\ 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
893 
The Henyard 
Undeveloped Chicks 
This year has been our first experience 
in running an incubator (hot-water sys¬ 
tem). As far as we know, we followed 
the instructions that came with the in¬ 
cubator exactly. Most of the eggs pipped, 
but a majority of the chicks were unde¬ 
veloped when hatched: as one person 
said: “Weren’t buttoned up right.” What 
was the cause? We have Barred Rocks, 
and this year have taken special care of 
our breeding stock. We would be very 
glad if you could help us to make our 
next hatch a success by telling us what 
probably caused our loss. MRS. A. e. w. 
The trouble lies in the inability of the 
breeding stock to transmit sufficient vigor 
to the germ to enable the latter to com¬ 
plete development fully and emerge from 
the shell, under the conditions of incuba¬ 
tion that you afford. It is possible that 
the incubation is faulty, but it is quite as 
likely that the hens that laid the eggs 
lacked the needed vitality to insure good 
results in hatching their product. Per¬ 
haps they have been too closely confined 
and have been too well fed—haven’t lived 
as “near nature” as they should. Good 
care of breeders means turning them loose 
to rustle for themselves, while at the 
same time giving them all the food that 
they need in addition to what they pick 
up. If they must be confined, make them 
work in deep litter for their grain, and 
get the exercise that they need to at least 
a partial extent; but if you are on a farm 
let the breeders run and scratch in the 
garden and flower beds. It is the arti¬ 
ficial life that spoils breeders; let them 
get next to nature and stay there. If 
you can’t do this. well, you are likely to 
be unlucky with your hatches. M. B. D. 
Brief Chapter on Geese 
I notice the “Pastoral Parson” wishes 
someone who has raised geese to tell about 
them. I have often thought I would 
write and tell you how much we all ap¬ 
preciate the Parson’s letters, and how I 
wish his kind of practical religion was 
practiced by all country ministers. Since 
I have lived here we have had seven min¬ 
isters. and all except one have done more 
to keep the young people away from 
church than they have to get them in it. 
And most of them have been conscientious 
men, who have done the best they could 
according to their lights. 
But I started to talk about geese. We 
began raising them eight years ago, and 
find them easier to raise than any other 
fowl. I leave them quietly under the hen 
until they seem to want to get out; then 
I put them where they can get gras« and 
give them bread moistened with milk the 
first few days. Sand should be sprinkled 
on the bread. 
I have always let them run with the 
hen. but last year I had a hen that would 
not own them, and the geese took them 
and took better care of them than a hen 
can, so this year I shall take them away 
from the hen when they are a few days 
old and let the geese have them. They 
should be fed ground grain mixed into a 
inash with milk until they are well feath¬ 
ered, when they are fed with the hens 
once a day at night. Geese can be raised 
without grain after the first two weeks, 
but they grow faster and larger if they 
have grain. Don’t feed whole wheat or 
corn until they are nearly grown, as they 
cannot grind it. I lost several the first 
year because I did not know this. 
Do not mate more than two geese with 
one gander, and don’t have the geese fat 
in the Spring. You will get very few 
fertile eggs if you do. 
Geese need no shelter, except during 
driving Winter storms. Gold they mind 
not at all. A yard' should be provided 
into which they should be driven at night, 
otherwise they are a nuisance sitting on 
the walks and crowding around the house. 
They seem to be attracted by the light. 
Water does not hurt the young goslings, 
but if there are turtles keep them away 
from it. Mine have only a small pool, 
the overflow from a spring. C. 
Cortland, N. Y. 
Snapping Turtles and Ducks 
I have had the large White Pekin 
ducks, full size, mature, caught by snap¬ 
ping turtles, cutting their feet to pieces, 
and I caught one by wading out to where 
the duck was and lifting it up and catch¬ 
ing the snapper by the tail. But the 
worst I had to happen was to have the 
entire beak cut off a large white drake. 
We killed it right away, and kept, on the 
lookout to find whatever could do any¬ 
thing like that, and finally I saw some¬ 
thing in shallow water, like a large stone, 
but, seeing it move; a went for it, and 
secured an 18-lb. snapping turtle, too old 
even to make good soup. If there are 
snappers, beware, as others I had bitten 
would die from poison if not killed. 
Summit, N. J. • J. A. s. 
