W * /.fM* 1/ The Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry United States Department of Agriculture - iLtt „,._-.'_-. mfo*ti Feeding Pen on Range, Government Poultry Farm UNIV OF FL LIB . DOCUMENTS DFPT ..... 1 U.S. DEPOSITORY T.?"*<€£JlJL''* \ '■■> ■■ OOVEF WASHINGTON I GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1918 Page T W i The Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry. TO foster the poultry industry and to improve the quality and increase the output of poultry products are the objects of an important part of the work of the United States Department of Agriculture. Investigations are car- ried on to determine the best methods of feeding, breeding, and management for the production of eggs and table fowls. Information is spread among poultry raisers by means of publications, lectures, pictures, exhibits, etc. Boys' and girls' poultry clubs are organized and the members are in- structed in improved methods. Diseases are studied with a view to prevention and cure. The Department's work re- lates to chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, pigeons, and even ostriches. Special efforts are being made to bring about improvement in the quality of farm eggs. FEEDING EXPERIMENTS. Various rations are being fed to hens to study their effects. For example, in one experiment the hen balances her own ration; in another fish meal is included; in another no wheat or wheat products are used ; while cottonseed meal replaces a part of the beef scrap in another. Comparisons are also made of the effect of the same rations on hens of the egg breeds as compared with those of the general-purpose breeds. Only simple rations of widely available feeds are used. A large amount of data has been obtained on the feed cost of produc- ing eggs. POULTRY BREEDING. Hens in considerable numbers are being trap-nested and matings made to determine the possibilities of different methods of breeding in increasing or fixing egg production. Matings to fix certain types or characters desired in the flocks are also made. No birds are retained in the flock which have a disqualification that would bar them under the rules of the American Standard of Perfection. The results being ob- tained indicate that it is possible to combine utility and stand- ard breeding to a practical degree. ?2299°-16 Page Three Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry A Typical Poultry Club. boys' and girls' poultry clubs. The boys' and girls' poultry clubs have a wide influence in interesting the children in raising chickens and in teaching them and their parents the best methods of handling poultry for the production of eggs and meat. The specialists of the department cooperate with the State agricultural colleges in forming these clubs. The poultry club work is being con- ducted in seven States, in which there are more than 8,000 members. TURKEY AND GUINEA-FOWL INVESTIGATIONS. The turkey and guinea-fowl industries are studied upon farms in the regions of extensive production. The habits and characteristics of the fowls are observed, information is gath- ered in regard to incubation, breeding, feeding, and hatching, and cooperation is given in management. The problem of preventing excessive mortality in turkeys is receiving special study. Page Four Poultry Wor\ of the Bureau of Animal Industry I iSTRICH INVESTIGATIONS. A flock of ostriches owned by the department is maintained at Glendale, Ariz., where their feeding, breeding, and man- agement are being carefully studied. The production of ostrich feathers with special reference to their quality and to the elimination of certain defects common to American feathers is receiving attention. PIGEONS AND SQUABS. Work with pigeons has been started recently. Good repre- sentative specimens of the more common breeds were pur- chased and studied and experiments are being made in their feeding and breeding. Special attention is also being given to the production of squabs. ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION. Artificial incubation is one of the branches of the poultry business in which improvement is needed. More efficient methods of hatching would result in a great saving both in eggs and in the labor of reproducing the flocks of laying hens Brood Coops for Hen and Chicks. Page F i o< Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry Cockerel House at Government Poultry Farm. Small Pens Are Provided for Indi- vidual Male Birds and for Small Matings. each year. Experiments are being made with incubators both under practical conditions and under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. IMPROVEMENT OF THE FARM EGG. The department is devoting special attention to improving the quality of market eggs with a view to overcoming losses estimated at $45,000,000 a year. The studies cover the pro- duction of eggs on the farm and their handling from the farm to the country store. The production of infertile eggs, which are far superior in keeping qualities to fertile eggs, is being advocated. THE GOVERNMENT POULTRY FARM. The experimental poultry work is conducted at the experi- mental farm of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Beltsville, Md. The poultry plant is equipped with houses for 1,800 hens. These are so arranged that they provide about 90 separate pens. There is a separate building for the housing Page Six Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry of cockerels, with special pens for small matings. The incu- bators have a capacity of about 3,000 eggs, and from 1,800 to 2,000 chicks are hatched each year. The entire plant is designed to provide ideal sanitary equipment for the feeding and handling of fowls. The aim, however, has been to use only such equipment as would be practical in cost and nature for the regular poultry raiser. The breeds kept are those which are commonly regarded as the most valuable for the farm. They include Barred and White Plymouth Rocks, White Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, and Buff Orpingtons. There is also a flock of White Leghorns and one of Buff Leghorns. The farm is 1 3 miles from Washington and may be reached either by trolley line or by railroad. Visitors are welcome and will be shown about the poultry plant and given full information in regard to the poultry work. POULTRY DISEASES. Diseases are a great drawback to poultry raising on a large scale. Laboratory research is constantly carried on to gain Pigeon House and Fly, Government Poultry Farm Page Seven UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA II I llllll III II 3 1262 08925 9732 Poultry Work of the Bureau of Animal Industry knowledge as to the causes and nature of these maladies and to devise means of prevention. Advice is given through publications and correspondence. Special attention is being given to the highly fatal bacillary white diarrhea of baby chicks. INFORMATION GLADLY GIVEN. The department is pleased to receive inquiries from poultry raisers and to send its literature and give information and advice by correspondence. Visitors to Washington who may wish to consult the department's poultry specialists are invited to call at 1358 B Street SW., just opposite the department grounds. The work in poultry feeding and breeding is conducted by the Animal Husbandry Division, and that relating to dis- eases by the Pathological Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry. PUBLICATIONS ON POULTRY. The department has published the following Farmers' Bulletins dealing with various phases of poultry raising. These will be supplied free to interested persons on application to the Bureau of Animal Industry or to the Division of Publications, U. S. Department of Agri- culture, Washington, D. C: Standard Varieties of Chickens. No. 51. Poultry House Construction. No. 574. *The Guinea Fowl. No. 234. Natural and Artificial Incubation of Hens' Poultry Management. No. 287. Eggs. No. 585. A Successful Poultry and Dairy Farm. Shipping Eggs by Parcel Post. No. 594. No. 355. Natural and Artificial Brooding of Chick- *Marketing Eggs Through the Creamery. ens. No. 624. No. 445. A Simple Trap Nest for Poultry. No. 6821 Capons and Caponizing. No. 452. Squab Raising. No. 684. Hints to Poultry Raisers. No. 528. Duck Raising. No. 697. Important Poultry Diseases. No. 530. Goose Raising. No. 767. The Organization of Boys' and Girls' Poul- Turkey Raising. No. 791. try Clubs. No. 562. *May be secured from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C, at 5 cents per copy. In addition a number of technical papers have been issued. Some of the more important of these are given in the list below. These pub- lications the department will furnish free as long as the supply for free distribution lasts. They are issued in limited editions, however, and when the department 's supply is exhausted copies can be obtained only by purchase from the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, to whom should be sent the price named in currency or post-office money order (stamps not accepted). The Commercial Fattening of Poultry. 1914. 55 pages, illustrated. (Agri. Bui. 21.) 10c. Fattening Poultry. 191 1. 60 pages, illustrated. (Animal Ind. Bui. 140.) 10c. The Improvement of the Farm Egg. 191 1. 43 pages, illustrated. (Animal Ind. Bui. 141.) IOC 1 The Care of the Farm Egg. 1913. 52 pages, illustrated. (Animal Ind. Bui. 160.) 15c. Page Eight