29i EXPERIMENTAL FAEilS 



4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 



the past Slimmer iu close proximity to our main poultry building. A brief descrip- 

 tion of this poultry house is as follows : — 



Size of building, including scratching sheds, outside measurement, 12 x 40 feet. 

 Size of roosting rooms, inside measurement, 8 x 9*6 feet. Size of scratching s^eds, 

 inside measurement, 11 x 9'6 feet. 



The walls of the building are of 2 x 3-inch studding, covered with rough hoards 

 and matched lumber with tarred paper between and battens on joints. The roosting 

 rooms, inside walls and ceilings are sheeted with rough lumber. The partitions be- 

 tween roosting rooms and scratching sheds are also sheeted with two-ply rough boards 

 with tarred paper between. 



The floors of the roosting rooms, one scratching shed and passageway are of con- 

 crete. The floor of the remaining scratching shed is of sand placed on a foundation 

 of twelve inches of rough stones. The building is painted on the outside and in the 

 passageway inside with two coats of paint; on the other parts inside are two coats of 

 whitewash. 



A building of similar size and calculated to give almost equally good results could 



■ be constructed of rough lumber, and a floor of rough boards or earth take the place 



of the concrete. Whitewash could also be used' on the outside in lieu of paint. The 



estimated cost of such a building would be about $2.Y5 per running foot, the lumber 



being calculated at $15 per thousand and shingles at $3 per thousand. 



ARTIFICIAL AJTO NATURAL IXCU3ATI0N— HATCHING CHICKENS AT DIFFERENT SEASONS AND 



RESULTS. 



The work of examination into the strength of germs in eggs laid early in spring 

 was continued last season. During the winter the m.ale birds had been placed with 

 the hens in Nos. 1 and 3 houses. 



On February 20 last, the first incubator was filled. In previous years hens were 

 mainly used as hatching and rearing mediums, but last season artificial hatching and 

 brooding were generally adopted. With the object of comparison as hatching mediums 

 a certain number of hens were used. Experience of past years has clearly shovm that 

 where mid-winter or early spring experimental work is carried on in the testing of 

 the fertility and strength of the germs of eggs, or, hatching of chickens, artificial 

 means are indispensable for hens as hatching mediums are impossible to be obtained 

 in requisite numbers at that season. 



When the hatching and rearing of broilers for the spring market is carried on 

 as it is by many estahlishments, operations generally begin early in December or 

 January. In such cases incubator room and brooding house or houses are imperative 

 means to an end. In the following details of the operating of incubators of various 

 patterns at different tijnes and conditions, much that is interesting and instructive 

 may be learned. To the beginner the results shown from the cooling of the eggs at 

 shorter or longer periods according to the season ; the number of times and regularity 

 with which the eggs were turned; ventilation of the incubator; supply or non-supply 

 of moisture; temperature of operating room (which was not well adapted for the pur- 

 pose) and of the incubators and other details, cannot fail to be useful, because so much 

 inquired about. It was not intended to have a competition of incubators of different 

 designs, for in operation of them, our own methods of manipulation were adopted and 

 were largely experimental. The different tests and results are given in the following 

 tables :— 



