The Washington times., 1916-04-16
SOME ADVANTAGES
. OF THE TRAP NEST
Drones and Layers Of Imperfect
Eggs Are Easily Eliminated
In This Way, Say Experts.

II ia not many years ago that the 200
egg hen was dream. Now the 200
egg hen Is almost a common article.
anil efforts are being aimed at the 300
egg mark among regular producers
At the Missouri experiment station
a pullet laid 2Sl eggs. At the Ontario
(CanadaD station one laid 2S2 eggs: and
this record was also euualed at a recent
Connecticut contest. The oregon Agri-
cultural College produced hen with a
record of 29i eggs and still another with
a record of 303 eggs In 3s5 days. and II
is said these eggs weighed about forty
two pounds and were perfect In point
OF shape and color. The newest record
was made by Lady Byzantine at Della
ware College, 3l4 eggs In one year.
How were these facts obtained? There
can be no other method than by the
use of the trap nest. Without this de-
vice no definite data can be secured as
to which hens are laying the most and
best eRRA
There are systems-by the examina-
tion and position of the pelvic bones, OF
the distance from the pelvic bones and
point OF the breast bone-that Will en-
able us to Dick OUT our best layers: but
those evstems do not tell us how many
eggs the individual hen lays. In one
system 1t is said that the capacity OF
n hen can be told by the measurement
OF the abdomen bv flnRers-where one
finger IL the measurement the laying
will be from none to thirty-six eggs In
her first laying wear. In the two-finger
test the laying will be as high as
ninetv-six. in the three-finger as high
as $50. r. the four-finger as high as
22O. and in the five-finEer as high r5
go eggs-all being Judged by the thick
ness OF the pelvic bone.
Trap Nest Surest Way.
This method, I believe. is a good one.
From what experiments have made to
date I know It is possible to pick out
| the pullets with the egg-laying ca
paclty; but to ascertain the number of
| eggs a hen will lay In the year there
Is only one absolutely sure way. and
that Is by means OF the trap nest.
| The American poultry world Is we'll
sc1uainted with the name OF Tom Bar
| ron. Barron sent birds from his home
In England to a number OF egg contests
| in this country and came out n winner,
| II made him famous. How did he do
II? He adopted the inventions OF Amer
lean poultrymen-and worked the matter
! Barron said: 1--WE hear a lot about
hendelism. but my Mendclism Is tho
wooden trap nest. / trap nest absolutely
| to md out the sons OF the best layers
| like good hen to breed from. but
| II is to obtain the sons of the best
| layers that the trap nest Is most useful
| In my opinion. ! think the cockerel is
| WITHOUT uOuDt more tnhn nalf the point,
| for II Is the cockerel that transmits the
laying qualities to the female without
| doubt. l do not think you breed the
| layers through the females at all. al
| though you are bound to have good fe-
males to breed good cockercs"
| IL was about the time Tom Barron
started his farm that he read OF trar
! nests. Here was means by which nc
could improve his stock-and he at once
installed these nests on his plant.
Time Well Spent.
The actual amount of time consumed
In looking after the nests is the cheapest
labor on the farm. When by the use OF
traps II Is possible to pick out the drones
and save the cost of feed they consume
when II Is proved that more eggs can
be gathered from fewer hens-and
furthermore. when the trap nest shows
| that II can select the winter layers, the
layers OF the best size 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.
II, for no other purpose. the bare fact
that the trap nest enables one to keen
the record OF each individual hen, gives
a chance to select the champion Law ers
gives chance to secure cockerels from
the best layers, and that, too, without
being compelled to have separate mat
ings-the mission OF this valuable de-
vice is OF untold worth. and moro than
doubly repays the cost OF labor in at.
| tending to II.
Until we had trap nests no one would
believe there was such a thing as n 200,
egg layer. Until we had trap nests there
improve the laying qualities of oul
. 1 f1Ocks