The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02
RAISING CHICKENS BY ELECTRIC.
TTY.

r. he grown before long for the
- market. They promise to he
cheaper than chickens raised in
the ordinary way. because II takes much
less food and much less time TO produce
them.
Experiments OF a remarkable charac-
ter In this direction have been In prog
ress recently on n large poultry farm
at Poole. in England, under scientific
direction. Young chicks Matched In In
cubators are grown in electrified houses.
tho structure containing them being
wound about with a spiral OF wire 20
that they are exposed. as II were. to a
bath Of electricity.
II Ia found that chicks grown under
this electric stimulus increase IN size
and weight al about double the rate OF
chicks reared in the ordinary fashion.
This means that tho output OF the poul-
try farm may be doubled and the feed
bill cut down one-haN.
Chickens at the age OF twelve weeks
fetch In the market 81 cents or moro as
hroilers. From the farmers point Of
view there would be lot of money
In bringing them to a corresponding de-
gree OF maturity for market purposes in
six weeks.
But this does by no means fully state
the case. Prof. T. Thorne Baker. A. NJ.
r c. S. who has had charge Of the ex-
periments. declares that chickens OF
three months size can be raised IN the
manner described In Ave weeks. And Of
even more importance is the superior
health and greater viability. that IL
10 1trio oAl Oh
as compared with the ordinary kind
Incubator chicks are less vigorous
than those Matched under a hen In the
old style manner At the same time Il
is not practica Bile 10 produce them on a
large scale for market In any other way.
The growers who do business on a CON
siderable scale employ batteries OF in
cubators. and In the summer months
they count on losing anywhere from 20
to so per cent. of the output by disease.
attributable chiefly to lack Of physical
stamina Tf out Of 100 chickens so are
rea red TO the age Of three months n Is
fair luck.
Under the electric system this loss Is
almost done away with. the mortality
being so far reduced as to amount al
most to nothing. Thus II may be ex-
pected says Prof Baker. that not more
than two In every 100 chickens will die
before they are ready for market, n gain
10 the grower OF enormous importance
when reckoned IN terms OF dollars and
cents.
For example. on the poultry farm at
Poole one intensive chicken house con-
sisting of six fats. each large, enough
to accommodate seventy-five chicks.
was electrified by wire wound around
It spiraly in turns about six inches
apart. The current was applied for
ten minutes every hour during the day.
Slx chicks only out OF a total Of 400
died. mortality OF but one and Ave
tenths per cent. The remaining 3s4
were ready for market in Ave weeks
The experiments are now being car
rid out on a larger scale. with view
to dealing with as many as 1000 chicks
at a time. But experience has shown
that the quantity OF electricity EN-
ployed must he determined with utmost
care. If the current IL too strong. or
Is applied too frequently, It will do
harm. The voltage must be exactly
right, and the number Of smperes used
must have relation 10 the size OF the
chicken house and to the number and
age OF the chicks.
The first trials were made with refer
ence to weight only. Two sets OF chicks,
Matched the same day, were subjected
! to n comparative test, one set being
placed in an electrified house and the
other in n similar house that was not
! electrified. Exactly the same amount
/ Of food was given to both sets, the birds
being weighed at regular intervals. Al
/ the end of three months the electrified
chickens weighed % per cent. more
| than those of the other set.
In another and similar trial the
amount N food given to the electrified
chickens was only two-th'rds OF what
the other set received. At the end Of