse colors and
breeds. About two months ago Mr., Ford
ham, who has been experimenting for a
year or two in the Matching of
chickens by artificial means, Sc
cured patent hatcher, and since
then has operated it with very gratifying
results. now having over five hundred
young checkers. The incubator he uses is
known as the Perfect Hatcher" and was
purchased from the factory at Elmira. New
York. for 800 and the brooder for thirty
five dollars. This hatcher is heated by a
lamp at one end; the eggs are in trays un-
der tank OF hot water, and the tempera-
ture is regulated by a metallic rod over the
eggs, which by its contraction or eXpan-
sion breaks or completes an electric circuit,
which acting on a clock work escapement
gives power enough to open or close the
yentilators. The machine does very good
work, having Matched seventy eighty
per cent. ofthe eggs placed in il. Ii holds
$40 eggs a; time. The chickens, as fast As
Matched. are placed in small paper boxes
lined with flannel, and kept warm until
they dry off, when they are ready for the
artificial hen. These mothers are of
wood. lined with soft wooden cloth Tor
feathers, and the life's blood is warm water
from heater. In the simmer
time, however. the ''mothers'' are dispened
with. In about two hours after a tray of
eggs are hatched, the chickens are removed
into what is called the temporary nursery.
where they are allowed TO remain for sew
eral days, then they are removed 10 anoth-
er machine known as the brooder, which is
heated by oteam, several pipes running
through IL and distributing and giving the
required warmth to the little chickens.
which, rs soon as they are old enough.
can escape from the brooGer into the hen.
merry, and return at their pleasure.
There are eight trays In the hatcher
about forty eggs each, and out
OF every tray OF eggs about thirty or thirty
five chickens are Matched. They seem to
be fully As healthy aud do as well as chick.
ems Matched by hen. and the little ones
appear to be as afraid of hen as they
usually are of hawk or an owl. 1t tases
The usual time. about twenty -one days, for
the eggs to hatch, and 1t is one of the no.,
novel snd interesting sights We have ever
looked upon to see the eggs or chickens in /
The various stages Of Matching. Some of
the chickens were just cracking the shells.
others heads had appeared. while other. /
were entirely oIt Of the shell, and unless
one stops TO think they might as well ex-
pecf to see chicken crawl out Of sn egg |