THE TRAP-NEST 



95 



and powdering the hens, they can be kept perfectly clean with very 

 little trouble. I use a baking powder can,- having perforated the 

 lid, making a large pepper pot. A liberal use, not blown on out of 

 an air gun, but freely peppered on the hens, is very beneficial. 



I visit the nests about three times during the morning to release 

 the hens and gather the eggs. One trap-nest is required for every 

 three hens. When a hen is taken from her nest, the egg is marked 

 with her leg-band number and the date and credit is given her on 

 the record sheet or record book. This is a sheet or page marked 

 off in squares of thirty-one days with the hen's name or number at 

 the head of the line. I mark B for broody, S for sold, M for mar- 

 keted, and so on, and have in this way the history of each hen at a 

 glance. 



Maine Exp. Sta. Trap-nest, Improved. 



Trap-nests have taught me which hens lay the best shaped eggs, 

 which the largest size, which the strongest fertilized, which are the 

 best winter layers, which pullets begin early, the number of eggs 

 they lay in succession, the number of times they become broody 

 and many other facts that can be learned in no other way; in fact, 

 I find my records exceedingly interesting and profitable reading. 

 Trap-nests were a perfect revelation to me and aided me in my suc- 

 cess with poultry. 



There are a number of trap-nest plans, also trap-nests, on the 

 market, ranging in price from $1 to $25. I have bought and tried 

 several, and find that the most satisfactory trap-nest is one that has 

 two compartments, one the nest where the hen lays the egg and 

 the next where she waits to be released. I find that if there is only 

 one compartment the hen often stands upon the egg and is apt 

 to break it accidentally when she wants to come off and so learns 

 to eat eggs. The two-compartment nest is comfortable for the hen 

 and convenient for the attendant. 



The nest box here described is adapted from the first that was 



made at the Maine Experiment Station, is very simple and easily 



made. I use wooden cracker boxes or shoe boxes, and easily made 



• two in a morning. The wire was a little difficult to bend, but 



boy bent it for me. 



