16 THE TRAP NEST TEXT BOOK 



At this writing' I have never received a voluntary complaint from a 

 customer. As neillicr my customers or myself are infallible and my 

 description may not be wholly clear to every reader, I earnestly request 

 that, should any trouble whatever arise, [ he notified and given a chance 

 to prescribe the remedy. 



Public criticisms of the Ideal by people who have failed in their at- 

 tempts to devise as good a nest and have at best a somewhat vague and 

 superficial knowledge of our patent laws and system— at worst a most 

 profound ignorance of them — will never occur if fair trial is allowed to 

 anticipate judgement and I, as the inventor and promoter of the device, 

 am treated with ordinary business courtesy and candor. 



To give any trap nest a fair trial, at least one pen shoud be entirely 

 equipped with them. This will require at least one third as many nests 

 as there are laying hens. 



Having prepared a sufficient number of Ideal nest boxes, put in a 

 good supply of nest material, and place them in the pen just where they 

 are to remain, first removing all other nests. In order that the hens 

 may become accustomed to the new nests as quickly as possible the 

 trap-plate* may be raised and secured by tightening the screws. The 

 nests may be used in this way for about one week, or until the laying hens 

 have all used them, when the screws may be loosened and the nests 

 used as traps. If the boxes are high enough to permit of it, or if open- 

 ings have been made in the front edge of the top, as shown in fig. 5, the 

 trap-plates may be raised so as to rest on the end of the pawl when for 

 any reason it is desired to .use the Ideal as open nests. 



This is a suggestion merely. I always use the nests as traps from the 

 start. I do not remain in the pen watching the hens as that would 

 prevent them from following their own inclinations. I leave the nests 

 and the birds alone and they get together all right as a rule. There are 

 sometimes exceptions. Those are referred to under the heading, --eggs 

 laid outside the nests" and elsewhere. Nest eggs should never be 

 placed in trap-nests; they are an unnecessary nuisance with any nests, 

 except when used with sitting hens, and should positively never be used 

 in traps. 



This positive statement will very naturally arouse opposition with 

 some readers. T should not feel justilied in making so broad an asser- 

 tion had I not thoroughly canvassed the matter. J)o not nest eggs in- 

 duce pullets to lay in certain places? They certainly do. 1 doubt if 

 the pullet that has not laid is influenced any by a nest egg, but after she 

 begins 1he presence of anything that resembles an egg, in a nest or 

 I'hcii'lurc, prompts her to lay her offering alongside of it. That is one 

 of my several objections to ncsf eggs. Birds form habits verv easilv 

 and it is not always easy to change them. 



