POULTRY HOUSE CONSTRUCTION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON 

 THE PROGENY OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL 1 



BY L. C. OPPERMAN 



Comparisons of different types of Poultry Houses were made at the 

 Maryland Agricultural Experimental Station during 1907 and 1908. Six 

 styles of pens were used: 1. Tight house; 2. Glass front; 3. Cloth 

 front hooded roost; 4. Open front hooded roost; 5. Cloth front without 

 hooded roost and; 6. Open front without hooded roost. 



It is evident from the results of these comparisons that the influence of 

 the type of construction of the Poultry House is not very noticeable during 

 the pullet year of the first generation. Greater differences were noticed 

 between the hatching power of the eggs of different individuals than of 

 different pens. The following points are to be noted. 



(1) That all pens except I and III showed an increase in the number 

 of total eggs hatched during the second year. The decrease in pens I and 

 III is not great enough to be of importance and is undoubtedly due to the 

 action of individual hens' eggs. 



(2) That the eggs from the fowls in pens V and VI produced 20 more 

 chicks from every hundred than did those from the fowls in pen I. A 

 result of this kind proves beyond a doubt that an abundance of fresh air, 

 both day and night, and free access to yards or range are essential factors 

 in the production of fertile eggs, which when incubated will hatch a high 

 percentage of vigorous chicks. 



It might be well to restate, that the cock birds which were used during 

 the first year were used the second year also, and frequently changed from 

 pen to pen, which would make this factor equal. 



THE INFLUENCE ON THE PROGENY 



The influence of construction on the vitality of the developing embryo 

 and the progeny are the most important phases of the investigation. The 

 success of large or small poultry farms depends largely on the vigor and 

 productive power of the breeding stock. It is, therefore, evident that if a 

 certain type of construction has an influence on the breeders which will 

 tend to increase the number of total eggs hatched, and to produce strong, 

 vigorous chicks, its commercial importance is inestimable. 

 The comparisons on this basis indicate the following points: 



article is abstracted from Bulletin No. 146 of the Maryland Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, College Park, Md., July, 1910. 



