Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-08-01

of little chickens, apparently two or
three days old. Their bodies are COW
cred with yellow and black feathers
as fine fur. They run about in the
mist lovely manner, pCeping and
chirping constantly. Some pick at
the earth and others drink water at
parrow little trough, holding up their
heads to allow the water to filter
down their necks winking meantime
comically. Three small boys shouted
with delight when two of the chicks
faced each other, with beaks extern
ded, wings out. They picked vicious
ly twice at each other, and then both
ran away with prolonged peeping.
"Thcy are orphans" said pleasant
old gentleman III the basement.
''They were Matched in an incubator
Yesterday"
On one side Of the room were
number of incubators. They looked
a little like an ice chest, with glass
pannels in doors that swung down
by hinges OH the lower side. The
frame was about % by 3lla feet large
and feet high over all. Atone end
was black tin vertical cylinder four
inches in diameter and a foot high
Pipes ran from the top of the cylinder
through the top of the frame and
back again under the bottom Of the
cylinder, In the frame between the
two series Of pipes were a number
of shallow trays, with wire cloth.
bottoms, filled with eggs placed on end
A kerosene lamp sent its heated air
into the cylinder. A bit Of clock
work could be seen in a small glass
case OH top of the frame.
"rhc lamp heats the water that fills
the tubes you see there" the old man
explained, "and the water circulatcs
around over the eggs and back under
meath to the cylinder as it cools.
That keeps the eggs warm
"But if the lamp is turned on too
high ~
Just then a large valve revolvcd in
the top of the incubator.
"rhc machine is scll-rcguati ng.
When the temperature rises an cleo
trical connection is formed that starts
the clockworli and opens that valve.
When the temperature falls
Here the old man opened the side
doors, sand in minute tic valve clio 'ed.
when il falls, you sec it closes H.
self; but that is not all, for you see
the lamp is turGcd up when the valve
closes, and down when it opens"
"What is the temperate that matches
the chickens2'
From III during the first ten days
TO LOB OF l0l for the remaining ten.
That automatic arrangement keeps
the variation within one degree.
l "Thcn all you have to do is to put
in the eggs and light the lamp"
"No. After three days the eggs
must be turned over twice day
: The little shallow pans underneath
the trays must be kept full of water,
so that the air will be moist On the
fourth day the eggs must be examined
in a tester, and all that remain cleal
must be removed, because they will
not produce chickens, and can yet be
used for cooking, Then they must
all be examined later on to remove
any that have died. Still, half al
hour daily will keep everything il
order until the nineteenth day, wher
the chicks will begin to pick and
peep in their efforts to get out"
"Then you have to help them breaI
the Shells"
} "We don't have to do anything o
: the kind. It's widespread notion
that the mother hen has to help he
chickens out of the shells, but sh,
: doesn't. After several hours of in
termittent picking the chick makes ;
I small hole through the shell. Thel
he rests like a man on the water afte
long dive. Then he breaks lin,
around to the right and then to til,
left, resting at intervals Finally
' vigorous plunge liberates him. HI
is wet and homely then"
: The artificial mother is a shallow
t box, with a perforated metal bottom
: partly covered with earth, and tw,
t warm water pipes that kept the tenn
!, perature at 90 at first and lower late
S on. Pieces of flannel hung over tn
J. pipes and down near to the bottom
d of the box, The chicks gather unde
C the flannel as they would under
a hens wing. A long row of littl
s woolly yellow and black heads, will
o bright, round eyes, projecting fron
s under a strip of red flannel, is an in
j. tcresting spectacle.
!, care chickens hatched by machin
: as vigorous as those hatched nat
II urally?'
:, "More so. Incubators are unscn
= timental, but they are business
They Will hatch twenty-five per cen
-, more eggs than hens. Tho chick
are never afflicted with vermil
:, They get the right care after they al
:, hatchcd. They grow more rapid