Evening star., 1915-04-11
VALUE Of TRAP NEST
|NPOU[TRY INDUSTRY
Device Keeps Accurate Record of
Laying Abilities Of the En-
tire Flock.
Loafers and Non-Productive hens
Easily Weeded Out by Simple
Tab-Keeping Scheme.
BY MICHAEL K. BOYER.
Copyright, 1915.J

at last she was discovered it was "a
case in a thousand" Now the 200
egg hen is almost a common article,
and efforts are being aimed at the 800
egg mark among regular producers.
At the Missouri experiment station a
fowl laid 281 eggs as a pullet. At the
Ontario, Canada. station, another laid
282 eggs. and this record was also
equaled at a recent Connecticut con-
test. But it remained for the Oregon
with a record Of 291 eggs. Those are
wonderful results, but the Oregon sta
tion now has a hen that laid 3O3 eggs
in 365 days.
How were these facts obtained? There
can be no other method than by the use
of the trap nest. Without the use of
this device no definite data can be
secured. It is impossible to know
which hens are laying the most and
best eggs. All such conclusions must,
necessarily, be guesswork.
There are systems-by the examina-
tion and position of the pelvic bones,
or the distance from the pelvic bones
and point Of the breast bone-that will
enable us to pick out our best layers;
but those systems do not tell us how
many eggs the individual hen lays.
Trap Nest Surest Way.
It is not for me to criticise this meth
cd. But when 1t gets down to the num-
Der Of eggs a hen will lay in the year
there Is only one absolutely sure way,
and that is by the means Of the trap
nest.
acquainted with the name of Tom Bar
ron. Barron sent birds from his home
in England to a number Of egg con-
tests in this country, and came out q
winner. It made him famous. How did
he do it? He adopted the inventions Of
matter out himself.
Barron said: I'VE hear a lot about
Mendelism, but my Mendelism is the
wooden trap nest. I trap-nest abso-
layers. I like a good hen. mind, to
breed from. but it is the sons of l.Ae
best layers that the trap nest is useful
for. particularly. in my opinion. think
the cockerel is without doubt more
than half the point, for the cockerel it
is every time that transmits the laying
qualities to the female, without doubt.
Time Well Spent.
When 1 hear the argument advanced
by poultrymen that they cannot afford
the time to look after traps 1 really
pity them for the Ignorance of what is
good for them. The actual amount of
time consumed in looking after the
nests is the cheapest labor on the
farm. When 1t Is considered by the use
of traps it is possible to pick out lne
drones and save the cost of feed they
consume-when 1t is proved that more
eggs can be gathered from less hens
and, Furthermore, when the trap nest
Rh ha
layers, the layers of the best sized and
best shaped eggs-and when 1t is able
to arrest the egg eater-surely the
profits that all this means more than
offset the extra cost of labor.
Until we had trap nests no one would
believe there was such a thing as a
200-egg layer. Until we had trap nests
there was no way by which 1t was pos
sible to improve the laying qualities of
our flocks.
Back in our boyhood days it was
thought that the great layer was pro-
duced by pepper. ginger or some other
stimulating food. Pullets were forced
for all they were worth. only to break
down when they became hens. The trap
nest has shown where all this is wrong.
1t proved that layers are made more
by breeding than by feeding, although
the feeding part must not be over
looked.
The man who does not believe inl
nest They are at once classed as great
layers and bred from, when the chances
are that they are Indifferent layers.
The trap nest has ferreted out the mat
ter 1t shows that hens frequently
visit the nest, sit on it for quite
while, but produce no eggs.
Trap nests prevent crowding in the
nest. One at time is the order. When
open nests are used, no matter how
many are provided. the hens will crowd
upon few and not use the rest.
The open nest becomes a nuisance at
the season when broody hens are about.
The broodies will occupy the nests and
the laying hens will crowd in and lay
their eggs. These eggs are gathered in
by the broody, and she lowering them
for hours, imparts a heat sufficient to
stale them or start the germ growing.
Table egg customers get these eggs and
by the broody, and she, lowering them
a stale article. When trap nests are
used the hen that wants to lay ac-
cepts the first nest she can get into, |
and there is no more trouble. Hens pre-
fer trap nests from the fact that they
give them a more secluded place.