122 H. D. GOODALE AND GRACE MACMULLEN 



As the pullets have matured earher and earlier each year it has 

 become imperative to get them into the laying houses much 

 earlier, if possible before laying commences. The earhest 

 hatched pullets now go in early in September, and the later 

 hatched, by the first week in October. To make room for the 

 pullets, the birds of the preceding generation are moved into 

 outside roosting sheds sometime during the sununer. 



Chick rearing. In 1913 and 1914, the chicks were brooded in 

 the long-pipe brooder hotise and grown on the College range. 

 The mortality,^ however, was so great that in 1915 resort to the 

 small hovers was made. This season was devoted to the estab- 

 lishment of a satisfactory method of brooding, which, with one 

 or two final adjustments, has been kept as uniform as possible 

 since then. 



Chick rations. During 1916 and 1917 the rations were con- 

 stant. In 1915, they varied from flock to flock. Those em- 

 ployed in 1914 and 1913, though unlike each other and unlike 

 any of the other years, were constant throughout each season. 

 However, all these various rations were fully adequate to pro- 

 mote rapid growth and cannot have had any effect on subse- 

 quent egg production. 



Disease. Adults. One of the most difficult problems to con- 

 tend with in the management of poultry is the appearance of 

 disease. It is a formidable difficulty in the way of securing con- 

 sistent results year after year and is unquestionably the most 

 important factor in preventing one from keeping poultry under 

 uniform environmental conditions, even more important than 

 the weather. During the course of these investigations, a 

 method of eliminating infectious disease has been developed. 

 The records for 1916 to 1917 and the winter of 1917 to 1918 are 

 virtually free from the influence of infectious disease. 



Chicks, a. White diarrhea. Although bacteriological exam- 

 inations were made on dead chicks for this disease in 1913 and 

 1914 by the Department of Veterinary Science, it was not dis- 



^ This mortality was due mainly to white diarrhea, and not to the brooder 

 house, as later event proved. 



