June, 1932] Electricity on New England Farms 39 



Stock Tank Heaters. The heating of the stock watering tanks is 

 now usually accomplished by coal. An electric heater would save much 

 labor and reduce the fire hazard. 



Poultry. 



The possibilities of developing a much greater load on poultry farms 

 can be visualized by the following operations: 



Water Heating. (1) Correctly installed units for the house. (2) A 

 unit to replace coal heaters in the poultry stock buildings for mixing 

 mashes, scalding fowls, etc. (3) Electrically heated drinking foun- 

 tains in the pens. 



Incubation. The replacement of incubators now operated by coal- 

 lieated hot water, by electric machines having higher efficiency, economy 

 and labor-saving qualities. 



Brooding. Electrically heated individual or battery brooders for 

 from 5,000 to 25,000 broilers. 



Feed Mixing. A feed mixer that will effectively mix grain either 

 for scratch feed, mashes or to incorporate cod liver oil in the feed. 

 (^Such a mixer was partially developed by the Station on Farm No. 7.) 



Poultry Pen Cleaning Equipment. Certain poultry diseases which 

 have recently developed require the cleaning of houses or pens at fre- 

 quent intervals as a control. To do this once every three days entails 

 a very considerable cost for labor. A plan for doing most of this work 

 with electricity as power has been suggested by one owner as having 

 wide-spread use and economy features. 



Yard and Building Searchlight. Safeguarding poultry at night, 

 and inspecting buildings and grounds for prowlers and other disturb- 

 ances is practical by the use of searchlights, or floodlights. 



■ Vltra-Violet Irradiation. Ultra-violet ray producing lamps of the 

 newly developed lamp-socket type to be used as a substitute for cod 

 liver oil in the prevention or cure of disease. 



Spray Equipment. Equipment that will spray paint, whitewash, 

 insecticides and germicides would have great labor saving advantages. 



Refrigeration. The killing, picking and dressing of poultry for at- 

 Ihe-door-sales develops serious interruption of the day's routine if done 

 on a "when the customer calls" basis. Refrigeration provides storage 

 facilities for a quantity killed at one time as well as for eggs and gar- 

 den produce. 



Just what load factor may be expected from poultry farms in gen- 

 eral is not clearly established to the satisfaction of this Station. But 

 two farms were under test, and with the abnormal conditions cited for 

 Farm No. 6, deductions are perforce reduced to Farm No. 7. As has 

 been pointed out, this farm presented opportunities for many applica- 

 tions, but a single case is not sufficient to furnish average data. It 

 would appear essential to develop a larger group of poultry farms and 

 plan for more concentrated effort in this field to provide the much re- 

 quested and needed experimental data in poultry applications. 



