154 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I907. 



moderated the white frost would change to water and the straw 

 litter on the floor would become damp and clammy. The birds 

 showed their dislike for the damp straw by keeping off from it 

 as much as they could. Such houses were unsatisfactory, and 

 so the large warmed house was built. It was a decided improve- 

 ment over the cold ones, because it could be ventilated and the 

 birds not suffer with the cold. But it was not possible to secure 

 sufficient ventilation, even though the house was moderately 

 warmed, to prevent the presence of considerable moisture in the 

 bedding. 



Good yields of eggs were obtained from hens kept in that 

 house and the losses of birds were not excessive. The hens 

 showed, however, that they were not in the best condition, by a 

 little lack of color in comb, and energy in action. This house 

 has not been abandoned, and is highly prized for laying hens. 

 Since breeding cockerels cannot be carried in the other houses, 

 without danger of chilled combs, they are wintered in this 

 warmed house until danger from chilling is past. 



In seeking for some better system of housing the birds one of 

 the small close houses, formerly used, was changed into an open 

 house. The building was 10 feet wide and 25 feet long. An 

 opening 3 feet wide and 15 feet long was made close up under 

 the plate, and was left open every day in winter, except when the 

 snow or rain blew in. At night the opening was covered with 

 a framed curtain made of cotton cloth. An elevated roosting 

 closet along the entire length of the back of the building was 

 made warm, by packing the walls with hay. A close fitting 

 frame-cloth curtain shut them in at night. 



It did not freeze in the closet and the birds apparently did not 

 suffer from lack of air. They seemed to enjoy coming out of 

 the warm sleeping closet, down into the cold straw, which was 

 never damp, as the whole house was open to the outside air and 

 sun every day. There were no shut off corners of the floor, or 

 closet that were damp. This building was used through three 

 winters with 50 hens in it each year and did not have a sick bird 

 in it. Not a case of cold or snuffles developed from sleeping in 

 the closet with its cloth front, and then going directly down into 

 the dry straw, in the cold room, and spending the day in the 

 open air. 



The birds laid as well as did their mates in the large warmed 

 house. Their combs have been red and plumage bright and they 



