A  1, 000-Leghorn  Power  Hennery. 
RUN  ON  OLD-FASHIONED  METHODS. 
Hens  eat  a  mortgage  ;  due  credit  to  the  “  women  folks;  ”  a 
grain  mixture  ;  fed  from  a  stone-boat ;  rapid  work, 
wanted ;  death  to  dark  chickens  ;  how  the  hens  are 
kept  well. 
it  at  any  time  of  the  year.  An  eighth  of  a  mile  from 
the  house  the  farm  is  cut  by  a  ravine  in  which  there 
is  an  abundance  of  spring  water.  Four  substantial 
houses  have  been  built  along  this  ravine,  and  each  year 
the  most  promising  pullets  are  transported  to  these 
buildings.  A  sufficient  number  of  non-related  male 
birds  are  obtained,  and  all  the  eggs  for  hatching  are 
tance  Mr.  Sidway  usually  obtains  some  of  the  scorched 
wheat,  and  has  sent  as  far  as  Baltimore  for  it.  Hardly 
any  corn  is  fed. 
The  hatching  and  rearing  of  chicks  have  been  the 
work  principally  of  the  woman  folks.  A  building  is 
selected  for  sitting  hens  and  a  row  of  30  or  40  nests  is 
made  of  boards  all  around  the  interior  next  to  the 
It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  in  these  days  of  pro¬ 
gress  in  all  branches  of  farm  industry  there  are  still 
individuals  who  are  reaping  large  returns  by  the 
employment  of  good,  old-fashioned 
taken  from  these  houses.  The  fowls  have  unrestricted 
range,  but  the  two  flocks  are  too  far  apart  to  mingle. 
The  hens  are  abundantly  supplied  with  oyster  shells 
wall  on  the  ground.  The  nests  are  divided  only  by 
board  partitions.  Great  care  is  taken  to  obtain  enough 
hens  to  fill  all  the  nests  and  they  are  all  set  at  one 
time.  The  eggs  are  placed  in  the  nests 
methods.  Mr.  George  Sidway,  of  Vic¬ 
tor,  N.  Y.,  is  one  of  these.  He  has 
made  a  small  fortune  out  of  the  poultry 
business.  His  farm  lies  2%  miles  south¬ 
east  of  Victor  village.  About  12  years 
ago  Mr.  Sid  way  was  a  discouraged 
farmer.  He  was  struggling  with  a 
heavy  mortgage  upon  his  farm,  and 
the  outlook  was  poor  indeed.  Now 
the  farm  is  paid  for.  A  substantial 
modern  house  stands  upon  it,  and  he 
owns  some  valuable  property  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  a  large,  flour¬ 
ishing  village  in  an  adjoining  town. 
About  the  time  first  mentioned  Mr. 
Sidway  determined  to  sell  off  his  hens, 
as  he  considered  them  too  expensive  a 
luxury,  but  at  the  earnest  protest  of 
his  wife  they  were  allowed  to  remain. 
Mrs.  Sidway  then  took  the  poultry  in 
charge  and  the  present  success  is 
largely  due  to  the  active  part  she  has 
taken  in  their  management.  She  be¬ 
gan  raising  chickens.  Each  year  the 
number.raised  was  increased,  and  each 
year  it  became  necessary  to  build 
additional  houses  to  accommodate  the 
pullets.  As  the  hens  multiplied  the 
heavy  work  devolved  more  and  more 
upon  men.  Good  customers  for  eggs 
were  found  in  a  neighboring  city. 
The  stock  is  pure  White  Leghorn, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  common 
fowls  which  are  kept  for  sitters.  The 
houses  now  number  18  which  together 
accommodate  1,000  hens.  The  farm 
of  150  acres  is  run  entirely  for  poul¬ 
try.  The  crops  and  skim-milk  are 
used  to  feed  the  fowls,  butter  being 
a  secondary  product.  The  soil,  a  grav- 
ellj*  loam,  inclined  to  sand  in  some 
portions,  is  capable  of  producing  cereal 
and  root  crops  in  abundance,  and  is 
good  fruit  land.  There  is  some  past¬ 
ure  and  meadow  land.  Although  wheat, 
corn  and  potatoes  are  raised  to  a 
certain  extent ;  the  staple  is  a  mixed 
crop  of  oats,  peas  and  barley,  which 
is  easily  harvested  with  a  binder. 
This  mixture  is  ground,  and  an  excel¬ 
lent  meal  is  the  result.  Fourteen  of  the 
honest 
^DISCUSSION 
and  the  hens  are  put  upon  them  after 
dark.  The  hens  are  shut  on  for  a  day 
by  boards  placed  over  the  nests.  An 
abundance  of  food  and  water  is  set 
in  the  center  of  the  house.  After 
that  no  trouble  is  experienced  with  the 
hens  as  they  do  not  try  to  “  double 
up  ”  as  long  as  there  is  one  nest  apiece 
all  around.  At  hatching  time  the  heus 
are  left  entirely  to  themselves.  If 
there  is  danger  of  lice  a  quantity  of 
sulphur  is  put  in  the  nests  before  the 
broods  are  taken  off,  thus  hens  and 
chicks  get  the  full  benefit  of  the  warm 
fumes  that  arise  from  it. 
