The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-05
WILLIAMSBURG MAN
OWNS LARGE FLOCK
OF BROWN LEGH0RNS

The existence of an efficiently
managed and large flock of Brown
leghorn chickens. which so far as
known is the only large flock of that
breed, for radius of 90 miles, was
revealed by recent inspection of the
plant of Grant Watkins, of Williams
burg
With his flock increased to nearly
1900 by the 1000 pullets which he
kept over this fall, Mr.. Watkins has
had to adopt extraordinary methods
TO house them. The problem was part
ly solved by the liberal size of his
house, and for the rest some space
was found in a barn near the poul-
try house, while on another recently
purchased lot, another old barn has
been re-modeled and incorporated in
a new and modern poultry plant.
This plant has one room given over
10 laying flock which is as large
as the ordinary farm flock. A num-
Der of pullets are housed in one OF
The three brooder rooms. Each OF
these rooms is large enough, and has
a stove with the proper capacity to
take care of 1000 chicks. Mr.. Wat
kins has never kept more than 700 in
them however.
This building is on a side hill and
has a ground level entrance to the
basement, which is well adapted TO
it's use as an incubator room. The
incubator, 1,400 egg capacity, with
eigth units, is of an accepted make
An automatic egg turner is used
which will turn all the eggs in less
than a minute. Hand turning, which is
practised in small incubators. would
be an all day job with this plant.
To Enlarge Next Year
This incubator may have additional
units placed at the end, and also may
be double decked. Mr.. Watkins ex-
poets to enlarge it next season as he
had to refuse numerous requests to do
custom Matching this year.
The incubator has a hot water sys-
TEN, with regulation of hampers by a
copper float actuated by the expansion
or contraction of the water in tank.
Additional temperature regulation is
provided by relief hampers in each
unit of the incubator which are con-
trolled by thermostats above the eggs.
One end of the basement is set aside
as root cellar. Sand is kept at
depth of several inches and carrots
placed in this will grow during the
winter having tops foot or more In
height by spring. Cabbages and other
vegetables are kept as well. These
vegetables are sliced and fed to the
+ chicks in the spring after they are 10
days old.
Feeds Pumpkins
All extra space in the basement this
fall is occupied by several wagonloads
of pumpkins which the poultryman
uses as winter feed for the hens. That
the birds relish them was proven by
the eagerness with which they were
working at them.
Other feed which is kept for them
includes whole corn, mixture of oats,
wheat and rye, and the mash. This is
made up by Mr.. Watkins himself ac-
cording to the formula of 100 pounds
each of bran, corn meal, and of shorts,
with 35 pounds of tankage or meat
scraps and three pounds of charcoal.
Lime is used in the drinking water
and insecticides are mixed in the dust
bath.
The original poultry house, which
was built some years ago, is remark
able for its depth, which is much
greater than usual, and for laying
alley seen for the first time on this
farm. Instead of taking up space in
the house, nests are placed in three
foot extension at the back OF the house
behind the roosts. This alley, three
feet wide and the length of the house,
has entrances at each end and in the
center through doors cut beneath the
roosts.
This alley is easy to work in without
disturbing the flock, being entirely
separated from the body of the house
by the solid wall behind the roosts,
and this location also provides the
seclusion from the rest of the flock.
and the darkness, which the hens love
for their nests.
There are three tiers of nests, Is to
a tier. each five inches deep and two
feet long. This length keeps hens
from breaking eggs when more than
one try to get on the same nest. Four
inch boards, forming the front of the
nests are dropped behind small blocks
of wood and fastened with two or
three HOOKS so tndL can ne IGuuON Gu
for easy cleaning of the nests.
The house is 80 by 26 feet, semi
monitor type, we'll provided with the
conventional hopper type of self feed
err Besides the mash kept in the feed
ers. Mr.. Watkins feeds literally of
alfalfa, and the vegetables he keeps on
hand.
Tho hens and pullets are thrifty
looking and continually busy, while the
cockerels are high-headed, proud-step.
ping. irridescent feathered birds.
number of the hens are as large as
five pounds, although the Leghorns are
an especially small breed.
A profitable side line on the farm is
he growing of hares. Mr.. Watkins
having 81 ready for the market at this
time. Both the New Zealands and the
Rufus Reds are kept. One doe weighs
eight pounds. A Rufus Red buck that
was killed lately weighed 12% pounds
Two Of the Rufus Red does are pedi
greed and one of the bucks Corn
oats, and alfalfa are fed and very little
is needed for each animal so that cost
nf nroducfiap * small Tho oolv 1ahO,