Directions for making and using the improved common sense incubator

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© COMMON SENSE INCUBATOR =

BY

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NEW CONCORD, OHIO.
Printed at the ‘‘ Enterprise ’’ Book and Jeb Office.
1 ae 1883. uw ‘

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THE

COMMON SENSE INCUBATOR

IMPROVED
|

J. M. BAIN. i.

| —) Copyright Secured in 182 by J. M. Bain. =]_,,

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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by J. M. Bain,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D.C.

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o“=3FOR CONSTRUCTING THEE=m

Improved “Common Sense” Incubator.

Take two boards, each tour feet long, six inches
wide and one inch thick, and two boards each two feet
nine inches long, six inches wide and one inch thick,
nail the ends together firmly, and you will have the
sides of a box four feet long, three feet wide and six

inches high, as in No. 1, Fig. 1.

Now cover the top of this box with a lid made of
boards one inch thick, plowed and grooved, or matched
so they will fit closely together. Then for the bottom |
take a piece of zine four feet- long and three feet wide
and nail securely with two rows of small nails for the
bottom of the box. This makes a box four feet long,

This box is called the heater.

three feet wide and six inches high, with a zine bottom.

| low the muslin frame to be moved easily between these

9 ; |

Next make the egg drawer, by taking two pieces
four feet long, four inches wide and one and one-half

inches thick, and two pieces two feet eight and one-

half inches long, five inches wide and one and one-half
inches thick. Nail these together, making the sides of
the egg drawer, four feet long and two feet cleven and
one-half inches wide. Then cut twenty-three slats
thirty-five and one-half inches long and one inch square
and nail the twenty-three slats on the bottom of this
drawer one inch apart. These slats are the bottom of
the egg drawer. Now this makes a drawer four feet
long and two feet eleven and one-half inches wide and
five inches high on the outside and four inches deep in
the inside, with a slat bottom, as in No. 2, Fig. 1.
Now take a piece of wool sack, coffee sack or some
other coarse, strong material, four feet long and two
feet eight inches wide, draw it tightly over the top of
these slats ond tack to the slats and ends of the drawer.
Now cut out of good timber two slats three feet
seven inches long, one inch wide and half an inch thick,
and two slats thirty-two inches long and one inch
square, mortise the ends of the two half-inch thick slats
into the ends of the inch square slats, making a frame
three feet seven inches long and thirty-two inches wide.
Take good heavy muslin, and draw it very tight, espec-
ially fengthways, over this frame and tack it on solid,
lay this frame, muslin side down, on the coarse cloth in
the egg drawer. On this muslin the eggs are to lie.
Next cut twenty slats two feet eleven inches long
and half an inch square, then bore twenty holes halfan

- inch in diameter in each side of the egg drawer, for the

twenty slats to go in, these twenty slats should be one
and three-fourths inches apart, so the eggs can lie be-
tween the slats, and the slats should be down just as
close to the frame with the muslin on as can be, to al-

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aes slats and the slats that make the bottom of t of ne

egg drawer. ‘Lhen place the eggs between the twenty
halfinch slats on the muslin cloth, then by moving this
muslin frame two inches back or er you turn the
esos just half over or bottom side up.

Next take two boards four feet long, eight inches
wide and one inch thick, and two boards two feet nine
inches long, eight inches wide and one inch thick, nail
these together, making the sides of a box tour feet long
three feet wide and eight inches high, being similar in

shape to the heater, except two inches higher, as in No.

(ea eh Va

N ail on a bottom of plowed and grooved boards,
one inch thick. Now bore twelve Rela in different
parts of this bottom, one-half of an inch in diameter,
and get tw hee pieces of tin pipe seven inches long and
halfof an inch in diameter, and put in each of the
twelve holes, they should extend up above the bottom
six inches. . These are the ventilators. Now fill this
box containing the ventilators with saw dust, sand or
bran, about five inches deep, or up to within one inch
of the top of the ventilators. Mind this box has a

bottom but no top.

Now set the egg drawer, C, Fig. 2, on top'of the-
ventilator box, B, and then on ae of the ege drawer,
C, set the heater, A.

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| Now we want to arrange these boxes so the egg
drawer, C, can be slid out and in, and the other boxes,
A and B, maintain their position. To do this take
two boards, each four feet long, twelve inches wide and
one inch thick. Nail one of these boards, M, on each
side of the heater, A, and the ventilator box, B, driv-
ing the nails into the heater and ventilator, but be sure
and drive no nails in the egg drawer, asit should slide
| out and in freely between the heater and the ventilator.
| Having got these boards nailed solid, cut another
| board three feet long, twelve inches wide and one inch
| thick, and nail to the heater and ventilator, on the
back end. 7
| Now the heater and ventilator are connected on
|| two sides and one end, of course the other end must be
|| left open for the egg drawer to slide out. ‘The bottom
| of the Incubator is now protected by the six inches of
| saw dust that is in the ventilator box B. We now
I want to protect the two sides, the back end and the top
with eight inches of saw dust. To do this take two
| pieces of scantling four feet and four inches long, lay
| them down and set the Incubator on them, as shown
by XX Fig. 2, so that the scantling will extend out
eight inches on each side of the Incubator. See that
the scantling do not cover any.of the ventilator holes
| in the bottom of the Incubator.
Now take two boards four feet and eight inches
| long, eight_inches wide and lay one on each side of the
| Incubator on these scantling, O, Fig. 2, for a bottom
| to the saw dust box, which will surround the Incuba-
‘| tor. These boards will extend past the back end of
l the Incubator eight inches. Then by taking a board
|| four feet long and eight inches wide and laying it across
| the back end ef the Incubator, letting it rest on the
| ends of the.two side bottom boards which extend back,
| the bottom of the saw dust box will be complete.

