34 MAINS AGRICUI^TURAL E^XPERIMENT STATION. 1909. 



A MODIFICATION OF THF STATION BROODER HOUSE). 



As has been described in previous bulletins, the Station raises 

 its chickens in small brooder houses. Each one of these houses 

 contains two Peep-O'-Day brooders. While these houses have 

 been found in general to be satisfactory, there are some minor 

 points in which they have not been entirely so. 



What is shown by our experience to be an improvement has 

 recently been made in these houses by providing for better venti- 

 lation. When the weather is very hot there is no movement 

 of air within one of these houses, even though the door and win- 

 dows are open. The air within the house is practically stag- 

 nant, and on account of its relatively small volume, becomes 

 intensely hot and stifling when the temperature outside gets high. 

 The effect on the chicks under such circumstances is bad. 

 They retreat to the house to get shade, but only to be injured 

 if not killed entirely by the hot, stifling air of the house. To 

 remedy this difficulty a slot 2 feet long and i foot wide has been 

 cut in the back of each house high up under the eaves. This 

 slot is closed with a wooden slide, running in grooves, which is 

 put on the outside of the house. The opening is covered on the 

 inside with a 2" mesh chicken wire. On very hot days the slide 

 is pulled out completely, so to expose the whole opening of 

 the slot. At night, or during a period of wet, cold weather the 

 size of the opening is regulated to suit the conditions. It enables 

 one to keep a current of fresh air through the house in the 

 warmest weather. The effect on the well-being of the chicks 

 during a period of hot weather is most marked and satisfactory. 

 All of the Station's brooder houses have been equipped with 

 these slots. 



A NFW. TRAP NFST. 



All the laying houses of the Experiment Station's plant are 

 equipped with trap nests. Experience showed that the type of 

 trap nest which was formerly used suffered from several rather 

 serious defects so far as accurate experimental work was con- 

 cerned. It was felt that these defects could be eliminated in 

 another type of nest. During the past year a new and simpler 

 trap nest has been devised which works in a very satisfactory 

 way both in respect to accuracy, certainty, and ease of operation. 



