Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-07-08
Poultry Management, Maine Station.

There has recently been issued by th'
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
as Circular No All, revised edition OF
its bulletin entitled "Methods of Foul
try Management at the Maine Agricul
tural Experiment Station" This onile
tin was formerly issued as Farmers bui
letin No. 357 of the United States De
partment of Agriculture. The present
revision (Circular No. AID displace'
Farmers Bulletin 357 which has become
obsolete. 1t Is the purpose of Circular
No. All to give to poultry keepers
clear and concise outline Of the results
of many years. practical experience II
keeping and raising poultry in connec'
tion with the Investigations IN poultry
breeding at the Maine Experiment Sta
ton.
The circular, which comprises 7C
pages and has 20 Illustrations, opens
with section on "Poultry Hygiene and
Sanitation" In this section are discuss
ed the sanitation and hygiene of the
poultry house, including methods Of
cleaning, disinfection, the home making
of disinfectants, the importance of fresh
air and light, etc. Under hygiene ol
feeding are discussed the Importance OF
the purity Of food given to poultry, the
need for green food and for pure clean
drinking water. The maintenance Of
land on which poultry run In clean and
sweet condition, exercise, external para
sites, disposal of dead birds and the iso'
lation of sickness are other topics dis.
cussed.
The next section deals with the Sc
lection of breeding stock, and gives In
concise form some suggestions as to how
the results obtained at the Maine Agri-
cultural Experiment Station in its long
continued Investigations on breeding for
egg production may be applied practi.
cally. A discussion of the rearing of
chickens follows. The raising OF chick
ems by natural processes is discussed
first. This is followed by sections on
artificial incubation and brooding. Un-
der the latter topic are described the
brooder houses used at the Station, and
detailed working drawings are given for
the building of fresh air brooder which
has been in successful operation for sew.
eral years at the Maine Station.
Considerable space is given to the i'm
portant subject of feeds and feeding.
This section of the circular begins with
an account of the differe ent methods OF
feeding young chickens which have been
tested at the Station. Following this in
separate sections are given detailed ac-
counts of the methods used for feeding
different classes of birds throughout life,
including the feeding Of chicks on the
range, the fattening of cockerels, the
feeding of the laying pullets, and OF the
breeding stock during the breeding sea.
son. A section on the preparation OF
green sprouted oats describes the meth
ods which have been employed with
great success for the growing of this val
liable food. The section on the housing
of hens gives detailed working drawings
and specifications for the building OF
curtain front houses like those in use at
the Maine Station. In regard to hous-
ing there is an important modification OF
the plans as given In this circular from
those previously advised in Farmers.
Bulletin 357. The Station no longer rec.
ommends the house 20 feet wide, but
instead returns to the house 16 feet wide
which long experience has shown to be
more satisfactory than the wider house.
A discussion of the vermin question
shows how to make at very small cost
an extremely efficient lice powder and
lice paint to be used on the roost boards,
nests, etc. This is followed by descrip-
tions with detailed directions for build
ing the trap nests used at the Station.
A copy of Circular All will be sent to
any resident of Maine upon request to
Director Chas. D. Woods, Orono, Maine.
To non.residents of Maine the price Is 20
cents which must be sent in coin or
other currency. Postage stamps are not
accented.