5

Now you want to make oneend, P, and two sides,
N, of a box to set on this bottom, the sides should be
four feet eight inches long and twenty-six inches high,
and the end four feet four inches long and twenty-six
inches high. Now set this box on the bottom already
made and nail it securely, and with two boards twenty
six inches long and eight inches wide, youcan close up
the front end of the saw dust box.

R represents one side of front end closed, we had
to leave the other side open in the engraving to show
the way the heating pipe is put in, of course close up
Loth sides in making your Incubator. Now by taking
a board, S, four feet long and eight inches wide, you
close the top of the end of the saw dust box. This now
makes a box within a box with a space eight inches
wide between the sides and the back end which is to
be filled with saw dust.

Now go toatin shop and get two pipes made,
take a lamp chimney with you, the kind you use, any
common lamp will do to heat your Incubator, and get
the pipes made to suit your chimney, so you can slip
the lamp chimney up in the pipe tight. A pipe two
and one-halfinches in diameter is acommonsize. The
pipe should be twelve inches long then an elbow, then
six inches more pipe, get two pipes like this D, Fig. 2.

Now make a hole the size of your pipe in the out-
side or saw dust box, eight inches frem the front end
and ten inches from the top, and make a hole the same
size in the heater, the box with the zine bottom, eight
inches from the front end and two inches from the top,

then slide the twelve inch part of the pipe through the

hole in the saw dust box into the hole in the heater, A,
Fig. 2, leaving tne elbow and the six inch part of pipe
on the outside of saw dust box, the six inch pipe point-
ing down, for the lamp ‘chimney to be put in. Then

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put the other vipe in the same way, in the opposite
hind corner, these pipes should be seamed together, as
soldering will melt with the heat of the lamp, then
light your lamps and push the chimney as far up in the
pipe as you ean without making them smoke. [If the
lamps smoke, lower the lamps a little, that some air
may pass around the chimney. Two lamps should
keep up the proper heat in the coldest weather.

Now get six pipes three-fourths of an inch in di-
ameter and fifteen inches long. Bore six holes in the
top of the heater, three on each side opposite to where
the heating pipes enter the heater. Bore the first hole
three inches from the corner, the second twelve inches
from the first and three inches from the outside, the
third pipe twelve inches from the second and three
inches from the outside. Then put the other three the
same way on the other side, asshown by the little holes
in the top of the heater, Fig. 2. Then putin the pipes
and slide them down to within half an inch of the zine
bottom. These little pipes draw the heat from where
it enters the heater to the opposite side, and distributes
it equally throughout the heater.

If the lamps go out when the egg Crawer is mov-
ed out or in, it is because the zine bottom is too loose.
Bore a hole in the centre of the top of the heater and
punch a hole in the size of the bolt you will use, in the
zine directly below it. Then put ina bolt seven inches
long, with the head below, and tighten up the burr
until the zine will not flop up and dowu any when the
drawer is moved. Then by moving the drawer out
slowly and steadily so as not to jar the eggs, the lamps
will not trouble. Make the egg drawer so as to slide
out smoothly and easily.

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After putting the pipes in fill the saw dust box
with saw dust, sand or bran even full, but right
around the tin pipes the lamps go in, instead of putting
saw dust be sure and put earth, as the saw dust might
get afire. A little box nailed to the outside ot the saw
dust box to cover the tin pipe and elbow, and filled
with earth, would save much heat.

Now your Incubator has six inches of saw dust
or sand set underneath the eggs in the ventilator box,
B, eight inches on each gide and the back end of the
Incubator, and eight inches on the top. This makes
such a perfect protection that a change of forty degrees
in the temperature of your Incubator room will not
make more than two degrees inside the Incubator.

Be sure and get two good Thermometers, lay one
in the front end of the egg drawer with the top end
slightly raised, it should be one inch higher than the
bottom end. Let the lower end of the Thermometer
point towards the back end ofthe egg drawer, by pull-
ing out the egg drawer four or five inches you can see
ina few seconds how the temperature is. Then place
the other Thermometer in different parts of the egg
drawer and see if the Temperature is uniform. It will
likely be hottest right under where the lamp pipes en-
ter the heater. You can prevent this by Jaying a
piece ot tin one foot square on top of the zine bottom
right under where each lamp pipe enters the heater.
Do this before you fill the saw dust in on top and it
will save you removing the saw dust and top lid to
heater. Or instead of tin you can lay from two to

five thicknesses of brown paper on top the eggs where

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they are the warmest, you will learn in a day or two

just how thick and how large a paper it will take.

Remember it takes a large amount of saw dust to fill
the Incubator,and when that saw dust is cold or frozen

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fe a lamp in the pipes if the brooder is on the floor, make

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it must take two lamps some three or four say usados to
warm it up, but when it gets warm you will be sur-
prised how little heat it will take to keep it so.

Torches, such as are used during political campaigns,
make Baed Incubator lamps by putting common lamp
burners on them.

This Incubator, as above described, will contain
250 eggs. Tu Hol: 500 eggs it should be made six
feet long and four feet wide, the same otherwise, but
remember that two Incubators that hold 250 eggs each
is much better than one that Holds 500 eggs.

