BULLETIN No. 193. 



POULTRY NOTES— 1910. 



Raymond Pe;arl. 



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 1910. 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 incidently 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. 



A Fresh Air Brooder. 



For a number of years prior to 1910 the Maine Station used 

 in rearing chickens a commercial, hot air, brooder known by 

 the trade name '"Peep-o'-Day." These brooders never gave 

 entire satisfaction. During the period in which they were used 

 the jnortality during the first three weeks in the brooder was 

 too large, and remained so even after all factors other than the 

 brooder had so far as possible been corrected. 



After careful- consideration of the matter it appeared that 

 there were three fundamental defects in brooders of the "Peep- 

 o'-Day" type. These are: (i) in order to get a surficiently high 

 temperature underneath the hover in the sort of weather which 

 prevails in this locality during the latter part of March and 

 first part of April it is necessary to tuin the lamp so high that 

 the f^oor of the brooder gets much ton lot. In other words, if 

 brooders of this type are forced at all there is too much "bot- 

 tom heat." (2) Brooders of this kind have no provision for 

 taking the lamp fumes and vitiated air out of the building in 



