El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-08
POLL !Q'Ig|,::I!z R E,4:
~ ~
E~&ESaEs-.~-.::.:..
A New York Poultry Farmer.

A New York Poultry Farmer.
About a year ago a report was given
of Henry Van Dreser's poultry farm
| ing. You were told of the high price
he got for his eggs, all of them going
| to one grocer on Fifth avenue, New
York. 1t was reported also how many
hens he intended to have laying this
winter, and that all the eggs were con-
tracted at fancy figure to one dealer.
The report seemed almost incredible,
but the business goes right on all the
same, and the money is rolling in,
writes T. B. Terry to Practical Far
mer. Mr.. Van Dresser is one of the
N. Y. Institute force and man who
succeeds when he undertakes any
thing. He paid for large, fine farm,
and made his mark in the world by
breeding Holsteins. A few years ago
he became interested in the poultry
business. He says they always kept
hens, but they never watered them IN
winter, nor did they feed them proper
ly. The hen house was cold and filthy
1t was not cleaned out for years at
time, and their hens were all ages.
They did not get any eggs in winter
When he determined to make a
change, and take care of the poultry,
they first dressed the entire lot, old
and young, and sent them to market.
Then they bought 200-egg incubator.
Next 200 eggs were procured from an
expert. They paid $40 for these. as
they wanted to start with the best
money could buy. Mr.. Van Dresser
says he could not afford to breed up
the old mixed stock they had, but de-
sired to take advantage of all that had
been done in this line. The eggs came
by express. They were allowed to rest
"a hours after they arrived before
they were put in the incubator. The
fifth day they were taken out and
tested. The infertile ones were saved
to feed to the young chickens later on.
OF course the eggs were turned each
day afterwards. The 18th day, along
toward night, the chickens began to
pick their way out of the shells. This
poultry business was started by Mr.
Van Dresser partly on account of boy
they were bringing up, and he and the
boy sat up all night, SO interested were
they, watching the chickens hatch out
ALI Of them were out by the 18th day.
They were left in the incubator "a
hours. The chickens Matched out
numbered 81 to each 100 eggs, in this
first trial of the incubator; rs Of these
were raised, that is, rs grown chick
ems were obtained from each 100. eggs
bought. IN due time the little chick
ems were transferred to a brooder, OF
course. The first incubator was used
in the house cellar. This caused the
fire insurance company to cancel their
policy. But Henry says they didn't
propose to be stopped by any such
little matter. They went ahead, but
were particularly careful about fire.
Having such good results the first
time, Mr.. Van Dresser was anxious 20
increase the business rapidly, aI.d
talked the matter over with his
friends. Mr.. Geo. A. Smith, the dairy
expert, begged of our enthusiastic
friend to go slow; and he did, al
though it was hard work for him. He
felt his way along gradually. study
ing and learning all he could. The
second year another incubator was
bought, and brooder to match. And
still they prospered in this new under
taking. They built a two-story house
for the Matching and brooding of the
|
basement has a cement floor and there
the incubators are used. four of them
now. Three have a capacity of 800
eggs each, and one of 200. They in
tend to get another next spring. The
breeders are in the second story. There
are four of them, three Of 800 chicks
capacity and one of 200 The chicks
are kept in these. with the little run
ways attached, for three or four
weeks. Mr.. Van Dresser says the
brooders will keep the number Of
chicks they are rated for that long
safely, and then the chickens need
more room, as they are growing An
educated expert, a graduate of Cor
nell University, has charge of the
business now. 1t has grown to be so
large that one mans constant atten-
ton is needed. They are now arrang-
ing a system of outdoor breeders to
transfer the young chicks to from the
brooding house. How many LAYING
hens do you suppose they have this
winter? Twenty-three hundred. Yes.
a single hen house, bull, last season.
to make room for their growing bust
ness, is 365 feet long, Is feet wide and
912 feet high. The apartments inside
are 15x15, with wire netting for div-
sion walls. Nine tons of Portland
cement was used to make the floor
Of this one building. So perfectly is
the building constructed that it never
gets freezing cold inside In the center
of this long building a single large
room is built two stories high, which
adds to the looks very much and
makes an office where the books are
kept and the business matters attend
ed to. There is a stove in this of