The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-04-28
KNOB MOUNTAIN POULTRY YARD.

Riding along in the cars of the
Bloomsbury & Sullivan or Wilkes
Barre & Western railroads, as the
traveller approaches Orangeville his
eye is attracted by the newly painted
and bright looking buildings standing
upon prominence that seems to over
look the country for a long distance.
These buildings belong to Prof. J. p.
Welsh, Principal of the Bloomsburg
State Normal School and are part of
his stock farm His poultry yards
cover about an acre of ground and
are under the supervision Of Mahlon
Sager-the Professors father-in-law.
A careful inspection Of the place will
convince anyone that no better man
could be found.
MAIN BUILDING.
The main building of the poultry
yards is one hundred feet long and
twenty-five feet wide. Through the
centre Of the building is an isle five
feet wide, and at each side of the aisle
ten separate APARTMENTS. The apart
ments are arranged SO that they may
be communicative or not as he may
wish. His pure stock, that are as
near perfect as possible, he keeps sep
arate-allowing about ten hens and a
cock (; in room ten feet square,
and a yard of ten feet wide and seven
ty-fve feet long. The eggs from these
pure stock are kept especially for
Matching purposes, and sell at the
rate of Is for one dollar and twenty
FIVE cents. The writer saw a number
of the Plymouth Rock roosters that
will weigh over ten pounds, and hens
that will weigh over eight pounds, all
being almost perfectly marked. 1t is
from such choice stock as these that
eggs for Matching are selected. The
plan of the building arranged by Mr..
Sager is evidence Of his good judg-
ment in that line. From the centre
aisle he can attend to all the wants of
the place. AT the front of each apart
ment, along the bottom the nests are
arranged-about ten to each place, a
lid covers these. Immediately over
these is the feeding trough, and above
are the roosts-with tight covered
receptacle underneath for catching
the droppings. Mr. Sager believes in
regularity and therefore feeds his
poultry twice each day during the
summer season and three times dur
ing the winter season--nor does he
give them more than they can eat at
one time. 1t is a beautiful sight to
see them at meal time. They are
called in by the rapping of stick
and upon the first sound everyone will
start from the yards for the house.
Standing at one end of the house and
looking along the aisle about four
hundred birds will be seen eagerly
picking up the grain-nothing but the
heads can be seen. In each Of the
apartments is arranged busting baths,
composed of lime, in which the chick
ems delight to dust and free them
selves of any varmin. Mr.. Sager also
uses coal oil freely and with this pre-
caution it is seldom even small
louise can be found about the place.
BRooDING HOUSES.
The brooding houses are separate
from the main building and consist Of
three double houses-each side having
runway of about 10 feet wide and
seventy-hve feet long. In these houses
are the brooders or "mothers" they
consist of large wooden box, having
a water tank underneath-at the end
of the box is boiler, and underneath
it coal oil lamp, by the circulating
system the water is kept at an even
temperature. The box is about two
feet from the floor, and for the first
two weeks the chicks can not get on
the floor, after that time they aH
transferred to another house where
they can get down on the floor if de
sired. Until week or ten days old
they are kept at a temperature OF
about 90 degrees, afterward a lower
temperature is provided. The brood
er for chicks under two weeks old is
provided with separate apartment
divided from the brooder by piece
of cloth. When the chicks become
too warm they pass under the cloth
into the more mild space and if too
cool back again into the brooder.
THE INCUBATOR.
An incubator is used having ca
pacity of from 200 to 2so. it's heated