ARTIFICIAL MOTHERS OR BROODERS,
_ SO) OP

Make a box four feet long, three feet wide and six
inches high, cover the top with boards and the bottom
with zinc, making a box just like the heater of the
Incubator. Now take a piece of old cloth, tolerable
heavy, an old horse blanket would be good, and cut
strips four inches wide and long enough to reach all
around the three by four box, or fourteen feet, and tack
this cloth around the bottom edge of the box, it will
then hang down -about four inches below the box:
Then cut this cloth every four inches. The box will
then be surrounded witb pieces of cloth four inches
square. Now put a block two inches square under
each corner of this box, then the little chicks can get
in under easily by pushing in between the four inch
strips of cloth. Then fix one tin pipe like the pipes
to heat the Incubator, and one lamp will keep the
brooder warm. Put a three-quarter inch escape pipe
in each corner of the brooder to draw the heat over
the surface of the zine evenly. Ninety degrees is the
proper temperature for a brooder. As you cannot get

a table a little larger than the brooder with legs six or

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eight inches high, according to the height of your
lamps, set the brooder on the table as you would on
the floor, and by putting a board up to it, the chicks
will very soon learn to run out and in.

Don’t set any boards around the brooder to keep
the chickens in, as they will crowd up in the corners |
and kill many. As the chickens grow put higher
blocks under the brooder, so they can get under but
not high enough that they can get on top ofeach other. ||
You might cover the top of the brooder with saw dust, |
as it will then take less oil to to keep in up to about
ninety degrees. |

To keep the rats away, make a box four feet wide
five feet long and one foot high, and put over the
brooder at night. Bore some small holes in the top |
for ventilation. Lhe brooder should be kept in a dry
place and kept veryclean. In pleasant weather put
them out in your yard. You can put a box about the
lamp to keep the wind from blowing it out. Damp-
ness is very bad for chickens, but a barn floor will do
nicely for the brooder. Clean the table, or false bet-
tom, on which the brooder stands daily, and scatter
some sand on it.

HOW TO USE AN INCUBATOR.

_

It is a wise chicken that knows its own mother in
these days of “wooden hens,” hot air, hot water and
all other kinds of Incubators which are rapidly com-
ing into use to bring forth the downy little creatures.

Before beginning operation with an Incubator
you should decide the following questions in your
mind:— -

1. Will you give it the attention it will surely
require at your hands?

2. Will you persevere sufficiently in your efforts

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to gain success ?

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aOR

This you must do, or better let it alone. Don’t
expect every egg to hatch. Recollect it takes experi-
ence to become proficient in anything. And many of
our most successful poultry raisers met with many fail- |
ures before they learned just how to manage their In-
cubators. The first four times that I filled the Incu-
bator with eggs, I only raised one chicken. [had a
different kind of an Incubator each time, so I could
not say it was the fault of any particular kind of an
Incubator, but all this time 1 was learning, and it will
not take you long to become perfectly acquainted with
the business, and then there is nothing that will pay
you better. Just keep trying and you are bound to
succeed. You must give it time and attention during
the process of incubation in its early stages, and more |
particularly when the young chicks are emerging from
their shells and during their early stages of growth.

There are a dozen little attentions required by the ||
young chickens, these they must have. There is a trite
saying: “Ifyou wisha thing half done, send a boy, ||
but if you wish it well done, do it yourself.” This ap-
plies with great force to an Incubator. They can not
be left to everybody to care for, you must give them
your personal attention, in order to see that the follow-
ing requirements are complied with :—

The eggs should be kept at a regular heat, not
over 105 degrees, and not less than 102 degrees, for
long periods.

After the third day the egg drawer should be ta-
ken out once a day and the eggs allowed to cool down
to about 75 or 80 degrees, or lower would not hurt
them. But when in the Incubator from 102 to 106 is
the proper heat. The first twelve to fifteen days keep
as near 105 as possible, the last frve or six’ days 102 is
{he proper temperature, as the animai heat of the chick-

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ens help to heat the eggs. Be careful not to get it too
warm as over-heating is the great cause of failure with
all Incubators.

The eggs should be turned every four or five hours
during wakeful hours, and I generally get up between
one and two o’clock at night and see how the mercury
is and turn the eggs

With the turning arrangement which we direct
you to make, you can turn five hundred eggs in five
seconds, so the time is nothing.

After the third day the eggs should be moistened,
this you can do by setting two or three pie pans of
water on the saw dust under the eggs in the ventilator
box. From the ninth to the twelvth day sprinkle a
little water, warmed, on the eggs by hand, once a day
in addition to what evaporates from the pans. From
the twelyth to the fifteenth day sprinkle twice a day,
and from the fifteenth until hatched, three times a day
as moisture does much to make the shell brittle, and
assists the chicks in getting out.

You can keep your Incubator in an out building
or cellar, or some unoccupied room. Have it as con-
venient to look at occasionally, as possible. Don’t
keep any fire in your Incubator room, as the tempera-
ture will vary less without fire than with it, and the
Incubator is so well protected and the saw dust holds
so much heat that a change of forty or fifty degrees in
the Incubator room will not effect the eggs more than
one or two degrees, and that will do no harm.

See that the six escape pipes in the top of the heat-
er are at least one-half an inch above the zine bottom.

‘Tf they get clear down on the bottom it shuts the draft

clear off. | |
Fill your lamps at six o’clock, night and morning
Then turn up the lamp to about the right height

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this you will soon learn—atter about ten minutes look
at the Thermometer, do not let it get above 105 for
any length of time. When you once get it all right it
will stay that way all day or night, and you will only
need to look at the Thermometer when you turn the
eggs.

