1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
811 
The Chicken Yard. 
SOME MOTES OM IMCUBATIOM. 
I ran a 120-egg Cypher’s incubator last 
season; hatched five times; hatched 
from 25 to 50 per cent. With eggs from 
the same lot of hens I hatched under 
hens an average of about 75 per cent. 1 
am inclined to think that my poor suc¬ 
cess was due to insufficient ventilation. 
I have just started the incubator, and 
am leaving the ventilating slides par¬ 
tially open. Four of my last season’s 
hatches were run with ventilating slides 
closed, and the last (which was the best) 
was run with the slides partly open. I 
would advise beginners to provide a 
room where the temperature varies but 
a few degrees during the 24 hours, and 
then experiment and study until they 
are familiar with the theory of hatching. 
When they can locate the reason for 
poor success they have a chance of 
remedying the fault. This is what I am 
trying to do. Overconfidence is a great 
fault. Nearly all the beginners I know 
blame the eggs when the hatches are 
poor. After hatching a number of times 
with varying success they begin to real¬ 
ize that they have something to learn. 
While my own experience is rather 
limited, I have seen chicks hatched by 
others, and believe that when properly 
treated there is no difference in vitality 
from those incubated by uie hen. After 
reading the incubator catalogues a no¬ 
vice is apt to believe it a simple matter 
to hatch and raise chickens artificially. 
After attempting it his opinion is apt 
to be modified. I would advise the be¬ 
ginner to begin with the hen that lays 
the egg. See that she is robust, bright, 
active, and has free range, or is kept 
in large yards, cocks the same. Then 
place the incubator in a ventilated cellar 
free from odors. If he fail to get a good 
hatch he can be pretty sure his method 
of running it is at fault somewhere. This 
view presupposes, of course, that he has 
a first-class machine. geo. k. day. 
Long Island. 
I have had three years of experience 
with artificial incubators, and had fair 
success. The first hatch I took off the 
incubator I had 193 chicks out of 200 fer¬ 
tile eggs. I would say that the moisture 
is the first mistake the beginner is liable 
to make, either too much or not enough. 
Too much moisture is as injurious to the 
developing chick as not enough. Too 
much moisture will drown the chick, or 
cause it to be weak, and not sufficient 
will cause tne chick io stick to the shell, 
and it will not have strength enough to 
break the shell. Ventilation in the room 
where incubators are placed is a rather 
necessary article. To get proper mois¬ 
ture in an artificial hatcher is a hard 
question. For the beginner it is a good 
plan to set a hen at the same time that 
tne machine is set, and see the air cell 
in the large end of the eggs being 
hatched from day to day. Then he can 
see how the moisture is working in the 
machine and under the hen. I find lit¬ 
tle chicks that are hatched by artificial 
incubators much healthier than those 
hatched by the hen; stronger and free 
from disease, lice, mites, etc. A chick 
hatched by artificial incubators will 
grow faster if properly cared for than 
chicks that are hatched by the hen. 
Kelly Point, Pa. h. b. l. 
PROFITABLE HEN-KEEPING. 
Without being able to say positively 
from actual figures, about 80 per cent oE 
our hens lay in Winter, but owing to 
constant sales at all times of the year 
and sometimes being too much crowded, 
I do not get as large a percentage of 
eggs as if I had fewer birds. I would 
always rather hens did not lay too early 
or too freely, as I like to have them in 
full laying condition for March and 
April eggs for hatching. I make it a 
point to have all young stock in Winter 
For Economy’s Sake use the Rochester Ra¬ 
diator; saves one-half fuel.—Adi). 
quarters before the Fall rains come on 
about September 10 or 20. The time of 
hens moulting varies, as all breeders are 
aware, with their age. My yearling hens 
were through about October 1, or earlier, 
having commenced early in July, the 
older ones shedding yet; a few just be¬ 
ginning. I feed wheat principally dur¬ 
ing moulting season, and give the fowls 
full range of the farm, as I think they 
do better and get through earlier. I 
break up my pens in June as early as 
possible, if not behind with egg orders. 
In shut-in weather I think nothing 
better than oats or wheat in the sheaf 
to induce hens to lay and keep laying. 
Give cabbage heads or turnips, some 
kind of meat if possible, plenty of shells, 
charcoal, water and oust boxes; keep 
them happy and busy. Feed a warm 
bran mash once a day, otherwise whole 
grain exclusively; one feed of corn in 
very cold weather. Feed no nostrums, 
but raise cayenne peppers and put a lib¬ 
eral quantity in the mash three times a 
week. In extremely cold weather hang 
one or two lighted lanterns in the hen¬ 
house at night and consequently have 
no frozen combs or drop-off in the egg 
yield on that account. mrs. j. p. h. 
