The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-07-01
DAIRY ND 70 UITRY.
INTERESTING CHAPrERs FOR
OUR RURAL READERS.

How Successful Jarmors OpoFato This
Department. of d ths Farm Few
Hints = g the Cars Of Iavs stock
and Poultry. HE
New York Poultry Farrnsr.
About year ago report was given
OF Henry Van Dreser's poultry farm
ing. You were told Of the high price
ne got for his eggs, all of them going
to one grocer on Fifth avenue, New
York. : It was reported also how many
hens he intended to have laying this
winter, and that all the eggs were con-
tracted at a fancy figure to one dealer.
Inc 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 a large, fine farm,
and made mis- mark in the world by.
breeding Holstelns. A few years ago.
he became interested in the poultry
business. He says they always kept
Lens, 'but they never Watered tnem III
winter, nor did they feed them proper
~. The hen house was cold ana nltny.
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.
hen they bought a 2OO-egg incubator.
Next 200 eggs were procured from an:
expert. 1hey paid $2U 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 mad, but de-
sired to take advantage OF all that had
by express. They weresalloweu 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
10 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 a boy
they were bringing up, and he and the
boy sat up all night, so interested were
they, watching the chickens hatch out.
All of them We're 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, 76 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
ire 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 to
increase the business rapidly, and
talked the matter over with MS
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 two-story house
for the Matching and brooding of the
little chicks. 1t is 40x45 feet. The
basement has 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 300 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, graduate of Cor
nell University. has charge Of the
business now. It has grown. to be so
large that one mans constant atten-
ton is needed. They are now arrang-
ing system of outdoor brooders to
transfer the young chicks to from the
brooding house. How many laying
hens do you suppose they have this
winter? Twenty-Five hundred. Yes,
a single hen house, built last season,
to make room for their growing BUSH
ness, is S65 feet long, Is feetxswide and
97A feet high. The apartments inside
are 15x15, with wire netting for divi-
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 single large
room is built two stories high, which
adds to the looks very much and
makes an office where the books are