UMASS/AMHERST « IliiiiiiiiPillll 315Dt>t>0DS25b37H it iuctlnn LIBRARY MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SF C95 (q5 '• '. /, f; This book may "-- only, and is i CENTS a da on the day ir DATE DUE 1 Qmn Use of Artificial Light TO Increase Winter Egg Production Complete Account of the Discovery and Development of This Natural, Practical and Profit-Earning Method Which Enables Domestic Fowl To Feed and Function To Better Advantage In Northern Lati- tudes, With The Result That Their Egg Yield Can Be Increased Greatly During The High -Price Months of Fall and Winter Compiled by GRANT M. CURTIS Editor Reliable Poultry Journal Contributed to by George R. Shoup, Poultryman, Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyallup; By Jas. E. Rice, Professor of Poultry Hus- bandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.; By Dr. E. C. Waldorf, Buffalo, N. Y. (First to Practice This Method); By Prof. Luther Banta, Poultry Instructor, Massachusetts Agricultural College; By R. S. Moseley, of Sunny Crest Farm, East Aurora, N. Y.; and By Other Weil-Known Authorities, Including Numerous Practical Poultrymen and Commercial Egg Farmers. "The Principles Involved in our use of Artificial Illumination cff^not MysHrious. On the Contrary, they are quite self-evident and easy to miderstand. * * * * Now we come to this -lecent use of Artificial Light to lengthen the work-day of the Hen, or to equalize her time of work and time of rest in each twenty-four hours, and the results are astonishing— are truly revolutionary. They promise great things for the Poultry Industry on Commercial Lines. Not only are Commercial Plants to be greatly helped, but the benefits of this use of Artificial Illumination apply proportionately to farm flocks kept for egg production and can be utilized by the small Back- Yard Platit where a main object is to secure a liberal yield for the family table in the season of high prices."- Jas. E. Rice, Professor of Poultry Husbandry , College of Agriculture , Cornell University , Ithaca, N. Y. Fully Illustrated, Including Ten Color Charts from Cornell University, the work of Dr. and Mrs. O. B. Kent PRICE $1.50 PUBLISHED BY RELIABLE POULTRY JOURNAL PUBLISHING COMPANY OUINCY, ILLINOIS, U. S. A. l^-j-'l T appears that to America, meaning in this case l_J_^ to the United States, belongs the credit of hav- ^^sg ing discovered the practical use of artificial light ^^^21 to lengthen the workday of the domestic hen, thus to enable her to eat and digest more food during the shoit sunlight days of the year, to convert daily a greater a^.-ount of food into eggs and thereby largely increase her yield of this staple product during the period of usual scarcity when eggs for human consumption invariably are high priced. To the best of our knowledge the honor for this "sensational and revolutionary discovery" — to use the words of Pro/ Jas. E. Rice, Cornell University — belongs to Dr. E. C. Waldorf, student of the natural sciences and a practicing physician of Buffalo, N. Y., who conducted experiments on this fine, with several objects in view, as far back as 1889-1893 at Bufifalo— see article by Dr. Wal- dorf, beginning on page 19 and later report beginning on page 64. In compiling this book and handling to advantage the subject of which it treats, we were at a loss to know just EXHiriTION \^HITE LEi II I \ The male and female White Legl ; typical of the appeal ance of th ' ' " 2ntur> ago THE 70 s 5 shown above fowls as they These buds show chai - bred half acteristic alertness and sprightliness, but m shape and comb they are far from Leghorns as now bred. how to proceed, but finally decided to present in its pages the whole matter in the order in which it has developed and been published in the columns of the Reliable Poul- try Journal — doing this because it has been an orderly and connected development that embraces the facts, meth- ods and advice which our readers will wish to know, and this plan has the merit of being extra interesting, as much so almost as a story would be of travel into some strange new country or upon unchartered seas. If the reader is as deeply interested in what he finds in this book as we have been in collecting and editing the wealth of ma- terial, we shall feel well repaid. To W. H. Reynolds, Braintree, Mass., goes the honor of having furnished the Reliable Poultry Journal the first aiticle it ever published on the subject of the use of artificial light. This article is reproduced complete here- with, including illustrations, beginning on page 17. Said aiticle was first published in the April, 1911, issue of R. P. J. By reference to Mr. Reynolds' article it will be learned that he began these experiments in the season of 1910-11, using a 40- Watt Tungsten electric lamp and that they were remarkably successful — a