^2 Maine; agricultural Lxplrimlnt station. 1909. 



heaters for providing water for the use of the poultryman and 

 for heating the poultry laboratory. This poultry laboratory 

 occupies the whole north side of the ground floor of the build- 

 ing. It consists of three rooms especially equipped for carry- 

 ing on experimental studies of a physiological character on 

 poultry. The grain storage house is built in direct connection 

 with House No. 2 and House No. 3 so that there is now an 

 uninterrupted indoor passage way between the extreme ends of 

 these houses. 



During the summer of 1908 it was decided to abandon the old 

 heated house belonging to the poultry plant. This house has 

 been described in previous bulletins of the Station under the 

 designation of House No. i. It has not been used in recent 

 years for any other purpose than the storage of cockerels dur- 

 ing the winter months. It was not a satisfactory house for the 

 carrying over of laying birds, nor could it be used as a breeding 

 house. It was turned over to the College of Agriculture of the 

 University of Maine in the summer of 1908. It was then torn 

 down and the material was used in the building of the poultry 

 plant used by the College of Agriculture for instruction work. 



This disposition of House No. i left the Station plant with- 

 out any space for the carrying over of any special classes of 

 birds other than what was provided in Houses 2 and 3. It was 

 deemed necessary to have in connection with the plant some sort 

 of house in which sick birds could be isolated from the rest of 

 the flock. To provide for this need a so-called "hospital" house 

 was constructed. This house is 36 x 16 feet and is divided 

 through the middle by a solid partition. The western half of 

 the house is constructed on the curtain front plan like a single 

 unit of House No. 2 or No. 3 and is used as an isolation pen 

 for sick birds. Whenever any bird in House No. 2 or House 

 No. 3, in an egg laying test, or in any other experiment, appears 

 ta the attendant to be ailing in any particular it is at once trans- 

 ferred to this isolation pen. There the progress of the ailment 

 may be watched and treatment given to the bird if it is thought 

 desirable. In any event the danger of spreading a possible 

 infection through the general flock is avoided by this procedure. 

 If the bird recovers its health and returns to an entirely normal 

 condition it may then be taken back and put in its proper pen in 

 House No. 2 or House No. 3. 