Ventilation is also quite essential. The twelve
tin tubesin our Incubator not only ventilates but ad-
mits the cool air under the eggs just where it is needed.
Be sure the ventilators are always kept open, and see |
that in setting the Incubator down you do not cover
the ventilators on the bottom.

Yeu cannot always get fertile eggs. In five hun-_
dred eggs there may be often one hundred eggs not
fertile. After the eggs have been in two days you can,
with a good egg tester, tell every egg that is not fertile
and take them out and sell or use them. You not

only save the eggs, but you can replace them with fer- ||
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tile ones

For $2.50 youcan get a fine egg tester from A. M.
Halstead, Rye, New York. Or for 50 cents you can
get a good egg tester from J. M. Bain, New Concord,
Ohie.

When the chickens hatch they should remain in
the Incubator until they get nicely dried off, or about
twelve or fifteen hours. Im=fyou see the chickens begin
to pant, take such out immediately and put them in the
brooder. They should all be put in the brooder before
they are twenty hours old, anyway.

When about twenty hours old they should receive
their first food, which should be hard broiled eggs or
bread crumbs wet with milk, not feeding more at a
time than they will eat up clean. If feeding corn

meal it should be well soaked before feeding, for corn
meal not weli soaked has killed many chicks, as the |

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meal swells in the craw producing disease and death.
Feed regularly and a little at a time, say at five, nine
and twelve o’cluck, a. m., and three, six and nine p. m.
As they grow, dry grain may be substituted for wet
food, as it will do much to prevent gapes and other
diseases.

HOW TO CAPONIZE CHICKENS,

—0)-—O™

Caponizing the young cockerels is one of the se-
crets of success in poultry raising for profit, as the ca-
pons will feed to ten or twelve pounds in six or eight
months, and will bring an advanced price in any mar-
ket. As for quality, an epicure is judge.

The mode of procedure, to be successful, is to take
all the cockerels at three or four months old, keep them
from feed in the morning so that the bowels are empty
for, if they are fed, and full, you will almost be sure to
cut the intestine while making an incision and cause
death. ‘

The mode of operation is conducted in the follow-
ing manner: Have all the birds ina convenient place.
Let your assistant hold the bird on a piece of board,
the left hand holding the two wings firmly, the right
hand holding the left leg of the bird steady, with back
of the bird to the operator, the feathers are picked from
the edge of the last left rib, and an incision is made
within an inch of the back bone, the cut not any lar-
ger than will admit the forefinger. See that the finger
nails are cut close, as a scratch will bring on hemor-
rhage of the intestines. Press the finger of the left
hand close to the backbone, and two round balls will
be found adhering to the membrane of the sp) ie. Move
the finger over the lower or right ball, tear both gent-
ly upward, bring both over the edge of the incision
with the right finger and thumb tear or twist them off,

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keeping the seminal cords firm between the finger of
the left hand. Cauterize these with White’s Carbolic
Acid Crytal, and return them to their place. The two
testicles resemble a white cranberry, and are about the
same size. Put three stitches in the incision made witha
the knife, and ten to oue the chicken will walk away
and only turn round to pick the part, wondering what
is the matter.

Place plenty of cold water and broiled food with-
in reach, and keep them confined a few days then give
them liberty. Feed well three timesa day and the
delicious meat will be laid on with great rapidity, as
they do not pay any attention to the rest of the poultry
but spend their time in ease and quietness. They get
so fat and lazy that they do not fly on the roost, but
sit on the floor.

Pullets are also converted into poulardes. The
bird is held in much the same way as the cockerel, but
the incision is made a little lower down, near the flank:
On the incision being made the lower bowel will be
found in the way, and close behind it the oviduct,
which is of a redish color, will be seen. With a piece
of wire doubled and turned like a hook, draw the ovi-
duct up and cut across. This will prevent the chicken
from producing eggs and entirely stops the develop-
ment of the ovary and causes the bird to attain a great
size. In the case of pullets { think the operation in-
advisable, as it prevents laying, and eggs are money
any time, and always valuable.

It is well to practice the operation repeatedly upon
chickens that have been killed, so a degree of expert-
ness may be attained before attempting the operation
on the liv.ng fowl.

The uscal price obtained in the East is thirty to
forty cents a pound, during the spring. Mr. W. H.
Todd says thit a well bred capon at nine months old

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should weigh ten ‘pounds each, and that there is no
branch of poultry business pays better. _ He shipped a
lot of thirty capons to New York, and realized a net
profit of $75 on the lot, or $2.50 clear.

THE CARE OF POULTRY,
ee Se ee oe

Mr. Charles Layman, of Clarenda, Iowa, gives
the following simple‘directions for the care of poultry:

In raising poultry or,stock, it should be the aim
of every one to keep it healthy and improve it. You
can do it very easily by adopting some systematic rules.
These may be summed up in brief as follows:

1. Construct your house goed and warm, so as to
avoid damp floors, and afford a flood of sunlight. Sun-
shine is better than medicine.

9. Provide a dusting and scratching place where
you can bury wheat and corn, and thus induce the
fowls to take needful exercise. 7

3... Provide yourself with some good healthy chick-
ens, none to be over three or four years old, giving one
cock to every twelve hens.