Curing Egg-eating Hens 
While it is a hard matter to break a 
hen from eating eggs, as I know from 
experience, it is a simple matter to pre¬ 
vent the hen from getting the habit. “An 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of 
cure.” Hens that are confined are more 
apt to acquire this bad habit than hens 
on free rangs. Hens on free range are 
able to satisfy their taste for meat by 
eating bugs, insects and worms. This 
deficiency (meat) must be provided when 
hens are confined, or even allowed the 
liberty of a yard where they cannot sat¬ 
isfy their craving for meat. Oyster shell 
and charcoal must be provided, but 
neither can take the place of meat. If 
fresh scrap meat and fine cracked bone 
cannot be had from the butcher, or from 
table scraps, then dried beef scrap and 
also cracked bone may be bought, from 
a reliable house. If A. N. G. does not 
want to incur this added expense, then 
he may buy a hunk of salt pork and hang 
that in the henhouse where the hens may 
peck at it- Corned beef is preferable, 
but more expensive. If the egg eating 
continues after the hens are turned out 
on free range, then find the hen and con¬ 
fine her until she gets out of the habit, or 
else kill the thief, for she will teach her 
sisters bad habits. Lack of meat also 
causes feather eating and feather pulling. 
Feed meat or don’t blame your hen. 
New York. s. w. BRISCOE. 
Construction of Henhouse 
I would like to know how to construct 
a laying house for 200 S. G. White Leg¬ 
horn pullets. Would a house 20x30 ft. 
be right? Would it. be wide and long 
enough? How should the windows be 
placed, the nests, mash and drinking 
water? What is the most profitable kind 
of breed? u. F. 
New York. 
A poultry-house 20x30 ft. in size would 
accommodate 200 fowls, though five feet 
additional in length would improve it. 
It may be built as simply or as ornately 
as you desire, but the most popular style 
for such a building is one with a front 
of about nine feet in height, with a rear 
wall of five feet. The depth of the build¬ 
ing requires a high front wall in order 
that windows may be placed high enough 
to admit the sun’s direct rays nearly to 
its rear. These windows should extend 
from near the floor to the plate, and 
should be in the front of the building; 
the latter facing to the southeast. Some 
good poultrymen prefer an eastern facing 
rather than a southern, and the former 
has its advantages. The roof of such a 
wide building is usually of the double¬ 
pitch gable type; the front and rear 
rafters being of unequal length, the 
shorter ones in front. Rafters of equal 
span may, of course, be used, if desired. 
The floor should preferably be of con¬ 
crete, the walls of matched stuff, or 
elapboarded over building paper, and the 
ventilation through the front windows, 
which drop back at the tops to give en¬ 
trance to air over them. 
Perches are placed in the rear of the 
building, usually over dropping boards, 
and nests are attached to the under side 
of the dropping platform. The writer 
prefers to let the droppings fall to the 
floor, however, being protected from the 
litter by a wide board set on edge on the 
floor about a foot in front of the outside 
perch. A wide-mesh poultry netting fitted 
to a frame that covers the droppings 
space will keep the fowls out of it. Nests 
may be attached to the side walls at any 
convenient place, being given sloping cov¬ 
ers to keep the fowls from roosting upon 
them. Dry mash may be fed from hop¬ 
pers placed anywhere within the build¬ 
ing. Instead of a hopper of the conven¬ 
tional type, a Y-shaped trough, of any 
length desired, and covered by a remov¬ 
able slatted frame, may be placed upon 
supports that elevate it about two feet 
from the floor. If these supports are 
covered with tin, mice cannot run up them 
to the trough. 
The most profitable breed of fowls is 
the one that best suits the requirements 
of the poultryman’s market. If eggs are 
the chief product, the Leghorns are most 
popular. If broilers, roasters or other 
meat carcasses are wanted, any of the 
heavier breeds excel the Leghorns. There 
isn’t any breed that combines the ad¬ 
vantages of the two without sacrifice. 
Ghoose the one best adapted to your pur¬ 
pose and don’t be misled into thinking 
that you can find a breed that combines 
the virtues of all without the faults of 
any. m. b. p. 
Construction of Henhouse 
I am building a henhouse, and was 
wondering if I could use 5x2’s, spaced 3 
ft. apart, if I put a purlin underneath. 
Shed roof. 20 ft. deep, 8 ft. high in the 
front. 5 or 6 ft. in the back, Missouri 
style house. f. H. r. 
Candia. N. H. 