fair index of what was to follow. But as before stated, it appears that the historical credit for first discovering and using this method with signal success belongs to Dr. Waldorf. His first article on the subject was published in the February, 1915, issue of R. P. J., from which article these statements are. quoted: "I began my first attempt in forced egg production in December, 1889. These experiments were made on the premises of Patrick Kinney, 56 York St., Buffalo, N. Y. * * * * The proper length of daylight was provided by the installation of four 100-candle-power, Argand brass burners suspended from the first ceiling, one foot from the outside edge and five feet from the ground. Each burner was provided with a large reflector, throwing the light directly downward. These lights were controlled by an automatic time adjuster and were turned on at 3:30 a. m. and ofif again at 7:30. They were turned on again at 5 p. m. and off at 8 p. m. for the night. The results of these tests were published in the Clyde Times, Clyde, N. Y., in February, 1899, the complete daily record hav- ing since been mislaid or lost." The following paragraphs are quoted from a later statement by Dr. Waldorf, as of date October 27, 1919, after he had refreshed his memory relating to experi- ments made by him twenty-five to thirty years previous and had looked up the records, talked with old neigh- bors, etc.: "Before my experiments of forced egg production by the use of artificial lighting were concluded in 1893-1894, many well-known and prominent Buffalonians became en- thusiastic about the matter. I will mention the names of the following who personally watched the system at that time: "Prank T. Reynolds. Superintendent of Board of Public Works. Buffalo, then living at 52 York St. "Daniel Mahoney. New York State flour salesman for Gold Medal Flour. Residence 62 York St., Buffalo. "Geors-e Chambers, Superintendent Maintenance Depart- ment, Buffalo Water Works. "Edward Howard, senior member of Howard Bros. ■Chemical Co., Buffalo. N. Y. "M. B. Daly. President, East Ohio Natural Gas Com- pany, Cleveland Ohio, then Superintendent of Buffalo Nat- ural Gas Fuel Company, who gave permission for gas ser-" vice to the poultry coop. "John Walsh, Superintendent of Service Department of Buffalo in 1892 and still in same capacity, who approved the application for gas supply to ray hen coop in 1893. "A W. Gavin, foreman of service for Buffalo Natural Gas Company in 1892 and still in same capacity, who piped the gas to my hennery. 56 York St., for heat and illumina- tion, early in 1893. "My experiments were begun in 1SS9 and conducted rather free from the public eye for four years, but by 1893 my work in this line was no longer a secret, as every one of the gentlemen named, from personal observation and knowledge, now testify. The practical application of the system with full equipment may be stated as having been publicly under operation in 1893. "While the system at that time proved a success com- mercially, the greatest benefit, as I felt, was the relief from unhatchable eggs by eliminating their slow forma- HISTORICAL tion, which unquestionably is detrimental to normal germ life within the egg before laying- and during incubation. This much accomplished, all that remained to be done in order to select the hatchable egg was to learn the required density, as shown by specific gravity test." Discovery of Lighting System in the Northwest Mr. and Mrs. George R. Shoup, poultry specialists, Western Washington Experiment Station, Puyallup, Wash., probably did more from 1912 to 1917 than anyone else in the United States — which means the world in this case — to develop and promote the use of artificial light for increasing egg production, carrying on this work with success in the Northwest, whence it extended southward into California, notably around Los Angeles. However, it was not until the season of 1911-1912 that Mr. and Mrs. Shoup made their first trial of the use of artificial light- ing — see article beginning on page 31, also latest state- ment from them, page 95 of this book. In Prof. Shoup's latest statement he says: ''The first trial of our artificial lighting of poultry was on a rather limited scale. During the summer of 1911 we had managed to raise some three hundred pullets in fire- less brooders. * * * * Our rule in those days, when the land had to be cleared, shingle bolts cut, and firewood made, was to do no work in the daylight which could be done just as well by lantern light. Cleaning the drop- pings boards was a job that fell among the lantern-lit class in the morning. This pre-daylight performance had the additional advantage of keeping the eggs much cleaner, as the birds would fly from the roosts clear to the floor without wanting to jump on the droppings boards and soil their