POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. IO5 



The houses which the pullets occupy are blocked up about a 

 foot and a half and the open space between the house and the 

 ground gives cool shelter which the birds enjoy. The pullets 

 do not trouble about going under the houses to spend the night, 

 but the cockerels do, and we find it necessary to board around 

 the cockerel houses and deny them the cool retreat. 



As the cockerels develop in September and ■ October, they 

 b)ecome quarrelsome and there are bullies among them, at every 

 house, that domineer over their mates during the day, and stand 

 guard at the doors at dark. With such fellows in the way it is 

 difficult getting the underlings into the house at shutting up time 

 at night, if they have a chance to skulk under the building. 



Houses for Laying and Breeding Hens. 



Two styles of houses are in use at the Station. One is a 

 thoroughly made double walled building, 16 by 150 feet in size. 

 It is always kept above freezing by a water heater and a flow and 

 return, two inch pipe, running the length of the building. This 

 iDuilding was constructed with especial reference to comfort, 

 health and productiveness. Small well made houses with single 

 walls had formerly been in use, but they would get white with 

 frost in cold weather, if shut up close enough so the birds did 

 tiol suffer from cold during winter nights. When the weather 

 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 

 :S0 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 

 Avarmed, 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 

 lias not been abandoned and is highly prized for laying hens. 

 Since breeding cockerels cannot be carried in the other houses, 

 wdthout danger of chilled combs, they are wintered in this 

 warmed house until danger from chilling is past. 



