172 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I907. 



hen. The remaining section of the wire, which is 3 inches long, 

 is bent towards the center of the box with an upward inclina- 

 tion, so that it supports the door when opened up. The end of 

 the wire is turned over smoothly, forming a notch into which the 

 door slips, and rests when it is opened. The notch prevents 

 this section of the wire from sagging under the weight of the 

 door and interfering with the free action of the latch. It is 

 necessary that the wire from which the latch is made be of good 

 stiff material, so it will not bend or spring much. 



As the hen passes in under the open door, and then through 

 the circular opening of the nest, she raises herself so that her 

 keel may pass over the lower part of the division board, and her 

 back presses against the horizontal wire, lifting it enough as she 

 passes so that the notched end supporting the door, slides from 

 under it, and the door swings down and passes a balanced catch 

 which is screwed loosely to the side of the box. The catch locks 

 the door and prevents the hen from escaping, and others from 

 entering. 



These nest boxes are placed in two rows, one above the other, 

 and slide in and out like drawers and can be carried away for 

 cleaning when necessary. Twenty nests in a pen accommodate 

 100 hens, by the attendant going through the pens once an hour, 

 or a little oftener, during that part of the day when the hens are 

 busiest. Earlier and later in the day his visits have not been so 

 frequent. To remove a hen, the nest is pulled part way out, and 

 as it has no cover she is readily lifted up, and the number on her 

 leg band noted on the record sheet, that is tacked up close at 

 hand. After having been taken off a few times they do not ob- 

 ject to being handled, the most of them remaining quiet, ap- 

 parently expecting to be picked up. 



Before commencing the use of trap nests, it was thought that 

 some hens might be irritated by the trapping operation and ob- 

 ject to the noise incident to it, but not an individual has appeared 

 to be annoyed by it, and Leghorns, Brahmas, Wyandottes and 

 Plymouth Rocks have been used. 



The amount of time required in caring for trap nests depends 

 upon how heavily the hens are laying. In one house there are 

 400 nests used by 2000 birds. During the busy season when 1200 

 to 1 500 eggs are laid per day, the work of liberating the hens and 

 recording the laying, requires the full time of an active man, dur- 



