BULLETIN No. 179. 



POULTRY NOTES— 1909. 



Raymond Pearl and Frank M. Surface. 



The purpose of this bulletin is to present a brief report of 

 the progress of the work of the Station with poultry during the 

 year 1909. The publication of such summary reports annually 

 is a definite policy of the Station. It is the object of these 

 reports not only to give an account of the work done, but also 

 to present a more or less complete account of various points 

 regarding poultry management, which arise incidentally in con- 

 nection with the main lines of investigation which are being 

 followed with poultry. These main lines of investigation are 

 poultry breeding, particularly for increased egg production, and 

 the physiology of egg production. No topics will be discussed 

 in this bulletin which have been, or are to be treated in other 

 bulletins of the Station. 



Feeds and Methods oe Feeding. 



When the new experiments in breeding were inaugurated at 

 the Maine Station in 1907 and 1908* it seemed desirable to 

 examine thoroughly the methods of management which had 

 been so long used here, with the view of determining whether 

 it might not be well to make some changes before embarking on 

 another long period of breeding work. It is obvious that 

 changes in management cannot be made during the course of 

 a breeding experiment without interfering seriously with the 

 interpretation of any results obtained. Any new methods of 

 management, feeding, etc., which one wishes to use, must be 

 inaugurated at the beginning of the experiment, and adhered 

 to throuofhout. 



*Cf. Me. Agr. Expt. Stat., Bulletins 157, 159 and 166. 



