The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-03-01

The Journal has before mentioned the artificial
Matching of chickens by the Cottrcl Bros. of this
city. What was at first carried on an expert
mcnt, has now become an important industry.
Friday Journal representative was shown over
the establishment which is just above the Cottrel
shiryar and comprises several buildings with a
combined floor space OF nearly 5000 square feet The
first building to attract attention is the hatchery
which is built partially above and partially
below the surface of the ground. \ cellar
is considered the best place for incubators as
affor'ling more uniform temperature. In the
hatchery is 4 Monarch incubator of 600 eggs
capacity, and several incubators of home manu-
facture Of about the same capacity. With the ex
ception of this Monarch incubator, the Cottrell
brothers built everything about the establishment
Connected with the hatchery arc two brooding
houses seventy feet long. Each house is divided
into twelve runs or pens in which the chicks are
placed after leaving the Matching house. AT the
end of each run, and slightly elevated. is a box
like arrangement. under which is burning kero-
senc lamp. These boxes are the breeders and are
used as substitutes for the mother hens. These
broodcrs are unlike any others in use and were
devised by the Cottrcll brothers In the bottom of
the boxes fine straw is placed, and when the chicks
brooding boxes where they remain until they are
strong enough to run about. The temperature of
the boxes is kept at about ninety degrees. This
device has given excellent satisfaction. only a
small percentage of chicks dying. The breeders
are connected with the runs, where the chicks have
considerable liberty. Ventilation is secured by
wooden spouts extending from the floor to the
roof The bottom of the pen is covered with fine
scratching. The pens are cleaned out twice a
week, one of the requisites of successful poultry
business being cleanliness. Each pen is supplied
with water jar known as a base drinking foun-
tain. The young chicks first fed with hard
boiled eggs, and other food is substituted they
mature. Thirteen varieties of food are given, In.
Guiding grain, middlings, corn, scrap meat, SC.
Mr. F. +. Cottrc has camp on the premises in
which he lives and where he cooks the food for his
chicks. Two cats have been brought up about the
houses, whose business is to keep away rats which
are great annoyance to poultry raiscrs. The
cats have been taught not to modest the chickens,
and they march about the premises with an air of
mrch Importance. After the chicks have obtained
4 certain growth they are transferred to another
house, built much like the first except that it has
no brooders boxes. Here the chicks are kept
until they are large enough TO be sent to market.
Another house contains hens. The Messrs. Cot
tre will in future raise their own eggs but at the
start were obliged to buy their supply for hatch
ing. Their present stock embraces many varieties
but they intend to cenAne themselves to Plymouth
Rocks, Light Brai,mas and Wyandottes They have
some very handsome fowls in the poultry house.
They belcvein crossing the breeds for poultry, as
the chicks grow larger than the straight breeds.
The Cottrells will also give some attention to
ducks, in which some poultry raiscrs believe there
is more money than in chickens.
The Cottrell Bros. now have 500 chicks hatcled
and 1000 eggs In the incubators that will hatch in
a few days. The Oldest chicks were Matched out
Dec. 25th. Each pen is labelled giving the age Of
each brood. When the chicks weigh three pounds
to the pair they will begin to ship to the Boston
market. This season they will begin shipments
about the middle Of March. The incubators will
he Kept running SO that during the season the
chickens will be numbered by the thousands.
The French Bros, at Sandy Point Stockton,
who have the most extensive hatchery in Waldo
county, have been in the business two years and
are well satisfied with the results. They have
double the capacity of the Cotrell Bros 1t is their
intention to raise ten thousand chicks and ducks
the coming season. They think there is more money
in ducks than in chicks. Last year fifty ducks laid
4 800 eggs from Jan. !, to July 30.
MIR. Lorenzo Dow, Of Fairfield, who formerly
conducted an egg business in Belfast. said he made
a mistake when he left this city. He considers
Waldo county the best egg and poultry producing
section in the State With the amount of cgxs tho
centrally located situation and excellent shipping
facilities Belfast surpasses all other secsions
There arc other poultry raieers in this vicinity