Some Connecticut Hens. —I have no 
means to detect the “robber” hens, of 
which I presume I have some, but I get 
about 25 per cent of eggs through the 
Winter. My pullets commence laying at 
about six months old; that is, about the 
middle of November, as I do not hatch 
out any very early ones. If I have room 
for them I like to commence to house 
the pullets as soon as they show a dis¬ 
position to go to roost on the coops or in 
trees. Hens over one year old are not 
generally through moulting much before 
December 1. I have none but one-year- 
olds now, and they are about through 
moulting and laying again. I think the 
earlier they are hatched the earlier they 
will moult, and that an old hen will 
moult later and longer. I feed animal 
meal in their mash. Their grain is prin¬ 
cipally corn with an occasional feed of 
oats, but I try to balance it up with 
wheat, bran and animal meal. I used 
to buy considerable wheat, but doubt 
whether it pays. If I buy corn I get it 
cracked simply to keep the hens busy 
longer, but there seems to be nothing 
that they lute as well as whole corn. 
My hens paid me last year about $1.35 
a head. I do not sell any eggs or stock 
at fancy prices. I keep them for eggs, 
and sell mostly at retail market price, 
which is now 35 cents. g. t. j. 
Bristol, Conn. 
SC HATCHINGS. 
Moulting in Florida.— Hens here in 
Florida shed their feathers the same as in 
New Jersey. Some hens shed all feathers 
in a week or 10 days, others will take a 
month or longer. The time is between July 
1 and November 1. J. b. 
I have been trying your advice in raising 
Dwarf Essex rape for fowls this year, and 
find it a great success. With those which 
are closely yarded and fed on it every day 
for the past two months I have had quite 
a large increase in egg yield. a. j. a. 
Vertigo in Hens. —Can any of your poul- 
trymen give cause and cure of a condition 
of a hen’s system, which causes her to 
twist her head round till she “looks up 
and not down?” B - 
Connecticut. 
This is apparently a case of vertigo, 
which is usually supposed to be caused by 
overfeeding of rich stimulating food. Re¬ 
duce the food allowance and feed a mush 
compound largely of wheat, bran and vege¬ 
tables. J - E - s - 
Oats for Hens.—I have kept hens for 
the last eight or nine years, and have fed 
oats more or less all this time. I have 
never noticed any ill effects from such a 
diet. Oats have, sometimes, been the only 
whole grain fed for one or two weeks at a 
stretch. I do not feed them to small chicks, 
as they might puncture their tender crops. 
Nashua, N. H. o. b. 
Spurs on Hens.— Hens that laid perfect 
eggs and were supposed to be as good lay¬ 
ers as any in the flock have had well-de¬ 
veloped spurs, from one-half to one inch 
long, even in the second year. These, of 
course, like spurs usually found on hens, 
were slimmer than those on a cock, and 
as often curved downward as upward. The 
frequent occurrence of spurs on the hens 
seems to be a characteristic of particular 
strains or families of a breed, not neces¬ 
sarily associated with other defects. 
W. P. WHEELER. 
BOILED EGGS. 
I would not advise beginners to go into 
the business without good incubators and 
houses to raise in; also knowing something 
about the same. A man’s greatest mis¬ 
take is in not knowing of how to care for 
the chicks, while it is very easy to hatch 
them; incubator chickens are not as healthy 
at first but If they go through the first two 
or three weeks they are much better chicks 
than those hatched naturally. r. w. t. 
Missouri. 
I have operated two different makes of 
machines, hot water and hot air, two sea¬ 
sons, with about equal results, having 
hatched 80 per cent of the fertile eggs. Do 
not be in a hurry to set the machine with 
eggs, unless you wish to throw your eggs 
away, but run it empty until you are sure 
you have learned to run it with but little 
variation of temperature. Keep close to 
rules sent with the machines. Manufac¬ 
turers have their rules now as near right 
as they can be. I find incubator chicks as 
good in every way, and far less troubled by 
vermin. G. w. g. 
Baltimore, Md. 
Shredded Corn.—I am well pleased with 
shredded fodder, as it keeps well for me, 
goes almost as far again as by the old way 
of feeding, and best of all, the manure is 
ready to go on the field as soon as it passes 
through the stables. For bedding brood 
sows at farrowing time I have found noth¬ 
ing better. Since we got a McCormick 
corn harvester and have our corn husked 
and fodder shredded we have no trouble 
in handling our corn crop. j. l. v. d. 
that runs on wheels. 
Sold Everywhere. 
^ Blade by STANDARD OID CO. 