feet. "We had noticed for several days that quite a bunch of pullets would follow up the lantern and endeavor to find grain in the litter, and had on several occasions placed the light on the floor for a few moments just to humor the biddies, which of course were very tame be- cause of frequent handling in the trap nests. Time was precious, however, and the one lantern was needed to clean more coops before breakfast and to get the oats out of the sprouter and distribute them through the coops so that the birds could eat as soon as it was light enough. "So, when in the course of a Sunday visit, our old English neighbor suggested, in a vein of humor, that we 'give the bloomin' 'ens lantern light to h'eat breakfast and supper by', it gave us the necessary hint. We hung the lanterns (the brightest barn lanterns we could buy) in various places, both high and low, to the rear and to the front of the coop, shifting them three at a time to try out the different positions, and finally nailed up tin reflectors on the front foot-wide upright coop supports about two inches from the floor and hung one lantern in a place. "We found it necessary to have the lanterns trimmed and lighted as early as three-thirty in the afternoons, our days were so dark. As a precaution against fire, the lanterns when lighted were left on the workbench fifteen or twenty minutes, to make sure the flame did not rise, blacken the chimneys and possibly come out of the top to the danger of adjacent woodwork. "The birds were so evidently pleased with the new arrangement that we could hear them singing long after dark, and in ten days' time from the purchase of the lan- terns we had the pleasure of informing our poultry-news dispenser that our production was up to 200 eggs per day, and the country was saved." Prof. Luther Banta, Department of Poultry Hus- bandry, Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, contributed an iinportant series of articles to the pages ^W>f, R. P. J. on this subject (beginning on page 33 of this CNjook) from which we quote as follows, relative to the ^-discovery and early use of artificial light to increase egg product'on: f"^ "Prof. Jas. E. Rice, of Cornell, while doing Farmers' Institute work in northern New York state about twenty ^^ears ago (which carries the matter back to 1898 — Ed.) ^ian across a poultryman who had used electric light to _ increase the length of his hens' feeding days in winter and as a consequence had observed a marked increase in their egg production. To the best of my knowledge it is not known when or how he obtained the idea or suggestion which led him to try the experiment. Probably it was original with him. The fact that he was the owner of the local electric light plant, doubtless explains the reason why he ventured to spend money on what must, at that time, have been considered a foolhardy scheme. "A poultryman connected with one of the large leg- horn farms in New Jersey wrote me last winter that over twenty years ago he successfully used lights to increase egg production, so we must conclude that it is not bran all. "Since these first tests many other poultrymen in wide- ly separated parts of the country have carried on the good work in endeavoring to ascertain the real truth about this interesting problem. Another poultryman in northern New York used lights about fifteen years ago. In December of last year a poultryman in western New York state told me that he used lights in his laying house twelve years before when he was a resident in one of the suburbs of Liverpool, England. He had run a grocery business In the city, and being employed in the store in the early evening. REPRESENTATIVE BROWN LEGHORNS OF FIFTY TEARS AGO These birds, in their comparatively level carriage, more nearly resemble Leghorns as now bred, than do the Whites shown on opposite page, but they scarcely suggest the beauty of modern Leghorns. lid not arrive iiome until ten ( went immediately to his poult n their perches by mean " " L-leven o'clock at ni.ght. house, called the birds of lantern light, and gave them An additional report of the early use of artificial light for this purpose comes from Jas. G. Halpin, Pro- fessor of Poultry Husbandly at the Wisconsin College of Agriculture, Madison. Writing us under date March 17, 1919, Prof. Halpin said: ■ "I believe I am the first experiment station worker to be guilty of trying this out on the hens. Back in 1906, over in Michigan, we started this and had splendid suc- cess with the artificial light, as compared with those birds with no light * * * My records and observations at that time were received with a great deal of amusement by my co-workers who seemed to agree with the daily press at that time that it was a joke • • * At the time, I supposed that I had run onto a brand new idea. A little later, however, I found that my idea was about as old as the hills — apparently another proof of the fact that there igan and ther mder the ound a man who had bee house for years. 