4. Give plenty of fresh air at all times of the year,
especially in summer.

5. Give plenty of fresh water, daily, and never al-
low the fowls to get thirsty.

6. Feed them systematicallyjtwo or three times a
day, and scatter the food_so they can’t eat too fast or
without proper exercise. Do not feed more than they
will eat up clean, or they will get tired of that kind of
food.

7. Give soft feed in the morning and the whole
grain at night, except a little wheat or cracked corn
placed in the scratching place to give them exercise

during the day.

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8. Give them a variety of both dry and ceoked
food. A mixture of cooked meat and vegetables is an
excellent thing for their morning meal.

9. Above all things keep the hen house clean and
well ventilated.

10. Do not crowd too many in one house. If you
do, look out for disease.

11. Use Carbolic Powder in the dusting bins occa-
sionally to destroy lice.

12. Wash your roosts and bottom of laying nests
and whitewash once a week in summer and once a
month in winter.

13. Let the old and young have as largea range
as possible—the larger the better.

14. Don’t breed too many kinds of fowls at the
same time, unless you are going into the business.

15. Introduce new blood into your stock every year
or so, by either buying a cockeral or sittings of eggs
from some reliable breeder.

16. In buying birds or eggs go to some reliable
breeder who has his reputation at stake. You may
have to pay a little more for birds, but you can depend
on what you get. Culls are not cheap at any price.

VAG Wed Lie Se
faa eae p< Ce 7 eae

What varieties to keep is a question which per-
plexes many. First decide what branch of the business
you wish to follow and then we can tell you what var-
ieties you need to accomplish what you desire.

If you wish to keep chickens to produce eggs for
the market, the Leghorns, Polands, Hamburghs, Hou-
dans and Spanish are among the best. The Leghorns
and Spanish are not well calculated for the icy regions,

—S ee

unless well protected. But the above varieties are all
non-sitters and, great layers. |

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If you wish to raise chickens to sell alive when
‘from six to ten weeks old, or when broilers, the Hou-
dans are undoubtedly the best, as they will weigh more
at that age, are better feathered and far more attractive
than any other breed.

The time to raise Houdans for early market is
from January Ist to June Ist.

If you wish to raise a variety to ship, dressed, the
Langshans are unquestionably the best, as they look
much the best when dressed, and have a_ peculiarly
good flavor when cooked that makes them sell much
higher than any other variety when dressed.

The Langshans are very large and handsome, be-
ing almost as attractive as the Houdans and much lar-
ger, these two varieties are undoubtedly the best varie-
ties to raise for the market.

WHAT IS GOOD FEEDING ?

Something like this: A warm breakfast, censist-
ing of corn and oats ground together, and wetted with
half its bulk of good sweet wheat bran. Of this give
about as much as they will eat up clean. Then a drink
of fresh water from the well or spring, after this as
many oyster shells, cracked, as they want to eat. If

you can not get oyster shells, keep lime and gravel
where the chickens can have constant access to it.
Now suspend a head of cabbage within easy reach of
the hens—they will know what to do with it. Go to
the barn and get a sheaf of oats or wheat and put it
where the hens can get at it—they witl know what to
do with it, too.

At noon give them a little buckwheat or screen-
ing. Throw it among the straw they have been scratch-
ing at, then give them more fresh water. Then at

: night a full feed of corn warmed or wetted with hot

water.

a a

a

This bill of fare repeated every day with what
variation you can make, will fill your caskets with eggs
and your pocket-books with money.

Nothing is better to keep poultry in good health
than raw onions chopped fine and mixed with other
feed twice a week. To fatten, feed cooked feed and
feed warm. (sive equal parts of beets or potatoes and
corn nfeal well cooked and feed three times a day with
an occasional mixture of barley and oats. Give plenty
gravel, charcoal and lime. Shut in a dark dry place,
only give them light when eating, they will fatten
much better in darkness tlian in the light, as they re-
main quiet nearly all the time. You can fatten in ten
days as fat as need be for any market.

To fit poultry for show, feed buckwheat. Russian
sun-flowers planted in the yards are a great assistance.
The chickens will pull the seeds off themselves, and it
gives the plumage a peculiar lustre which is very beau-
tiful. These do not want to be fed alone, but with
other feed. 3

Give the chickens all the fresh water they will
drink. Keep the water in iron vessels or throw some
old iron in the drinking vessels.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHIPPING,
. __. SO) OP
We herewith give a few practical hints in regard
to preparing, packing and shipping poultry for New
York markets. Fully one-half, if not more of the risk
of loss in shipping goods.umay be avoided by paying
particular attention in preparing and packing, so that
the goods may arrive in good order, and when opened |
present a handsome appearance.
Mark plainly on the outside ot each package its
contents, and, if convenient, its gross weight and the
tare. Neatness in marking is very important. The

immersed it turns the color of the comb and gives the

—————

shipper should strive to have his goods strike the eye
of the buyer favorably at the first view.

Receipts should always be taken trom the express
or transportation companies, and full advices, with a
correct invoice of the shipment should always, without
delay, be forwarded by mail. There is nothing so vex-
atious or intolerable to a Commission House as the re-
ceipt of consignments not properly and distinctly mark-
ed and advised.

Every shipper who designs to make a business of
forwarding to this market good goods, and who ex-
pects to obtain the best prices, should have a brand or
mark of his own. By so doing, he may establish a
reputation for his goods which will be available to him.

POULTRY,
SS Sn ee
In preparing peultry for market do not feed for at
least twenty-four hours before killing, as food in the
crop injures the appearance, is liable to sour, and pur-
chasers object to paying for this worse than useless

weight.

