Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21


is tough and the
meat tasteless. For
table use there is as much difference in the
meat OF chickens or other fowls as there
Is in grapes or other fruits. yet American
dealers or buyers have not acted as If such
was the fact. The great wheat farms of
Dakota have been the wonder Of the world
as they have been the pride of America
The immense cattle and sheep ranches OF
Colorado and Texas, with their thousands
of animals. have been the theme of the
newspaper writers. yet none of them are
more wonderful than a great chicken farm.
Cattle and sheep run at large with little or
ne care until the time for market arrives
but fancy fowls are the subject of the most
constant attention. and their culture has
reached the dignity of science. 1t is re-
markable how little general information
there Is In regard to how the cultivation of
fancy fowls Is carried on.
The first thing on a chicken farm to de-
rnand the attention of the breeder is the
proper laying OF and preparation of the
ground This laying of comprises. 'exer-
else yards. breeding pens and feeding
grounds The breeding pens are large
enough to accommodate ten hens and a
cock. giving them some room for exercise
The feeding grounds are usually large
enough for fifty or sixty chicks. while the
exercise grounds are about one hundred
feet long by Twenty-Five or thirFy feet wide,
with sand or gravel an. great care is used
70 Keep them clesH. the droppings being
gathered ape removed daily. The best
aeedinS gcrds are those having some grass
Gas grass furnishes to some extent both
the vegetable and flesh food so much needed
to keep the fowls healthy. The proper con-
struction of the houses is a matter of the
greatest moment. They must be so ar
nased an 80 be readily cleaned and ven
tilated. and yet 50 they can be easily
warmed during cold weather. The health
and good condition Of the fowl depends
upon cleanliness. hence this matter Is al
ways Of the greatest moment. whether
the chick Is running out or is cooped up.
Hteh-Prfeed Fowls.
Exercise is another great disideratuni.
and hence the houses must be large enough
% give the fowls plenty Of room for ex.r-
else In cold weather. The Matching and
brooding houses must be kept separate from
eAose~ desi SDedf tor laying and feeding.
Light. heat and ventilation being provided
dr. the houses mhyt receive as much out
side adornmenf az The architectural taste
shd pocket book of the farmer desires. A
NV years ago II was no uncommon thing
for a specially fine chick to bring 800, and
sales have been made as high as $50 for
single bird. The supply has become 20 great
that they do not how command such high
prices but there ars breeders who yet de-
nand ana receive from 500 to 300 for a
Pop OF THREE pufiets and a cockerel
The Introduction of the incubator has
been q great help to- the raiser of birds. and
the successful breeder Is very select in his
choice OF an Incubator. They all work au-
Dramatically. that Is. the heat regulates it.
self 50 as to be kept at an even tempera-
ture-- which Is rot ronly essential to the
Matching of the egg, but to the after
strenseh and growth of the chick. II the
Temperature Is not kept regular. the egg
may hRtch. but the chick will likely be
weak. and rot fully developed Too little
Warmth or too mfich heat is fatal to the
tfcaily turn the esq 50 that 1t will be com
pleteiy turned once In tw enty-fOur Eours,
IN imitation of what the mother hen does
when setting. This tends to keep the heat
regular on the eggs and develop the chick
uniformly. The careful breeder prepares his
incubator by giving it a thorough cleaning
and airing. and then lights his lamp and
tests that for day or two to see that II
works Just right. neither giving TOO little or
too much heat. When he has tested IL
thoroughly. he begins the work OF selecting
hts eggs, and this Is done with the Great est
care.
The Selection OF Eggs.
Every egg is carefully tested by being
held up before a light. These testers are
now so made that the observer can select
his eggs with almost the rapidity of
thought. The best breeders weigh each egg
separately. and select those as nearly as
possible of a uniform weight. The tester in
common use is a small box fastened to the
side of the brooding house. with a small
opening at each end, one end being toward
the window The box Is lined with some
black material. A hole In the bottom ad-
tnits The hand holding the egg. From this
hole falls black curtains so as to exclude all
Hight except such as enters at the opening
next the window. This simple device shows
Syefy hnperfeetton in the egg. and the ob-
server, VINO generally sits few feet away
from the box, calls out good" or bad
Is the case may be, as fast as the eggs are
displayed. Those decided to be good are
ready for the incubator. while the others
are set apart for table use.
The incubators will hold from one hun
drei to four hundred eggs. the larger size
being most commonly used by the raisers Of
fsrcy fowls. When enough eggs have been
lelected for Matching. they are carefully
placed in the Incubator. which Is then
closed. to be opened only twice until the
chicks are ready TO come from the shells
The first opening is two days after the eggs
have been placed. Every good egg Is not q
cpgsdueer." hence to leave eggs in the in
cubator that will not produce would be q
waste OF time as well as of material. II the
Ssg Is d producer 1t will show that fact
Within forty-eisht hours after being placed
In the Incubator, so at the end OF that time
the breeder takes out each egg, one at
time, and again applies the tester. If 1t Is
Tive egg. the eyes of the chick with in
aumerable infinitesimal blood vessels can be
plainly seen. II the tester declares the egg
70 be all right 1t Is returned to it's place In
the Incubator, but IL the eyes and blood
Vessels do not show the egg Is discarded to
be sent to the kitchen for household usa
The forty-eight hours in the machine not
having injured 1t for that purpose When
ali the eggs have thus been tested the In
crbator Is closed and not opened again un-
I'll the end of the second week This f. the
pnal test and determines the size of the
= Then to the "Brooder."
The work Of forming a chick may start
on all right. but q variety Of causes that
cannot be guarded against may interfere
There may be a too rapid development and
Some Of the blood vessels may burst. or the
chick die from some other cause. To de-
termine this the tester is applied once more
in taking out and returning the eggs to the
Incubator great care is exercised. After
this final test IS made and all the dead eggs
excluded the incubator Is closed. and the
Work Of producing three to four hundred
chicks by machinery Is nearly completed
the incubator not again being opened until
the chicks begin to break from their shell.