Page 42 - Adobe Photoshop PDF

VHPEOH LW DW WKH ERWWRP RU RXU \DUG :H SXW LQ FHPHQW ÀRRUV
The Rhode Island Red hens laid larger eggs and more of them.
I began by selling eggs to people in the neighborhood. They quickly
learned how much better a fresh egg tasted as compared to store-bought
eggs. I charged the same price as eggs at the store, which was usually
30-35 cents per dozen.
'DG SRLQWHG RXW ± DQG WKH SRXOWU\ MRXUQDOV FRQ¿UPHG ± WKDW WKH
successful commercial egg producers used lights in their chicken coops
in the winter. The purpose was to lengthen the number of hours of light
for the chickens. Apparently, laying hens produced more when the days
were longer. I connected a pair of electric lines from our rear porch to
the chicken coop and put lights in each pen. I set an alarm by my bed for
5 a.m. and got up each morning to turn the lights on. After a few morn-
LQJV WKDW JRW WR EH SUHWW\ ROG VWX൵
A friend who lived across the street, Darrell “Bus” Waters, dis-
cussed the problem with me. He thought he could solve it. I found au-
WRPDWLF WLPHUV FRVW DW OHDVW ZKLFK VHHPHG SURKLELWLYH , R൵HUHG
“Bus” Waters $5 for any system that would work. Bus designed a device
VR VLPSOH DQG VR H൵HFWLYH WKDW , VWLOO PDUYHO DW LW %XV DWWDFKHG DQ ROG
alarm clock to a board. One electric line passed across the board with
QR LQWHUUXSWLRQ 7KH RWKHU ZLUH ZDV FXW DQG KDG D ÀDW FRSSHU URG DERXW
three inches long attached to it. The rod had a hole drilled into the other
end. On the alarm key of the old clock Bus fastened a spool that had
RQFH FRQWDLQHG WKUHDG +H IDVWHQHG D SLHFH RI ¿VKLQJ OLQH WR WKH KROH
in the upper end of the metal rod and the rod would be cocked back
DERXW GHJUHHV EH\RQG YHUWLFDO 7KH RWKHU HQG RI WKH ¿VKLQJ OLQH ZDV
fastened to the spool on the clock. Each night the alarm clock would be
wound and the copper rod set. When 5 a.m. came, the alarm would wind
XS WKH ¿VKLQJ OLQH 2QFH WKH FRSSHU URG ZHQW IRUZDUG SDVW YHUWLFDO DV
the alarm clock would pull it) the rod would fall into a “U” shaped wire
that was connected to the electric line, thereby closing the circuit in the
second electrical line. With the circuit closed, the light went on. Bus’
rig worked perfectly and I gladly paid him the $5 we had agreed on. No
more crawling out of bed at 5 a.m. to turn on the lights, and we got more
eggs when egg prices were higher in winter.

38