Opening the veins of the neck is the best mode of
killing, and let it bleed freely, as poultry not properly
bled will not have a bright healthy appearance. The
intestines or crop should not be “drawn.”

For scalding poultry, the water should be as near
to the boiling point as possible without actually boil-
ing. The bird, being held by the head and legs, should
be immersed and lifted up and down in the water three
times—this makes picking easy. When the head is

eyes a shrunken appearance which often leads buyers
te think the fowl has been sick. The feathers should
then be at once removed, pin feathers and all, very
cleanly and without breaking the skin. It should

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next be “plumped,” by being dipped about ten seconds
into water nearly, or quite boiling hot, and then at
once into cold water about the same length of time.

Most of the dressed poultry sold here is wet pick-
ed, and such is generally preterred. But very fat and
Eandcome turkeys, dry picked, sell well at Thanksgiv-
ing and Christmas.

Great care should be taken to avoid cutting or
bruising the flesh or bones. 1t should be entirely cold
but not frozen before being packed. ‘This is a matter
of importance, for if packed with the animal heat in it,
it will be almost sure to spoil. If it reaches market
sound without freezing, it will sell all the better.

In packing, when practicable, use hand-threshed
dry straw. *Be sure that it is clean, free from dust of
any kind and entirely dry. Place a layer of straw at
the bottom, then alternate layers of poultry and straw,
taking care to stow snugly, backs upward, legs not
doubled up under the body, but straightened out. Take
a hand full of straw and wrap around the body of the
fewl under the wings, which keeps the wings from
touching the body, as under the wings is where the
fowl first begins to spoil. Then wrap a wisp of straw
around the body and wings, to hold the’ wings in posi-
tion. Fix the package so that the cover will draw
down very snugly upon the contents, te prevent shift-
ing or shucking on the way.

Boxes are the best packages, and should contain
from one to two hundred pounds. Larger boxes are
inconvenient, and more apt to get injured. The objec-
tion to barrels is that the poultry is apt to be much
bent and twisted out of shape, they answer better for
chickens and ducks than for turkeys and geese, but
when packed in barrels should be packed on the side,
keeping the legs out straight. Straw should be between

Se Eee eee

the poultry and sides of package to keep from freezing

ee
a Ka er Pia evi a Ts a AC | P|

21

though in very cold weather this cannot always be
avoided. In packing large lots avoid putting more
than one kind in a package, and mark the kind on the
cover.

FROZEN POULTRY,
sn AS ca eee wee

In preparing frozen poultry for the late market,
dry pick the poultry, as it will keep longer, hold its
color better and command better prices. The head
should be left on, andthe manner of packing much the
same as in general directions, except no straw or pack-
ing of any kind should be used. Boxes of the follow-
ing dimensions are preferable: say four feet long by
two feet wide and fifteen inches deep, outside measure-
ment. Use new inch lumber well seasoned, smoothly
planed for the inside of the package. They will pack
two layers of turkeys or three of fowl. Larger size

packages are inconvenient to handle, and do not meet
with as ready a sale. Pack a layer of poultry in as
many boxes as will be required to make one layer for
each day’s work, when frozen sufficiently, the second
layer may be packed in like manner. When full, the
covers should be placed on and snugly nailed, and the

say two or three feet in depth, or should the weather
moisten and thaw when the boxes are but partly filled
they should be protected in the same way, in which
manner the poultry can be held and forwarded with
entire safety. The packing should be done in a cold
dry room, separate from the slaughter house, and not
in the open air, as the wind is apt to turn the poultry
dark. In dressing ducks and geese, after dipping

them three times, as above described, wrap them quick_ |
ly and tightly in a flannel cloth from three to five

boxes placed together and well covered with straw—

ES eS eee eee

n

22

minutes and then rub the feathers off quickly as possi-
ble, and they will come offas dry and clean as you can
wish. It does not hurt the poultry to remain in the
cold water for several minutes. Keep the water cold
by changing as often as the water gets warm.

DISEASES OF YOUNG CHICKENS.
—0)~—-O™
Mr. Joseph Wallace gives us the following valua-
ble receipts: —

GAPES.

As soon as we see symptoms of gapes we give the
birds water to drink, which is strongly impregnated
with camphor, thus giving to the chickens that which
was a favorite medicine with our great grand-mothers,
“Camphor Julep.” The treatment seems to explain
itself. The gapes or guping is caused by the presence
of small red worms in the wind pipe. No medicine
can reach them unless in the form of vapor. An hour
after the chicken has swallowed the pill it smells of
camphor’ Camphor is a very strong vermifuge and
the worm dies.

Another recommends to melt a tallow candle and
mix it with a quart of thick oatmeal porridge and feed
it to the chicks affected. This is a very simple remedy
If it don’t kill the gape worms, it will do much good
otherwise.

Some fanciers give five or six drops of spirits of
turpentine three times a day to their chicks until a cure
is affected There is no doubt but turpentine and cam-
phor are destructive to intestinal worms and parasites.
Another remedy much in vogue with poulterers
is pinching the throat. In doing this, one must‘be
careful not to injure the rings of cartilage which com-
pose the windpipe of the chicken, by a sudden pinch.
The pressure on these parts should be gentle and steady

23 ‘

relieving the bird when it gasps, but never forcibly
pinch the wind pipe with the belief that quick and
rough treatment is necessary and the surest way to kill
the worms.

