Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-02-19
A MILLIoNAlRE'S POULTRY.
The Business OF Raising Broilers for
Vanderbilt Table.

The Business of Raising Broilers for .
va~nderbilt's Table.
In the first yard were a lot of Hou-
dams, a French breed liked by MI. Van
derbilt, although Mr.. Heidtmann does
not think so much of them. They are
very handsome and graceful, have large
black and white spots on their feathers,
and big topknots, colored similarly. In
the next yard were brown Leghorns,
beyond those white Leghorns and in the
fourth yard Plymouth Rocks. Adjoining
the feedroom is the incubating room,
the most interesting of all. This room
contains double and two single incu-
bators, having a united capacity of 1900
eggs.
The incubators are of the latest pat
tern, those formerly used by Mr.. Heidi
mann having been discarded. Every
possible care is used to make the ma
chimes successful. Mr.. Heidtmann has
added a number of devices of his own to
guard against possible failure. The safe
ty valves are delicately poised to regu-
late the heat in the incubators, which
must not be more than 1903 dogs. nor less
than 101 dogs. The same system of heat
ing by hot water pipes is used in them,
the heat for the boiler coming from a
large, common lamp. In order to pro-
vide against unforeseen occurrences all
alarm bell is attached to the heating
pipe. Delicate rods act on an electric
bell, which rings in the building during
the day and in Mr.. Heidtmann's house
at night.
The breeders are arranged so that the
newly Matched chickens go into the one
occupied by those described. As they
grow older and stronger they are moved
along until they are big enough to shift
for themselves, when they fall victims
to Mr.. Vanderbilt's liking for tender
broilers. The temperature in the first
brooder is kept at about IS degs., and it
descends gradually in the others. The
heat is supplied by hot water pipes,
which run above the heads Of the chick
ems. In some breeders the heat comes
from below, but Mr.. Heidtmann says
| that it weakens the chickens legs and
keeps them small.
"'In order to give the flesh flavor and
6rmness," he said, "chickens must be
brought up quickly. If they are not
well fed and nourished they will grow
slowly and become tough"
Back Of each brooder is an exact COPY
Of the sun parlor in use at winter resort
hotels. The parlor is small, made OF
glass and iron, and the floor is strewn
with coarser sand than that in the
hrnn1orc Thoro o,.o hale
lors as brooders. Beyond these are still
larger sun parlors of the same kind,
with ordinary sand and pebbles on the
floor. Still farther back are open yards
seventy-hve feet in depth. On warm
days the strong young chickens are out
either in the SUI parlors or the open
yards. Some of the bigger chicks in the
last breeders were running about their
parlors on the day of visitation. There
are cooler breeders in the feedroom,
but they are not in use now. The doors
in the breeders leading to the sun par
lors are controlled by cords. Every pre-
caution is observed to avoid frightening
the chickens.
Workmen are busy constructing a
brick cottage, in which MI. Heidtmann
will live, On the other side of this cot
tage dredgers are making a canal for
the white ducks that Mr.. Vanderbilt
will raise. The ~dredgers have been at
work for three years, for the canal is
long, reaching to the bay. A circular
duck pond has been built. Mr.. Wander
bilt prefers the White Pekings, Mr..
Heidtmann said, although he now has
some Rouens.
1--WE now have about forty ducks" he
said, land about 700 chickens. By next
season we will have from 1900 to 1900
chickens. Mr.. Vanderbilt says he never
ate as good broilers as those we raise
here. Monte Carlo is famous for good
eating, but he says even there the chick.
n don't have flavor like ours."-New
York Sun.