When  strong  enough  the  broods  are 
removed  to  an  orchard  on  the  north 
side  of  the  house.  Here  are  scores  of 
coops  and  after  a  few  days  the  hens 
are  allowed  to  range  at  will  with  their 
chicks  among  the  trees  and  currant 
bushes.  The  hens  do  not  fight  each 
other  or  molest  strange  chicks.  This  is 
because  all  are  white.  When  a  hen 
hatches  by  chance  a  dark-colored  chick 
the  others  lose  no  time  in  pecking  it 
to  death.  A  number  of  long,  low 
shelters  have  been  built  here  under 
which  the  broods  gather  during 
storms,  and  eventually  many  of  the 
growing  chicks  make  these  their  home. 
On  this  farm  large  profits  have  been 
realized  in  spite  of  comparatively  low 
prices,  as  eggs  in  any  amount  are  not 
expected  before  the  middle  of  Febru¬ 
ary.  The  prices  received  range  from 
14  to  22  cents  per  dozen,  a  few  early 
eggs  being  sold  at  much  higher  figures. 
But  at  any  time  of  year  these  eggs  sell 
for  two  to  three  cents  above  the  market 
price.  The  eggs  are  all  of  one  color, 
are  carefully  washed,  and  assorted 
and  packed  in  clean  crates,  and  shipped 
once  per  week  to  regular  customers 
who  promptly  return  drafts  for  them. 
During  freezing  weather  shipments 
are  made  by  express,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  eggs  go  as  freight. 
By  careful  selection  a  strain  of  Leg¬ 
horns  has  been  established  which  are 
larger,  and  lay  larger  eggs  than  the 
houses  are  grouped  near  the  dwelling, 
and  there  are  no  fence  restrictions.  A 
cook  room  is  connected  with  the  dwel- 
Hard  to  Clean  the  Dirt  from  a  Political 
Take  the  Joi$  ! 
“  Boss,”  but  Dame  Agriculture  will 
Fig.  126. 
ordinary  kinds,  and  are  excellent  types 
of  the  business  hen,  though  perhaps 
not  characterized  by  a  great  number 
ling,  and  each  morning  a  large  box  is  filled  with  the  hot 
mess,  placed  with  a  barrel  of  water  upon  a  stone  boat, 
and  hauled  from  house  to  house  by  teams.  I  have  in¬ 
timated  that  the  methods  were  of  the  old  style,  that 
is,  no  incubators  or  brooders  are  used,  no  eggs  are 
packed,  and  the  buildings  were  cheaply  built,  and  not 
in  a  way  to  secure  a  great  degree  of  warmth.  The 
hens,  however,  are  fed  enough  during  the  winter 
months  to  keep  them  healthy,  and  the  floors  are 
covered  with  straw,  which  when  worked  down,  is 
drawn  out  upon  the  land.  Behind  each  house  a  shelter 
has  been  formed  of  rails  covered  with  straw.  This 
and  gravel  at  all  times  ;  the  latter  is  taken  from  a  bed 
on  the  farm.  The  fowls  are  fed  only  twice  a  day, 
morning  and  afternoon.  The  first  ration  is  cooked  the 
day  before  it  is  used,  in  a  large  furnace  kettle,  and 
warmed  up  each  morning.  It  is  a  mixture  of  meal, 
bran,  middlings,  often  whole  grain,  milk,  water,  salt, 
apples,  beans,  potatoes,  pumpkins,  or  other  vege¬ 
tables.  Mr.  Sid  way  buys  scorched  or  wet  grain  in 
large  quantities,  often  by  the  car-load.  The  damp 
grain  is  distributed  around  on  the  available  floor  space 
in  barns,  outbuildings  and  garrets,  and  is  shoveled 
over  at  intervals  until  thoroughly  dry.  When  an 
of  fancy  points.  When  the  season  is  fairly  opened 
about  30  dozen  of  eggs  per  day  are  gathered.  Exact 
figures  as  to  cost  of  feed  and  labor,  and  the  re¬ 
ceipts  of  money  could  not  be  obtained,  but  the 
yearly  product  was  estimated  at  10,000  dozen,  worth 
at  least  $1,600,  half  of  which  was  set  down  as  cleai 
profit. 
Mr.  Sidway  will  soon  remove  to  more  cong'enial  sur¬ 
roundings  on  the  town  property,  which  consists  of  40 
acres  of  good  land  with  excellent  buildings,  and  which 
is  valued  at  $7,000.  A  fruit  and  vegetable  and  dairy 
farm  will  be  made  of  his  present  place,  and  more  sub¬ 
enlarges  the  run  and  when  frightened  the  hens  go  into  elevator  fire  occurs  anywhere  within  reasonable  dis-  stantial  houses  will  be  erected  for  the  fowls.  In  con- 
