DIVISION OF POULTRY 985 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LACOMBE, ALTA. 



REPORT OF STJPERINTENDENT, G. H. HUTTON, B.S.A. 



POULTRY. 



During the year the poultry plant has been permanently located in a 15-acre field, 

 to the southwest of the main barns. Included in this location is a small lake of 3 or 4 

 acres, around which are a number of trees and shrubs that make an ideal place for the 

 growing of young stock. 



SOME NEW BUILDINGS. 



A brooder house has been erected and a Simplex Brooder installed. Twelve " A " 

 brooder houses have been built to raise the chicks on free range. 



Outside fencing has been erected, and temporary divisions made providing for 

 twelve breeding yards at the present time. It is, however, not the intention to have 

 yards outside of the breeding season, as colony houses will be used to give the stock 

 accommodation on free range for most of the summer at least. 



Several new buildings have been built on this location this year. The new build- 

 ings consist of : An administration building 18 by 24 feet, with a cellar for incubators, 

 a ground floor, including an office for the poultryman, a feed room, and an attic for 

 feed and stores generally; a frame poultry house 18 by 24 feet, to accommodate from 

 100 to 125 birds. This building is double boarded and papered outside and double 

 papered and shiplapped inside, while over the joists woven wire fencing is stretf^hed and 

 the loft filled with straw. Fronting the south one-third is lumber, one-third glass and 

 one-third cotton, divided so that the light and air are equally distributed throughout 

 the house. Another house is made of logs, and is an adaptation of an old dwelling 

 house and is an illustration of what a poultryman might do with poles for building 

 u:aterial or with many an old building not put to other use. 



THE STRAW HOUSE. 



The eight colony houses and the frame house that were previously on the plant are 

 utilized as breeding pens, and the straw house that was used last season was taken down 

 and rebuilt on the new site. This straw house should, prove satisfactory where it is 

 necessary to keep the original cost as low as possible. The building is 10 by 40 feet with 

 accommodation for eighty to one hundred birds. The walls are built of baled straw. 

 The roof is of boards and shingles, built in sections so that should the straw require 

 renewal, the roof can be removed readily. 



So many inquiries have been received regarding the construction of this house that 

 a circular letter has been prepared giving details, the following being a copy : — 



" The ordinary hay baler is used for baling the straw for the poultry house, 

 putting three wires around each bale. The work was done by hired labour at 

 a total cost of $2.50 per ton. Baling with a good machine will run from 12 tons 

 to 15 tons per day, with an average of 15 tons per day when things are working 

 well. 