3rthern Mich- using illumina- :e discovered it 5 o'clock in the morning, fed the horses and cared for them. He noticed that the hens in the first pen laid more eggs than the hens in the other pens; that as soon as the lights were on, the hens in the first pen would get down and go to digging in the straw for something to eat • * * The name of this man has escaped me, but I remember that he had been prac- ticing that plan for several years when I talked with him in the spring of 1907 or 1908." This carries the historical question as far as we are able to at this writing. According to our best knowledge to date, therefore, the honor for first using this method belongs to Dr. Waldorf, of Buffalo, whose experiments started sometime in 1889 and were concluded in 1893. We have tried faithfully, with the help of Dr. Waldorf, to se- cure a copy of the Clyde Times, which contained the report of his early success, giving the egg yield, etc., but as might reasonably be expected, a file of that weekly paper, reaching back thirty years or more, does not now exist in the offices of publication, nor were we able to locate, in private hands, one or more copies of this weekly, as published back in 1889, or 1890. ILLUMINATION ON HENS NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORK Plate I Shows "check p e n" of hens, using no artificial light, the dotted line giving the per cent production from vovemher 28 to the follow- ing October 31st in four- week periods. Production starts with 1.7, mounts to 58.8, then falls to 4.0. Dates are- shown along bottom, time of day on left side and percentages at right. Note that "flush season" of pro- duction for these not-lighted hens was from March 21 to about mid-June, with a rea- sonably good yield to the end of July. During Sep- tem.ber and October the per cent of production was again disappointingly low. ILLUMINATION ON PULLETS NO ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORK Plate II Shows egg yield of "check pen" of not-lighted pullets, kept under same conditions as "check pen" of hens rep- resented by Plate L Produc- tion here, on November 28, starts with percentage of 22.4, reaches 63.0 by March 21, holds up well to middle of May, then steps down pretty steadily until it reach- es 9.2 about September 1, giving only a small yield during that month and Octo- ber when market prices are on the rapid increase. As a rule, well-matured pullets should lay 10 to 20 per cent more eggs than hens, across the year. isn.N. I I P.M. 10 3 ■ a ■ I ■■ l£N im.M. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4- 3 2 28 12 2t> 10 24 7 ILLUMINATION ON HENS 7 A.M.- 7 P.M. PEN El AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORl\ Plate III White, in all these charts, shows natural daylight; black shows night, and the area in red the amount of artificial light supplied to lengthen the so-called work- day of the birds. In the case of this pen of hens the lights (electric) were turned (in at 7 a. m. from Novem- ber 28 till about February 1, and again at 4 p. m. during the season when needed and were kept on till 7 p. m., thus to give the birds not less than a 12-hour work- day at all periods during the forty-eight weeks. Morn- ing lighting for this schedule was required only during November, December and January, after which dawn arrived earlier. a II 5 b- Plate IV Shows same "light"' treat- ment for pullets that Plate III does for hens. In these two plates and the next four following (pages 10 and 11) the "check pen" egg yield of hens and pullets respective- ly is shown by the dotted line superimposed on or over the ■'lighted pen" production — see actual percentages of r.ot-lighted or "check pens" in figures along lower edge of green area. Where "lighted" yield was greater, the dotted line is on the green area; where less it extends above the green. Green, in each case, repre- sents actual egg yield of pen. ILLUMINATION ON PULLETS TA.M. — 7P.M. PEN ££ AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORK NV lEC ft JSl M ftl ffl i£ zt » z-t I a ? 