Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-03-29
STATE HAS UP-T0-DATE
| POULTRY RAISING PLANT.
Oregon State Hospital Chick
en- Farm Produces Eggs
By Wholesale

over four years, is located in Salem.
This plant is maintained by the state
for the exclusive benefit of the Oregon
state hospital, and is under the per.
sonal charge Of G. NJ. Wilcox. Every
day in the year at least 800 eggs are
requirer for the sick wards, and when
eggs are served TO the entire institution
for one meal requisition is made for
324O eggs. When, on special occasions,
poultry is served to all the patients,
1000 pounds of dressed poultry are re-
quircd,
This poultry plant is in two divis-
ions. The breeding yards, incubator
house and brooder houses are near the
state hospital, while most of the lay
ers are at the Cottage farm, where
they are kept ON free range and in col
ony houses.
Tae main buildings near the hospital
include 80 colony houses, all of the
open o. A. c. pattern. Each of these
houses have 50.bird capacity. Here
also is the incubatU house, double.
wallei and ventilated, with 10 Cyphers
incubators, with total capacity of
5000.
The brooder house is l40 feet long,
containing 2S pens and heated hovers.
The entire house is neated by hot wa.
ter md has a 2000.chicken capacity.
Here also are feed houses with bins
and fuel, killing room, and stoves fo
cooking feed, and bone cutter to pre-.
pare food for the chickens. Adjoining
these houses, is the two.room cottage
for the employs of the farm.
At the Cottage farm are maintained
one laying house, 10 colony houses with
a 25-capacity eacn and a duck house
and pond. At present there are about
800 laying hens and 200 ducks at the
Cottage farm. Within a few months
this number will be doubled.
Near the main building is the large
outdoor cage, where are kept silver,
golden, amherst, China and Mongolian
phcasants. Also fantailed pigeons and
black tailed deer.
In the pheasant cage are also kept
the rabbits and guinea pigs, used for
testing serums at the state hospital.
In this wire enclosed space are also
found 1000 laying hens, a pen of Pekin
breeding ducks, breeding turkeys and
a pen of bantam hens. On account of
their light weight, the bantams are
used for Matching pheasant eggs.
According to the plans now being
carried ont by Mr. Wilcox, all the
breeding stock and 1000 laying hen.
are kept at the main buildings. All
other stock ~ cared for at the Cottage
farm.
In order to breed up the stock to
the greatest laying capacity, 100 pulets
were secured last fall from Professor
James Dryden, Of the o. A. c., from
the strain Of tne famous "303" hen,
This hen laid 1903 eggs in one year
the wold Is record, The eggs from these
pullets are used entirely for breeding
purposes. Several Of these pulets made
a record Of 100 eggs last fall, from
September 10 to January 10.
The birds from the "3O3 strain are
being trapnested, which requires seven
or eight trips day to the colony house.
The record of each hen is made on a
special record sheet, Eacn egg is mark.
ed with the hens number, date and
number Of yard.
At this time of year the incubator
house is run with about 1000 chicks
For the first IS days of the hatch the
temperature is kept at 1903 degrees
After that, up TO Matching, the tempera.
ture is lO4, From the tnird to the
18th day of the hatch the eggs arc
turned morning and evening. After the
eighteenth day the machines are closed
for Matching, shutting off all ventiat
ors in order to keep in the moisture.
The bro)der house is divided into
2S pens divided into hovers heated by
not water. From the incubator tn,
chicks are placed into hovers in tn,
first pen Of the brooder house, at q
temperature Of "a degrees They arc
not fed until IS to GO hours old Thii
gives chance for the absorption OF
the volk which is drawn into the body
at natehiDc time.
The first pen is covered with clear
ohhh dnu noul hhlHl Hlllh Is lnt lttU
Later they are fed with boiled infer
tile eggs, ground with dried bread and
bran, and this is given every two hour,
during the second day,
On The third day Of the chick 3 life
it is given cracked wheat, and it soon
learns to scratch for it in the sand and
straw. The chick is nov old enough 10
get in the hover when cold and does
not need such close attention. On the
third day the chick also learns to jump
over the sixinch board into the pen Of
straw.
When one and one-half weeks old
they are moved TO new pen, with
plenty Of straw aud sand. At the end
Of each week and half they are NOV.
ed into another nen, the amount of food
is increased and the temperature re.
duced.
AT the end Of six week they are TAX.
en- out Of the brooding pens and placed
in colony houses. The cockerols are
forced to eating size and tae pullets