Fumigation, when skillfully applied, is an easy
treatment to expel the gape worm. This is done by
taking some carbolic acid on a large spoon, and place
it over a lamp until the fumes begin to arise, then held
the chick’s head slightly downward over the fumes,
and at the same time gently press its sides, to imitate

respiration until nearly suffocated. Spirits of tupen-
|

tine or creosote used the same way is good.

We have seen chickens cured by taking two parts
flour of sulphur and one part of finely pulverized alum |,
by blowing the mixture down their throats a few times.

There are scores of other so-called cures, but we
consider them untrustworthy to be recommended. As
the subject is very important to poultrymen, we have
devoted a large space to the same in hopes that some
of the remedies would at least be effective.

PIP.

This isa horny scale that appears on the end of
the tongue. It may be removed with the finger nail
or pen knife, and is perhaps, caused by some stoppage
ofthe nose or head. Use a wash of Labbaraques’ So-
lution, which cau be got at any drug store. You can
tell this disease by the piping, wheezing noise the chick-
en makes in breathing.

ROUP.
This disease is contagious and will spread through
a flock, resulting in the destruction of large numbers.
If the ailment is taken on hand at the very start it is
not difficult to manage, but when it is not attended to
| promptly, it will entail a great deal of trouble and
loss. n this case, as in many others, prevention is

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| Senate nS PMR Rm e Gniwls CMTC WaT Co. o
24 |

better than cure. Where fowls are properly housed
in comfortable, dry, sunny quarters, Roup is seldom
troublesome. If, however, a fowl is seen that shows
symptoms of Roup, it should beseparated and put into
adry, warm, clean place, and have its eyes, mouth and
throat bathed with a solution of sulphate of zine ofa
strength of ten or twelve grains to the fluid ounce of
water, or a solution of carboliec acid of ten grains to the
fluid ounce of water. These two preparations may be
used in alternation. The fowl is'to be fed on warm,
soft food, into which a smart sprinkle of cayenne or
black pepper is mixed. Put a few drops of hartshorn
in the drink every time the fowl is fed, and it will
soon be well. It will not pay to doctor a fowl unless
it be a favorite or valuable one. Ifit is doctored at
all it ought to be carefully and conscientiously done,
or the fowl should be killed and buried. i have used
the above in very bad cases, and never had it to fail.

LICE. ||
The surest way to destroy lice on chickens, or
stock of any kind, is by using Bisulphate of Carbon.
Hang to the roosts of fowls a few small bottles of the
above, taking out the corks. Leave open a ventilator
or two and it will do no harm to stock of any kind.
When all the stock is out close all ventilation, and
in afew hours there will not be a louse left. It is
cheap, twenty-five cents worth cleared my barn and |

chickens and everything else from lice in three days.
A light must not be put-very near as it is very inflam-
|| able. I find ita sure cure for Roup. The first time
IT used it, my yard was full of Roup, but in three days
not a case could be found. That was in November.
Noting the effect upon my fowls, I recommended
it to others and the result was the same, so that I feel
safe in advising its use.

ti --

Kerosene oil and lard mixed and rubbed on the
neck and under the wings, will kill lice on all kinds
of fowls. If your little chicks begin to droop, exam-
‘ne for lice. If hatched under a hen they may need
to be greased for lice when two or three days old, if
hatched in an Incubator they are not apt to be troubled
with lice.

THE DOUGLAS MIXTURE

Is a good constant tonic, and made thus: Sulphate of
Tron, 1 Ib., Sulphuric Acid, 2 oz., water 1 gal. Mix
and dissolve. Dose, one to two teaspoonfuls to a pint
of drinking water. *

For drink, in cholera, give Carbolic Acid, 1 dr.,
Glycerine, 1 0z., mix in a quart of water. Of this mix-
ture use two tablespoonfuls to a gallon of water, allow-
ing no other drink.

A good feed is to soak bread in milk, well dusted
with black pepper, and scalded by burning it with a
red hot iron. ‘This is also an excellent feed for fowls
that have the diarrhoea.

CHOLERA.

There is no infallible remedy known for chicken
cholera. There are many so-called cures that will, if
given in time, save the fowl, and perhaps check its
spread among the flock. The investigations of Pas-
teur, Woritz, Peroncito and Touissaint, show that med-
‘cine is almost useless at an advanced stage. However
we have proved that timely attention to this disease
by giving the following medicine has been very satis-
factory: Carbon Charcoal, 1 lb., Sulphur, | lb:, Sul-
phate of Iron Copperas, 1-2 lb., Calomel, 10 gr., Sali-
eylic Acid, l gr. Grind to a fine powder. Dose, one
tablespoonfiull to a dozen fowls once a day, to be giv-
en in moist meal.

=,

CHEAP POULTRY HOUSES:
—0)-—-O™~
We find that the best and most successful plan to

manage and make fowls pay is to scatter them over a
large range in fields and orchards. For this purpose,
cheap, convenient and comfortable houses are best.
My plan is to build 16 feet long and 8 feet wide, 7 and
1-2 front, facing south, and 4 and 1-2 back, boarded
upright and battened, with a shed roof, shingled. Sills
are 2x4 inch plank, halved together at corners. Plates
same size. Rafters, 2x2. Lay the sills on sleepers
and on these lay a tight floor, which cover with dry
earth, 4 to 6 inches deep, removing and renewing twice
a year. This keeps fowls dry, warm and healthy.
Place an entrance door near one end on the front, and
at least twe windows of size 8x10 lights. Divide into
two pcan as with partition doors across the mid-
dle.“ Fix ventilators at the highest point in each end,
sheathed to exclude storm and wind. Erect roosts 20
inches high, for twenty fowls, with a movable nest or
two, and a box partly filled with dust and ashes, and
you are ready for business. Forty large fowls can ‘be
accommodated and thrive well. Since the house is
double, we are in shape to run two breeding yards.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHIPPING EGGS,
es ee

To have eggs bring high prices you must get them

to market while they are perfectly fresh. To do this

you must gather them every day without fail; do not

leave any nest egg for hens to sit on, and ship twice a

week, or at least once a week. Eggs gathered in that

way and shipped that way, will bring five cents a doz-
en more than store eggs.

