June, 1942] Agricultural Experlment Station 29 



and utilized in the measurement of this spillage. Approximately 2.15 

 per cent or nearly one-half gallon of water per bird is spilled per year 

 within the pen. 



CONCLUSIONS 



1. Warming the floor of the poultry pen helps to maintain dry 

 litter. 



2. Controlled ventilation alone does not maintain dry litter in 

 an insulated or uninsulated house with sliding front curtains. 



3. Uninsulated houses are damper than insulated houses with 

 the same type of litter used. 



4. New Hampshires may be expected to consume approximately 

 223^ gallons of water per bird per year. 



5. No specific standard of proper litter conditions can yet be 

 set up. 



6. The moisture content of "desirable" poultry pen litters should 

 not exceed 40 per cent. 



7. Litter treatment method "C" will assist materially in main- 

 taining good outward appearance of pen litter but is not very helpful 

 in reducing average litter moisture content. (See Table 4.) 



8. The type of litter used appears to have a greater influence on 

 litter moisture values than either insulation, ventilation or area of 

 floor space per bird. 



9. Under our experimental conditions, there were no measure- 

 able differences in the health, condition or production of birds on 

 "wet" or "dry" litter. It is conceivable, however, that in the presence 

 of certain diseases or epidemics wet litter may seriously interfere with 

 their control. 



10. Prevention of spillage of wa-ter by the birds al)out the waterer 

 is desirable. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF LITERATURE 



1. Card, C. G., and Moore, L. M. Artificial Heat in Pouhry Houses. Mich. 



Agr. Exp. Sta. Ann. Rpt. 1930. 



2. Carver, J. S. Ventilation and its Relation to Wet Litter. Wash. Agr. Exp. 



Sta. Bui. 196 1925. 



3. Poultry Housing. Wash. State College Bui. 209 1931. 



4. Dann, A. B. Wet Litter in the Poultry House. Poul. Sci. 3:1 1923. 



5. Heywang, B. W. The Water Consumption of Hens. Poul. Sci. 20:2 1941. 



