The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-11-06
THE FARMING WORLD.
OF PRACTICAL INTEREST TO
AGRIcULTURISTS.
The Incubator Now Lively Industry--O One or
the Profits Of Keeping Sheep--Harnesses
Should Be Made to Fit Horses
Brief Notes, Etc.
AIachinc-Raisea Chickens.

In the New York Tribune p. III.
Jacobs gives detailed account OF the
raising of chickens by incubators at
Hammonton. N. j. There are eighteen
establishments (seven run by women)
with total capacity Of over 10000
chicks every ten weeks. besides numer-
Gus smaller ones OF 200 to 400 each.
The buildings are an incubator house
16x16 feet, of rough boards, lined in
side with building paper, and a brood
er attached seVenty-two feet long, for
1,4oO chickens. 100 to an apartment.
Various patent incubators are used
with success. and also homemade
one operated with hot water. Each
brooder section has ''mother''-a
table one yard squsre on adjustable
legs. with d curtain about it cut in
strips, and is heated by hot-water
pipes under the floor in pipe-box,
which supplies pure warm waite
While 90 per cent of good eggs can
be Matched, the average is nearer 60
per cent, owing chiefly to the difficulty
OF procuring good eggs in winter, so
that the cost of chick fresh from the
shell may very from 6 cents to 81. The
average loss in broods is about Is per
cent The chicks are .'mothered" for
twenty-four hours, then fed rolled oats,
oatmeal. or cake made of corn, oats,
bran and middlings, seasoned with
salt Small grain is given as soon as
they can eat it, and then the cake is
scalded instead of baked, and the mid
dlings omitted. Mashed potato or
turnip is allowed, but no green food,
excepta cabbage to pick as they grow
larger. Little meat is used. Stale
bread, broken crackers and refuse pop
corn are used to vary the diet. At
month old they are fed four times a
day; scalded mixture night and morn
Ing, grain other times. Food costs 5
cents a pound to produce ono pound of
broiler, up to three or four pounds.
Chicks are sold when they weigh
about one and one-half pounds. Aver
age weight is: Four weeks, ten ounces;
six weeks, eighteen ounces; eight
weeks, one and one-half pounds. They
are sold dressed, the work being done
by ''dressers' at cents per chick,
being bled, picked. but not scalded,
thrown in ice water, then packed in
barrels and boxes, without wrapping.
Prices vary from 20 to 40 cents Der
pound, selling season being December
to June, best in April and May.
In regard to breeds, the Leghorn
proves very desirable. both pure and
as cross. The chicks are more meaty
on the breast, and eggs from hens
mated with Leghorn male are more
fertile. When the Brahma chicks
weigh one pound eight ounces, the
Leghorn chicks will weigh one pound
seven ounces. Crosses of game are
good, but chicks are tender; Houdan
and Langshan cross is one of the best.
Ihe main points are short legs, com
pact body, plump breasts, fat on each
side of spine. Color of legs is not
noticed.
Cost OF outfit for 1900 chicks is
about $1,000. The business requires
close attention and cannot be iutrust-
ed to hired help. 1t is not an easy
pursuit for women, yet several have
been very successful. Hammonton
has mild climate and sandy soil,
and gapes are unknown. It is within
reach Of five or six markets. More
orollers are said to be raised there
than in any other place in this county
or Europe