The 2x5 ft. rafters, 20 ft. in length, 
would need a center support, such as 
would be given by a purlin with support¬ 
ing posts. This could easily be arranged, 
of course, and the posts would not be ob¬ 
jectionable in a long poultry house. By 
the use of a purlin, shorter pieces might 
be used for rafters, these lapping by each 
other at the centers. Three feet, is usually 
wide spacing for rafters and it might be 
best to ask the advice of. e I peal builder ns 
to this. You proba^’ some pretty 
heavy Winter snows f.to support 
in your country. . « M. B. p. 
Bulldog (looking into the tiger’s 
cage): “Great whiskers! How in the 
world could I ever chase a cat like that 
up a tree?”—Credit Lost. 
HILLPOT 
Get Them NOW! 
It’s not too late to take advant¬ 
age of our extremely low prices. 
Easiest time of year to raise baby 
chicks. Furthermore 
[QUALITY CHICKS 
Are from sturdy, healthy, farm-range stock of record-laying strains 
HIGH QUALITY AT THESE LOW SUMMER PRICES 
25 
SO 
lOO 
500 
1000 
Brown Leghorns_ 
.. $3.75 
$7.00 
$14.00 
$65.00 
$120.00 
Barred Rocks. 
. 4.25 
7.50 
15.00 
70.00 
130.00 
Rhode Island Reds .. 
.. 4.50 
8.50 
16.00 
80.00 
1S0.00 
White Wyandottes .. 
.. 6.75 
12.50 
25.00 
Black Minorcas. 
6.75 
12,50 
25.00 
Buff Rocks. 
6.75 
12.50 
25.00 
HATCHING 
DATES, 
JULY 
6, 13, 
20 and 
27 
Order now—prompt delivery direct to your door, by parcel 
post prepaid. Terms cash with order—cannot ship C.O.D. 
Safe delivery guaranteed anywhere within 1,200 miles. 
W. F. HILLPOT, Box 1, Frenchtown, N. J. 
White Leghorns. 
Brown Leghorns—Barred Rocks 
Rhode Island Reds. 
White Wyandottes. 
Per 1000 
Per 600 
Per 100 
Per 60 
Pet 26 
$95.00 
$48.50 
$10.00 
13.0U 
$5.00 
6.50 
$3.00 
3.50 
14.00 
7.00 
3.75 
17.00 
8.50 
5.00 
Parcel Post Prepaid—Safe Delivery Guaranteed 
.If any dead on arrival, will be replaced free of charge or amount refunded. 
Terms cash with order. Send post office or express money order or certified check. 
iEMONT POULTRY FARM AND HATCHERY,'Drawer 4, Rosemont, Hunterdon Ca., New Jersey 
KERR’S BABY CHICKS 9c UP 
KERR’S Baby Chicks are the kind that have given perfect satisfaction to 
thousands tf discriminating poultrymen for the past years 
:v ;«*iSa TWO MILLION FOR 1921 COME TO HEADQUARTERS 
-V,.... .'- av jgL Order now and experience the same satisfaction they have 
Thousands Ready for Shipment Evory Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 
w ... , , , 23 Chicks SO Chicks 100 Chicks 500 Chicks 1000 Chicks 
m.ck e L* K ho 7 n.*::::} * 3 °° * 5 °o *1000 $47.50 $90.00 
Barred Rocks. 4.25 7.50 15.00 70.00 130.00 
R. I. Reds. 
White Rocks.f 4.75 8.50 17.00 80.00 150.00 
White Wyandottes. ) 
PARCEL POST PREPAID SAFE DELIVERY GUARANTEED 
Terms : Cash with order 
If any chicks are dead upon arrival we will refund your money or replace them free of charge 
Write for Illustrated Circular 
THE KERR CHICKERIES, Inc. 
Box O, Frenchtown, N. J. Box O, Springfield, Mass. 
T?* 
RICC3 
A progressive AGRICULTURAL BOARDING SCHOOL for 
older boys. All modern equipment. GRADUATES enabled 
to earn living- or enter agricultural college. Large farm 
in the Berkshires. Lake. Water sports. Indoor and 
outdoor athletics. Recreation and work beneficially com¬ 
bined. Music, High scholastic and moral standard. In¬ 
structors are specialists in their departments. New 
carpentry and machine shop in course of construction. 
Students taught to DO things in these lines. For wide¬ 
awake. manly, ambitious boys. Write for Booklet. 