1 ^— | -|FTER the average person gets used to the idea of \ y I the use of artificial light to increase egg produc- BR^I tion, the first or main prejudice commonly met l6L^i with is that it is a forcing process; that it means overworking the hens and therefore must result, sooner or later, in an injury to them, or in their physical breakdown. The welcome fact is that this fear is ground- less, or practically so. Like almost anything else this plan can be overdone, but very seldom has been, so far as our investigations have gone and it is indeed surpris- ing with what uniform success it has been used to date by all classes of poultry keepers, from the small plant back- lotter to the big commercial egg farms of the Pacific Coast and in half a dozen or more eastern states, all of which information will be found set forth in reliable form in the following pages. This use of artificial light to lengthen the workday of the hen during the fall and winter months in northern latitudes of the United States, Canada, etc., is really a feeding problem, so to speak, not a case of "forcing" the birds. Success, or good results, do not in this matter depend in any degree on condiments or on specially in- vigorating foods. The astonishing increases in egg yield SECTIONS OF A LEGHORN MALE „ shows the outline of modern exhibition Leghorn male. Compar males illustrated on pages 4 and 5 to no made in breeding. The different sections typical 'ith the irogress e num- n learn ey( ed so that those unfamiliar with fowls ir proper names, which are as follows: 1 — beak; nostril; 3 — comb; 4 — crown of head; 5 — face; 6 — ear; 8 — ear lobe; 9 — wattle; 10 — hackle breast; 13 — cape; I neck); 11 — front of hackle 14 — shoulder; 15 — wing bow; 16 — wing front; 17 — wing- coverts, wing bar; 18 — secondaries, wing bay; 19 — primaries, flights; 20 — primary coverts; 21 — back; 22 — saddle; 23— saddle feathers; 24 — sickles; 25— smaller sickles; 26— tail coverts; 27— main tail feathers; 28— aie not even the result, primarily, of well-balanced foods, but are the natural and logical outcome of the longer workday in fall and winter, the longer period in each twenty-four hours of the calendar day for the hen to eat, exercise, digest, function, and convert surplus food into eggs. That truly is the foundation of the matter, the "why" of the welcome increase. Of course the other con- tributing conditions should exist, in order to get good, better, or best results, such as proper housing quarters, right care, correct, feeding, the use of wholesome, well- balanced, egg-forming rations, etc., but even with all these factors present, if the "day" is too short — is cut down to seven or 'eight hours out of each twenty-four, the organ- ism of the hen simply cannot do, in this short period, what it is prepared to accomplish with ease in twelve to fourteen hours, if given a fair chance. Strange as it may seem to persons with whom this idea or method is new, the healthy pullet or hen that is in right condition physically, actually wants to lay at this time of the year — during the fall and winter months. It is the one thing that such a pullet or hen most desires to do. The spring-hatched pullet by this time has reached the period for reproduction and the hen that has come through the molt is possessed with the same idea. Neither of them has any "thought" whatever of the market price of eggs for human consumption, or of filling the egg basket. What they specially wish to do is to respond to Nature's insistent demand for reproduction. But mankind literally keeps these birds in captivity — has taken them into northern latitudes where the fall and winter days are so short that these comparatively small creatures usually go unfed — unreplenished — fifteen, six- teen, and in some cases as much as seventeen hours out of each twenty-four, while meantime they are in freezing latitudes and must fight against cold, for their very ex- istence. As a rule, their one source of bodily heat, abso- lutely needed to sustain life, is from the chemical action of digesting and assimilating food; hence in the short days of fall and winter they do not have a surplus of food to convert into eggs for reproduction purposes, or any other use. Now that we have made this discovery, the reasons, the causes are all plain enough. What a pity it is that we could not have anticipated these facts long ago, rea- soning from cause to efifect, or from eflfect back to cause and thus have secured this welcome increase in egg pro- duction each year during the annual period of scarcity! Following are some of the noteworthy things that have been said and written quite recently on this phase of the subject — to t' ffect that the increase which is sure to result from h .hy, well-kept, well-fed hens by lengthen- ing the workday of fall and winter is a natural process, is a feeding problem, not a matter of forcing or of over- working the layers. Prof. Luther 'Banta (see pages 34, 35 herewith): "Evidently there is a very close relationship between the number of hours of daylight during the various sea- sons of the year and egg production. Cornell University has charted the egg production of both countries (Austra- lia and the United States) and finds that approximately the lowest production obtains during the shortest days and the heaviest production at or just previous to the longest days. This variation in length of day exceeds 40%." Continuing, Prof. Banta