The question may arise in your mind, will it pay

me to ship my eggs to the east? It certainly will, in

many parts of Ohio eggs sell as low as eight and ten
cents a dozen in Juneand July, but in New York good
fresh eggs never scll lower than twenty cents a dozen,
and seldom less than twenty-five cents.

Let us take a case of thirty dozen eggs to illustrate
You will-sell them at home for ten cents a dozen,
which is a good fair price for July, thirty dozen would
bring you three dollars. You ship them East and
twenty-five cents a dozen will be no higher price there
than ten cents in the west. Thirty dezen at twenty-
fve cents a dozen would be. $7.50. Freight on thirty
dozen eggs from Ohio, Indiana or Tllinois to New
York istwo cents a dozen, or sixty cents for 30 doz.

Commission “Merchants will charge -you five per
cent or thirty-seven and a half cents for selling thirty
dozen eggs. Taking the freights and commission,
which is ninety-seven and a half cents, from seven dol-
lars and a half, and you have $6.47 left, or over twice
as much after paying all expenses, as you would have
to sell at home.

When eggs get higher in the west they get pro-
portionately higher in the east,’so it will pay you about
as well to ship one time as another. Eggs packed in
barrels bring about one cent a dozen more than eggs
packed in crates. If you do not get a barrel a week
yourself, two or three neighbors can put their eggs to-
gether and fill a barrel easily.

Ship both poultry and eggs to a firm that makesa
specialty of poultry and eggs, you will get a higher
price. Do not ship to a jobber, although jobbers do

the heaviest business; they sell in large lots and low
prices. You want to send your goods to those who sell
in small lots at high prices, or in other words, ship to

| a Retail Commission House. Guinea eggs and very |
small hen eggs will bring but half price. |

SS ees

EGGS FOR HATCHING,
SS
The North American Peultry Association has

made arrangements with its members to furnish eggs
to those who are desirous of starting in the poultry bus-
iness at the following very low prices: Tl ourteen eggs
—or seven eggs of two different varieties—$2.50, nice-
ly packed in Buckeye Egg Baskets and safe arrival
euaranteed. We warrant the eggs to be fresh. The
breeding pens from which these eggs are furnished are
not excelled by any in the country, being from pedi-
ereed stock and from fowls that will score over 85
points. We will furnish you eggs from any of the
following varieties: Langshans, Houdans, Light and
Dark Brahmas, Buff Partridge, Black and White Co-
chins, Plymouth Rocks, Colored, Silver, Gray and
White Dorkings, White, Brown and Dominique Leg-
horns, White Faced Black Spanish, White Crested
Black Polish, Silver Polish and Golden Pol'sh, Silver

“Spangled Hamburgs, Golden Spangled Hamburgs and
Golden and Silver Penciled Hamburgs, Andalusions,
White, Black and Mottled Javas, La Fleche, Black
Breasted Red Games, Irish Blue Games, Yellow Duck
wing Games, White Games and B. B. R. Game Ban-
tams. If you wantany other varieties, write what you
want, and we can most likely furnish them. White
and Brown China goose eggs and Toulouse goose eggs,
50 cents each. Mammouth Bronze turkey eggs, from

‘hens weighing 23 pounds and gobblers weighing over
40 pounds, eggs 50 cents.each. Imperial Pekin and
Rouen duck eggs, 25 cents each.

Send in your orders for eggs immediately, and tell
us about whem you will want them. Youcan perhaps
tell within two or three weeks of the time you will
want them. We would not advise you to set eggs be-

fore April 15th, and from May Ist to June Ist, is per-

| 5

haps the best time.

Ferrets and rabbits of various kinds. Send mon-
ey with order. We will acknowledge the receipt of
money promptly, and by ordering immediately, you
can get the eggs exactly when you want them. Should
anything occur that we could not furnish the variety of
eggs ordered, we will return your money promptly.

Address all orders to the Sec’y ofthe N. A. P. A.
New Concord, Muskingum Country, Ohio.

J2 Mi. BAIN, SECRETARY:

HOW TO USE BAIN’S EGG TESTER,
KO Ow

Lay the egy on its side and push the large end of
the Tester over the egg. Place the small end to the
eye and look toward the sun, move the head up and
down and you will see a dark spot floating to the top,
after three days this is quite visible in a fertile egg.
An egg that is perfectly clear, after being in the Incu-
bator three days, is not fertile.

BAIN BROTHERS,

PROLUCE AND COMMISSION

MGR CELA NFS,

NEWARK, - - - NEW JERSEY.

[Eight miles from New York City.]

Make a specialty of Eggs and Poultry, selling largely
at retail both in Newark and New York. They can
get you extra high prices for your Eggs and Poultry.
Write, enclosing 10 cents in silver, asking any and all
questions you desire, they will reply and send youa
Market Report. Address, Bain Bro’s.,

Newark, N. J.

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