COOK YOUR FEED and SAVE 
Half the Cost—with the v 
PROFIT FARM BOILER 
kettle in one minute. The simplee 
and beat arrangement for cookin 
food for stock. Also make Dairy an 
Laundry Sloven, Water and Stear 
Jacket Kettles, Hog Scaldors, Cal 
drons, etc. w Send for circulars 
D. R. SPERRY & CO., Batavia, li' 
'KEYSTONE n DEHOBNER 
Makes dehorning easy 
and painless. Cuts 
on four sides at 
once. It never 
bruises nor 
l crushes. Send 
L for circulars. 
<. T. PHILLIPS, Pomeroy, Pa., (Successor fe A.C.BROSIUS). 
Endorsed by colleges 
and experts. High¬ 
est award World’s 
Fair. Most hu¬ 
mane because 
the quickest 
and easiest. 
Be Kind to Stock 
by humanely dishorning them only with 
the quick, smooth cutting 
Convex Dishorner. 
> make the Bucker Stock Holder, one of the 
best aids to dishorning, and two other styles of 
Dishorners, one for calves. Every approved ap¬ 
pliance for this work. Send for FREE book. 
GEORGE WEBSTER.Hox M,Glirlstlunu,Fa 
Western trade supplied from Chicago. 
FOR CHICKS 
the best possible feed is green cut bone- 
makes them hardier, better layers and bet¬ 
ter broilers. Greatly increases 
fertility of eggs, too. The best 
investment for a chicken rais¬ 
er is a 
STEARNS 
BONECUTTER 
(formerly Webster k tiannuni). 
It pays for itself in a short time in in- 
creased eggs and decreased cost of 
leed. 1 he Stearns is in all ways the best bene cutter. 
Easiest running, simplest, self-regulatir.g, ieit-leeding. 
non-clogging, cuts bone, meat and gristle, cracks coin. 
FRFF A scientific and practical book on 
■ rvxwLv p OU it r y feeding, and our catalogue. 
E. C. STEARNS & CO., Box -0, Syracuse, N. Y. 
Skimming 
Made Easy 
I 
Running an ordinary 
hand separator is hard 
work. Tho National Hand 
Separator turns so easily and 
1« made so simply that the women 
folks can run it, take it apart, clean, 
and put, It together. We 
will give you a ten days’ 
.trial of tho 
NATIONAL 
Hand Separator 
absolutely free. 
Test it thoroughly by tho side 
of any other separator; 
return it in ten days (at 
■ our expense), if you find 
a fault in it. 
Write for one to-day. 
National Dairy Machine Co., Newark, N. J. 
YOU ARE NOT GETTING ALL 
YOUR CREAM IF THE 
IMPROVED 
U. S. CREAM 
SEPARATOR 
IS NOT USED BY YOU 
TO SEPARATE YOUR MILK 
VT. FARM MACHINE CO 
Bellows Falls, Vt. 
Cream Separators. 
De Laval “ Alpha " cuid “Baby " Separators. 
Flrat—Best—Cheapest. All Styles— Sixes 
Prloos, $50 to $800. 
8are HO per oow per year. Send for Catalogue. 
THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR CO., 
landolph and Canal Streets, I 74 Cortlandt Street 
CHICAGO | NSW YORK. 
TRADE 
MARK 
BEstOI/ 
BUTTER PROFITS 
More money comes with the ui 
of improved machines—and east 
work. Send for our big Illustrate 
catalogue—mailed free. 
"BESTOV” every¬ 
thing for dairymen. 
THE DAIRYMEN’S 
SUPPLY CO., 
1937 Market St. Phila. 
Stiarpei your own Horsi. 
THE BUZZARD 
the greatest of all 
HORSEICE CALKS 
Agents Wanted. Address, 
S.W.KENT.Cazenovia.N.Y. 
M AKE HENS LAY 
They can’t be profitable unless they do. They can’t 
help laving if fed on Green Cut Bone and 
Granite Crystal Grit. They double the eggs. 
Mann’s New Bone Cutters 
cut bone in the Tautest, cheapest and easiest 
iway. Mann’s Clover Cutter and Swinging 
r eed Tray pay for th emselves quickly. Cash o r 
installments. Illustrated catalogue 
F. W. MANN CO., Box is Milford, Mass. 
mR Fc f. d .the hens on green cut bo"ne" > 'They , 
^■''will lay double the eggs - ‘ 
right in the middle of the winter, / 
when eggs are worth most money. I 
DANDY Cr Cutte°s ne . 
with or without gear are the best 
machines for preparing bone for 
fowls. Cut fast, turn easy. 
Catalogue and prices free. 
STRATTON MFG. CO., 
Box \ g, Erie, Fa. 