states — page 35: "Also many of the winter days afiford only about seven hours that are suflficiently light for the birds to see to scratch and eat freely. This means a minimum day over 54% shorter than the longest day in June, yet, in addition, this occurs at that time of the year when the NATURAL atmospheric temperatures range the lowest and conse- quently when the greatest demands are being made upon the reserve food nutrient supply of the bird in order that she may merely maintain her normal body temperature, which IS very high, comparatively speaking, in a fowl, averaging 106 degrees Fahrenheit. "Professor Halpin, who used lights in 1907 while in charge of the Department of Poultry Husbandry at the Michigan Agricultural College, examined the crops of fowl on the perches at midnight in midwinter and found them in all cases nearly or quite empty. Evidently a bird cannot possibly cram enough food into her crop at four- thirty or five o'clock in the afternoon to carry her through to the next morning's meal. In other words, she is only working on a part-time basis, as her mill (gizzard) is prepared to grind food continuously, but its output is necessarily limited by the capacity of the hopper (crop) supplying it. "Therefore, 'lights' were tried to supplement the nat- ural daylight hours sufficiently so that the hen might eat her evening meal at about eight o'clock in the evening, and likewise electricity was used to provide an early breakfast at about 6 a. m. By this method Prof. Halpin found the bird's digestive system was kept working through a greater portion of the day, that she according- ly consumed more food, and, as a consequence, had a larger supply of food nutrients available, was able to keep her body more adequately nourished and had a larger net balance of the necessary ingredients to man- ufacture eg;gs more freely. FOR GENERATIONS HENS HAVE WANTED TO LAY IN THE WINTER, BUT COULD NOT. "Pjofessor J. C. Graham, of the Massachusetts Agri- cultural College at Amherst, has observed that birds dis- tend their crops with food to a greater degree in the fall and winter afternoons than during the spring and sum- mer. Without a question this is a manifestation of the bird's endeavor to counteract the effects of the short win- ter day to the very limit of her ability, or capacity, in this relationship. "The logic of the whole idea is so simple and based upon the most elemental laws of physiology and nutrition to such an extent, that it is astonishing that it has not become a matter of common knowledge and practice be- fore, though it has been known and used by a few scat- tered poultrymen for many years." Prof. Jas. E. Rice: In an address at Chicago, July, 1918, Prof. Rice made the following statements with reference to the fact that it is natural for a hen to reproduce eggs under right con- ditions if given the chance: "In this country, fowls come into laying- from south to north, much as strawberries come Into bearing-. In Aus- tralia and New Zealand on the other side of the equator, the reverse is true. Our hens, when cold weather comes upon them, instead of g-oing- into a dormant condition, will respond at once in the way of egg- yield, to favorable envir- onment. If we can duplicate or maintain suitable condi- tions as to bodily health, length of day, etc., they will go on producing. In our country this statement refers to pro- duction during November, December, January and February, in the case of fowls that are old enough and that also are in proper condition, as to health and surroundings." A year later, in one of two lengthy addresses (first of the two) delivered by Prof. Rice at the Judging and Breeding School,. Cornell University, Ithaca. N. Y., July 7-12, the speaker said, in introducing his subject: "Heretofore we have depended on the time of hatching, method of feeding, style of houses, etc., to increase egg production in the fall and winter or during the period of natural scarcity in this northern latitude, hence the period of high prices: but in these efforts we have met with only moderate results. For many years I have felt that if we could give our fowls what may bfe called hothouse condi- tions, as used for example by the florist, we could get eggs any time we want them — any time of the year. Lately, two great contributions have been made to the method of secur- ing more profitable egg production. One is the successful culling out of nonlayers and poor layers from our flocks by the use of external characters and physical exa-mina- tion; the other is by the use of artificial illumination to increase the length of day during which the would-be lay- ers, the ready-to-lay birds, can function and produce. "The principles involved in our use of artificial illum- ination are not mysterious. On the contrary, they are quite self-evident