March, 1927] Electricity on New England Farms 43 



It appears to be possible to obtain a better percent of hatch and quality of 

 chick from some electric incubators. 



Further experimental work is desirable. 



Electric Brooders. Brooding chicks by electricity, on the basis of the usual 

 methods common to poultrymen in this section, has not been found practical up 

 to this time. The cold temperatures prevailing in New England during the 

 brooding season make it impossible for an electric brooder, operating in an un- 

 heated brooder house, to give sufficient protection to young chicks. 



The brooding of chicks in buildings warmed by a central heating plant, how- 

 ever, is rapidly gaining favor among poultrymen, and under such conditions 

 successful operation of electric brooders can be safely predicted. 



Several reports have appeared to the effect that the New Hampshire project 

 ''has been entirely successful in brooding by electricity." This has arisen 

 from a lack of distinction bet ween preliminary tests of some of the elements 

 of brooders and the brooding of chickens considered as a complete problem. 

 No satisfactory solution of the whole problem has been obtained and it is 

 recommended for the present that electric brooders, if used at all in this climate, 

 be operated only in well heated rooms. 



Considerable further research in this held is believed desirable. 



Grain and Feed Mixer. Construction of a grain and feed mixer of 1500 

 pounds capacity which will successfully mix any kind of cracked grain or mash 

 feeds, has recently been completed m cooperation with a manufacturer of grain 

 mixing machinery. Any number of ingredients can he placed in the machine, 

 and the product delivered to nearby storage bins. The equipment will also 

 thoroughly mix cod liver oil or molasses with mash feeds without lumping. One 

 horsepower will probably be sufficient to operate it. Operating costs are not at 

 present available, but these ate expected to be very reasonable 



This equipment, which should be equally practical for dairy farms, will per- 

 mit farmers to buy purer grain ingredients and mix rations of higher feeding 

 value at less total cost under present grain buying conditions. Many farmers 

 have been interested in this plan but have not adopted the practice because of 

 the lack of a suitable, time-savinii mixing device. 



Ultra-Violet Light. To obtain the comparative value of cod liver oil and 

 ultra-violet light, four test pens of baby chicks are being used. Each pen con- 

 tains about 600 chicks, is 14 ft. x 20 ft. giving 66 sq. ins. or .46 sq. ft. per chick, 

 is well lighted through window glass, and heated by a coal brooder. The chicks 

 are on wood floors. One pen is used as a check without cod liver oil or ultra- 

 violet light; in another, cod liver oil alone is used; in another both cod liver 

 oil and ultra-violet light; while the last pen lias ultra-violet light alone. The 

 test will be run several tnu<- or until definite results are obtained. The lamp 

 which consumes .0 kw. per hour is 4'j ft. from the floor and is left on for 45 

 minutes each day. 



Tests are also planned on the effect of exposing feed to ultra-violet light, on 

 its usefulness in the prevention of disease, and on its effect when used on lay- 

 ing hens, on the hatchability of eggs and the vigor of the chicks. 



Poultry Lighting. Using electric lights in pens of laying hens to prolong the 

 daylight conditions one hour morning and night is generally accepted as a 

 practical and profitable process among poultry men in New England. The pic- 

 turesque sight of lighted poultry houses at dusk is not uncommon. The current 

 consumption will vary with the number of lamps used and methods employed. 

 Farm No. 6 used very little poultry lighting during the two years due to cer- 

 tain unusual conditions. Farm No. 7, however, showed a more normal use of 

 these lights, the current consumption for which started at zero in late October 

 and reached a maximum of 157 in January. 



Oats Sprouter. A year around operation on many poultry farms is the ger- 

 mination of oats to supply green feed to the young stock. 



A roughly built sprouter, not insulated, has been in operation in a cool base- 

 ment of the University poultry plant during the past year. The inside dimen- 

 sions are 32" deep, 54" wide and 72" high. Twenty pans 23" square and 2" deep, 

 arranged in two vertical tiers, hold 20 lbs. of moist oats (10 lbs. dry, soaked 24 

 hrs.) each, and produce 24 to 28 quarts of germinated oats. 



Two 220-watt electric space heaters produced sufficient heat for the mildly 

 cool weather of fall and spiring but not enough for winter operation. It is 