F. B. RIGGS, Headmaster Lakeville, Conn. 
Buy a Virginia Farm Now a "",“ “ t 
Prices are reasonable. You can grow flue crops of corn 
—all grain and grass crops. Types of soil especially 
adapted to fruit growing. Opportunities for dairying 
unexcelled. Virginia offers more advantages to the 
farmer than any other State—variety of soil, mild win¬ 
ters, long growing season. Why farm where you can 
grow only two or three crops and be far away from 
good markets, when you can grow a variety of crops in 
Virginia and be near the great consuming markets ! The 
healthiest climate in America, free from disastrous 
storms. Write now for Hand Book, maps, etc. 
G. W. KOINER, Commissioner of Agriculture, Richmond, Virginia 
POUND PULLETS and 
YEARLING HENS 
». O. ’\A7’ HITE LEGHORN 
Price, 81.25 each. High quality stock of 
the best laying strains. Satisfaction guar¬ 
anteed. Send for circular. 
Harry F. Palmer Middleport, N. Y. 
S.G. WHITE LEGHORNLAYERS 
13 months old. Have about 1,000 for sale. 8» each. 
Also White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red cocker¬ 
els, 10 weeks, for breeding, SSI each. Pullets, 10 
weeks, at 81.50 each. Our be<t laying stock. 
BIRCH HILL FARM Katonah, New York 
Summer Sale R. I. Reds cocks C aTe 1 ^?, ar o”| 
Single Comb cock, *3. N HI.I.IK, RUSSELL, Woodbury, Conn. 
Wanted-100 ,,EX CMICKS staU 
ery. 
price ami how noon can make deliv- 
HENKY 8TEERS, Kyriim Shore, Port Chester, N. Y. 
CANVAS 
covers, plainand waterproofed; all sizes. Write forprices. 
Agents wanted. WILLIAM W. STANLEY, 50 Church St.. N- ». City 
COVERS, waterproof. 
6x10, $4. Hay Caps, 
Stuck and tractor 
F OR SALE — Muminoth Toulouse Goslings, Pekin Duck¬ 
lings. Fine stock. C. Toepfer, Millington, N. J. 
40S.C. WHITE LEGHORN PULLETS 
hatched March itth. >3 each. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
LAWRENCE W. MILLER - Akgyle, New York 
MILK TICKETS 
Latest sanitary style. Stop losses. Stive time. Free 
Delivery. Free samples. TRAVERS BROS., Dept. R. Cirdncr Max, 
BINDER TWI N E 
Farmers, get our low factory price and save money, 
Agents wanted. Samples free. 
THEO. BUKT & SONS - Melrose, Ohio 
New York State FARMS 
making: farms for stile. We have a size, location and 
pi ice to please you. Stock and tools included on many of 
them. MAN0EVILLE REAL ESTATE AGENCY. Inc.. Dept. I. Olean, N Y, 
U/tpypCTFR cutH and pile- 4 on har 
imniLiiiLn vesteror widiowh .Man 
ami horse cuts and shocka equal Corn 
Binder.Sold in every «tate Only $28 with 
fodder tieint? attachment. Testimonials and catalog FREE showing 
picture of Harvester. Process Harvester Co.* Satina, Kansas 
RABBITS 
FLEMISH GIANTS, young and matured, from pedigreed and 
leg. stock. Prices reasonable. H R. TEN EYCK, Somerville, N.J. 
n.|'_ Un.no pedigreed R. R.. from registered buck. 
06121311 tlalCS i-yr.-old does, S5 each. Young stock S2. 
and up, W. II. GIES8E, Ainltyvlllc, L. 1., Y, 
PUjoLo S- C. Buff Leghorn, Barred Rocks, flO.SO per 100. 
UlllhKS Reds, *12 per 100. Mixed, per 100. Guar¬ 
antee safe delivery. JACOB NIEM0ND, Bex Z, McAliilemlle, P«. 
Rucks, Leghorns, lteds and broiler*. 
Money hack for dead ones as far as Colo¬ 
rado, Texas and Maine. Pamphlet free. 
SANDY KNOLL HATCHERY 
C. M. LAllVER, Prep. Bex 71 McAlixterville, Pa. 
INDIAN RUNNER 
PUKE WHITE 
FAWN WHITE 
$9per 25; 816 per 30; $3Operl00: $270 per 1,000. 
ALDHAM POULTRY FARM R. 34 Phoenixville, Pa. 
THE HOPE FARM BOOK 
^ This attractive 234-page book has some oi the ^ 
beet of the Hope Farm Man’s popular sketches 
— philosophy, humor, and sympathetic 
human touch. Price $1.50. 
For Sale by 
Rural New-Yorker, 335 W. 30th St., New York 
