9O METHODS OF POULTRY MANAGEMENT. 



carried away for cleaning when necessary. Four nests in a pen 

 iccommodate 20 hens by the attendant going through the pens 

 >nce an hour, or a little oftener, during that part of the day 

 when the hens are busiest. Earlier and later in the day his visits 

 are not so frequent. The hens must all have leg bands in order 

 to identify them; a number of different kinds are on the market. 





FIG. 24. Trap nest open. One side removed to show method of operation. 



The double box with the nest in the rear is necessary. When a 

 hen has laid an egg and desires to leave the nest, she steps out 

 into the front space and remains there until she is released. 

 With only one section she would be likely to crush her egg by 

 stepping upon it, and thus learn the pernicious habit of egg 

 eating. 



To remove a hen, the nest is pulled part way out, and as it 

 has no cover she is readily caught, the number on her leg band 

 is noted and the proper entry made on the record sheet. After 

 having been taken off a few times the hens do not object to be- 

 ing handled, most of them remaining quiet, apparently expecting 

 to be picked up. 



Before commencing the use of trap nests it was thought that 

 some hens might be irritated by the trapping operation and ob- 

 ject to the noise incident to it, but such does not seem to be 

 the case. Trap nests have been used at the Maine Station for 



