953 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



some of the other houses. The cotton area is somewhat less in comparison and yet 

 the house and litter was always dry. A cut of the house appeared in last year's report 

 on page 672 and is now known as the " Gilbert " house. 



In the open air the thermometer registered as low as 30° below and, taking all 

 things into consideration, this would at first appear to be as nearly ideal conditions 

 as it is possible to obtain in an unheated house and still maintain an abundance of 

 fresh air without draughts, the temperature, with one exception of 4°, never falling 

 below zero. 



Lack of sunshine in the house, however, detracted from the results that were 

 expected from these otherwise favourable conditions, and it is now proposed to 

 experiment with a house of similar construction but without a centre partition as 

 exists in this house, so that the whole interior will get the benefit of the sun's rays 

 from the east and west windows without interruption. 



Of the movable colony houses, pen 27 showed up favourably, and it was 

 noted that this house appeared the most cheerful and bright of the smaller types. 

 This was no doubt due to the radiation through the glass beneath the cotton frames 

 which made the floor and deep litter a cheerful spot for the hens. 



The glass area running horizontally and not extending over 3 feet 6 inches higher 

 than the floor, though quite satisfactory in a shallow house, would not be as suitable 

 for a deep or wide house as a window that extended higher. The deeper the house the 

 higher the glass should be to allow the sun to penetrate the farthest corners. The 

 illustration is from a photograph of this type of movable colony house 8 feet by 10 

 feet. 



Pen 24, the original cotton-front house frequently referred to in the reports from 

 this Division, continues to hold its own for cheapness of construction, and the tempera- 

 tures registered in this house would probably have been a little higher had it not been 

 situated in a spot more shaded from the sun than some of the others. 



Thus far our experience would indicate that for an 8-foot by 12 -foot colony house 

 in this climate a suitable proportion of wood, glass, and cotton would be, estimating 

 from the floor up, 15 inches wood, 2 feet glass, and 3 feet 6 inches cotton. This also 

 allows the placing of the door in front. 



BKEEDIFG. 



An investigation by numerous single matings is being carried out with a view of 

 determining the influence of the male and female on the progeny, and how far each 

 may be responsible for the vitality, fertility, production of eggs and meat, colour of 

 plumage, type, sex, etc. 



This work is of the greatest importance though unavoidably slow, and must 

 necessarily extend over a period of years. 



"Work was started in this direction in the spring of 1913, but owing to extensive 

 alterations to the buildings then and now going on, has been more difficult to handle 

 than would otherwise have been the case. 



Unavoidably changing birds from pen to pen naturally has interfered with results 

 which, though encouraging, are hardly definite enough to be put forward authenti- 

 cally and will be held over for a subsequent report. 



BEOODT^^G. 



Because of the unsettled state of the plant, in that new buildings were not com- 

 pleted and other buildings not started, it was impossible to carry out the brooding 

 experiments which were anticipated. Electric hovers placed in the cockerel 

 house were used for brooding and into these were put the chicks when first 

 out of the incubator. As other chicks arrived the early ones were moved into the 



Ottawa. 



