POULTRY NOTES I9II-I913. 1.57 



will get the poison. There are so many useful and valuable 

 animals about the farm that easily might get the poison before 

 the crow did, with a resulting loss greater than that caused by 

 the crow, that it would seem wise to resort to poisoning only 

 when it can be done under well controlled conditions. 



The plan which has finally been adopted at the Station poul- 

 try plant for dealing with crows is one which is perfectly safe 

 and sure in its operation. It consists simply in running strands 

 of binder twine about two feet apart over the whole of the 

 poultry range occupied by the young birds, until they reach such 

 size that they are able to take care of themselves. These strings 

 are run over the tops of the brooder houses, and on supports 

 made by cross strands of either wire or two or three strings 

 of binder twine twisted together. These cross strands are held 

 up where necessary by posts. The whole network of strings 

 thus formed is put at such height that the attendants in working 

 about the yard, will not hit the string when standing upright. 

 The area covered in with strings in this way on the Station 

 poultry plant is usually about 3 acres per year. The expense 

 of covering this area is from $15 to $20 for twine. The labor of 

 putting it up is comparatively small. It forms a perfect and 

 complete protection against both crows and hawks. 



The appearance of the range when covered with strings is 

 sihown in figure 64. 



Next in importance to the predaceous birds, as poultry ene- 

 mies, stand the rats and the foxes. In times past foxes have 

 destroyed many chickens from the Station's poultry plant. Of 

 late years, however, none has been lost. The protection is af- 

 forded by a fox proof fence surrounding the whole plant. Rats 

 may become a very serious pest. They live under the brooder 

 houses and take the young chicks. Various methods have been 

 tried at the Station, but no wholly satisfactory way of dealing 

 with rats has yet been found. Trial was made some years ago 

 of one of the most widely advertised of the bacterial rat de- 

 stroyers, which when fed to rats is supposed to induce a dis- 

 ease which kills them all. No efifect whatever was observed to 

 follow the use of this preparation. The rats ate freely of grain 

 which had been moistened with it and if any disease developed 

 as a consequence it has not yet benefited us, or perceptibly in- 

 conven-enced the rats. Digging the rats out of their holes 



