Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-06

When II comes to beauty on a poultry
farm, B. F. Hart, owner OF the Oak Hill
farm at College Park. is ready to make
all breeders hustle for first money. Snow
White Leghorns are the chickens on this
farm. which is in and practically part
OF a beautiful stretch of virgin forest.
Oak Hill farm is situated about two
miles from College Park and very near
the farm of ]. NJ. Hart. father OF Oak
Hill owner, and himself a poultry
breeder Of note. When young Hart de-
cided to have big poultry plant Of his
own. he picked a beautiful sylvan scene
for himself and neglected to clear away
the natural oak and hickory forest,
which still covers all the ground in the
neighborhood except the spots where he
had 10 cut down a few trees to make
room for chicken houses, brooder
houses, etc.
The farm is in a forest not because
young Hart lacked the energy to clear
Il away but because, having worked
with chickens all his life and knowing
about everything there is to know about
them, he believes that they like and
need shade, and so he is glad that he has
plenty OF shade TO give them.
Handling single comb White Leghorns
exclusively, Mr.. Hart always has about
Leo birds on his place. keeping them
constantly culled down. At the present
time there are about 1000 Leghorns at
the plant, but many of these will be sold
during the next two months to other
breeders, and then the stock will be Gull
ed down, the inferior birds going on the
general market
Mr.. Harris farm is just off one Of the
principal roads leading out from Col
Iege Park. The plant consists of a sin
kwaa hHrFCn
brooder, a number of outdoor" brood
ers, a surplus stock house and incubator
house.
The main house is one of the largest
in this section being an even 200 feet
long and containing . separate pens
each eight feet in width. The runs for
these pens are 100 feet long. and each one
OF them is literally filed with tall but
slender hickory and oak trees. which
are trimmed each year.
NOT TOO MUCH SHADE.
While Mr.. Hart believes in shade and
plenty OF II for his fowls he states that
there is such thing as too much shade
and for that reason instead of cutting
down his trees. he simply sees that their
limbs are trimmed each year, This is
done in order that a superabundance of
shade may not make the ground soggy
and consequently unhealthy for the birds.
BY this method he has an even but
not dense shade thrown over his place
during the spring and summer months.
when the fowls most need It. In the
winter the leaves naturally drop on so
the fowls get plenty OF sunshine at the
time OF the year that they need it most,
and would become unhealthy without it.
Having so many trees in his runs he nat
uraIly has to be careful that the leaves
do not remain upon the ground long
enough to make IL unfit for the chickens.
The house is arranged much after the
manner of the usual up-to-date chicken
house, with door-like boards, which can
be opened for gathering eggs, feeding
boxes beneath the nests, which are back
ed against a walk. Dropping boards are
protected by kerosene placed in cups I'M
der this the nails supporting the boards,
and the house is generally arranged in
an up-to-date manner.
The runs are made 100 feet long, not be-
cause Mr.. Hart thinks the fow Is re-
ouire so much space, but because he
thinks they like to have IL, and he wishes
TO give them as much liberty as posi-
bic.
In addition to the 2OO-foot house for the
breeding pens, the surplus house is
rather large. being 10 feet in length. and
have especially long runs. This place
comfortably houses 700 fowls, and in it
Mr.. Hart places birds. which he is not
ready 70 put in the breeding pens or
which are to be sold within a short time.
The /s'surplus" house is generally pretty
well filed with young cocks and pull
let's
A third interesting structure on the
place Is the combination brooder and in
cubator house. The excellent qualities or
this house seem to be shown by the
statement that seven weeks ago. Mr..
Hart placed 800 chicks in the house. and
six weeks later brought them out hav-
ing lost during that time only nine little
birds. The brooder house is large enough
to house 500 chicks at a time but is only
24xl2 feet and has nine pens. The
house is fitted out with kerosene lamps
and every facility for handling the dell
cate little future prize winners. A three
foot scratch" inside the house, which
has a southern exposure is provided. in
order that the entire place may be shut
in by lowering of glass windows when
the weather is too inclement TO be healthy
for young birds. In fine weather the