The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-03-31

OOOl D OIi CIlS SOulil, just ldI SS CilOuSi
for the passing through of a hen
Here the flock are yarded when de
sired with netting or chicken wir,
oyer head to keep in the flyers"
Fresh air is admitted through TIVE
openings 18 inches long by four inch
es wide, having a door which can b.
operated from inside and is under
caves on south, each equal distance:
between ends of the house and the
middle.
The fues for the impure air te
pass out are at each end and in the
middle, there being three made of
4-inch boards, extending from a foot
of the floor to Is inches through and
above the roof, which have on caps
with Pinch space under.
The roosts are of smooth poles
placed along the north side. extend
ing the full length with no drop
boards and on a level.
The nest boxes are made Of these
boards II feet long and one wide,
nailed together from top. back and
bottom, with a narrow strip on
front. This box is divided off in
nests turned away from the light
and a little lower than the roosts
and in front of them, allowing space
to pass between them and roosts in
gathering the eggs and cleaning
house. There are three of these
nest boxes.
The half-gallon jars for holding
water and milk are kept on top of
these boxes so that no litter is
scratched into them and the hens
soon learn where they are.
The cost of this building was
about 5000.
| use two incubators, one hot air
220-egg size and one hot water 100
egg size, and | don't know which |
prefer, but believe if had to trust
them to the care of some one else
occasionally | would be less fearful
about the hot water machine. There
are a good many reliable machines
of both kinds on the market, and | be-
lieve if one wants to raise one
hundred chickens or more a year it
would pay to invest in a small ma
chine at first. Some people are con-
tent to let biddie ''set" but l would
rather tend my two incubators than
bother with any contrary hen. | have
raised 500 little chicks with hens in
one year and know what it means to
raise less and | would go out of bus
mess very quick if it were not for
the incubators and breeders, and
still hope for considerable improv-
mept in this. | have looked into
what is called the Philo system some
and believe it will help us a great
deal to study it up and put what
seems practical into use, a little at
time. An important advantage in
this system is that no lamps are used
in the breeders.
| expect most of US are still using
lamps. | use the best oil | can find
for the machines are much easier to
care for beside being less liable to
accident. | get my incubator moved
and put together and regulated a
few days before putting in the eggs,
and here you should use caution, for
if you buy them and they are brought
over rough road it will be best to
let them SETTLE" placing them in a
natural position until the next day
before placing in incubator, which
should be regulated to remain at
102 degrees.
Have the eggs as fresh as possible,
the same day they are layed is best,
but they can be kept a week or two
in good condition by keeping in a
natural position and temperature
from so to 55 degrees, not warmer,
and do not turn them as is usually
advised every day. Use eggs with
smooth shell and uniform in color
and shape, of average size. Your
thermometer should register after
the first twenty-four hours with the
bulb touching upper surface of eggs
102 degrees. This temperature
should be kept as near as possible
dun ing the first week with but little
airing.
1t is not important that the eggs
- 4 L Il