1907.] DISCUSSION. 65 



around in every coop and hit them. We are not bothered very 

 seriously with rats. The rats get under the hen house because 

 they have been in the same location a good while. 



Question. Do you use any special thing for litter in the 

 houses ? 



Mr. Almy. Dry beach sand is all. We fill the houses 

 with sod up nearly to the level of the sill, and then put in a 

 layer of beach sand to keep the houses dry inside and to keep 

 the house from getting muddy. 



Question. Do you have any trouble from hawks? 



Mr. Almy. Very little. The town offers a bounty on 

 hawks and crows. There are many hundreds of chickens 

 raised right in that little township, but we do not suffer from 

 hawks to any extent. They seem to prefer my neighbors' hens 

 to mine, so I do not lose any appreciable amount. Of course, 

 I do some. 



Question. How do you tell your pullets from your year 

 old hens and others? 



]\Ir. Almy. About the only way is that I notice when I 

 put them into the houses. I try to put in those that I know are 

 of about the same age. In that way I am pretty certain. 



Question. Is there any certain way of tagging them by 

 a band or-cinything of that kind? 



Mr. Almy. No, I do not think that it is any use. Of 

 course, you can tell to a certain extent by their general appear- 

 ance. In the case of pullets their legs are apt to be smoother 

 and brighter colored than in the old hens, but we always try to 

 keep those of about the same age together, and in that way to 

 keep general track of those that are in one coop. 



Question. Do you make any point of breeding fancy 

 birds for exhibition purposes? 



Mr. Almy. Yes, we have for the last five or six years to 

 a limited extent carried on a fancy egg trade. In the first 

 start I aimed to raise market eggs and market poultry only. 

 Agr. — 5 