and easy to understand. For example, it is easy to realize that the domestic hen, when kept in this locality, meaning central or northern New York, is out of her natural habitat and she is held here in what amounts to captivity. This fact hardly needs discussion. We know that the original domestic fowl was a native of the tropical zone and climate. For centuries, for ages. she was accustomed to practically a twelve-hour day and a twelve-hour night, on the average. These birds, having been developed under those conditions, possessed organs that were based on at least twelve hours of daylight mean- ing in particular their digestive organs. Man picked up these fowls and carried them north to points like Ithaca, N. Y., where during five or six months of the year they have, on the average, a nine-hour day and a fifteen-hour "'^ "When brought north these fowls were limited in choice as to what to do. About the only chance they had was to go on functioning the best they could and, as tinie passed, to adjust themselves slowly to the changed conditions of climate, length of day, etc. Such adaptations mean slow- progress. Springtime breeding was continued, -with little or no attention to winter egg production. These birds from the South simply adopted new habits, but did not change their physical form. When winter arrived, with the long cold night;, they tucked their heads under their wmgs and ceased to lay till spring came with its longer days and warmer weather. They just hibernated or practically so, and waited for more favorable conditions. "First — and until recently — man relied mainly on feed- ing and special breeding to get these hens to lay m the THE SECTIONS OF A LEGHORN FEMALE The beauty of the typical modern Leghorn hen is enhanced by comparison with the early type Leghorns shown on pages 4 and 5. The sections of the Leghorn female are as follows: 1 — beak; 2 — nostril: 3 — comb; 4 — crown of head; 5 — face; 6 — eve: 7 — ear; 8 — ear lobe; 9 — wattle; 10 — neck .eathers: 11 — front of neck; 12 — breast; 13 — cape; 14— shoulder; 15— wing bow; 16— wing front; 17 — wing coverts, wing bar; 18 — secondaries, wing bay; 19 — primaries, flights; 20 — primary coverts; 21 — back: 22 — sweep of back; 23 — cushion; 24 — top covert; 25 — larger tail coverts; 26 — smaller tail coverts: 27 — main tail feathers; 28 — body feathers; 29 — fluff; 30 — thigh; 31 — hock; 32 — shank; 33 — spur; 34 — ball of foot; .35 — toe; 36 — toenail. fall and winter. Good housing and proper feeding will help, also breeding for egg production, based on vigor, high individual records, etc., but the response to all these ef- fort? was not enough — did not make the keeping of layer- flocks on a commercial basis a profitable venture during the short-day period of the year, from September 1st to the following March 1st, taking the North Temperate Zone as a whole." In this same connection we quote as follows from an article written in 191S (revised and approved in 1919) by Mr. J: P. Jordan, New York City, N. Y., President of Sunny Crest Poultry Farm, Inc., East Aurora, N. Y.— see page 58, this book: "Many joking comments have been made on working tbe poor birds overtime. But what if you had to go to bed at half-past three or four o'clock on a winter after- noon, your food all digested by ten or eleven o'clock at night, and then you had to huddle yourself up as best you could until half-past seven or eight o'clock the next morn- ing before you could see well enough to work for your living? You, too, would soon become discouraged with life, contract all diseases born of weakness and fail to produce vour share of the interests of life which you would other- wise produce if you were given the opportunity. "IN THE OPINION OF THE WRITER, THE RESULTS OBTAINED PROM ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN A POULTRY PLANT ARE EXACTLY AND ONLY WHAT WOULD NAT- URALLY BE EXPECTED. ' More exercise, more feed — especially dry mash — more water by almost treble, and there follows these results: better health, stronger constitution, greater strength, and, lastly, the logical end of it all, namely— FAR GREATER EGG PRODUCTION." ILLUMINATION ON HENS TWIL1G-HT-9P.M. PEN £5 AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHftCA NEW YORl^ Plate V Here, for hens, and in Plate VI for pullets, no artificial light was given mornings, but light was sup- plied from early twilight till 9 p. m. every day of the entire period. Observe the gain in egg yield as com- pared with the "check pen", also as compared with Platefe III and IV respectively (hens with hens and pullets with pullets), also with Plates VII and VIII on page 11, in which latter cases the "Ughts" were used till 9 p. m. every day and also were supplied from 6 a. m. till dawn in the winter and fall. Plate VI Observe in this case, also in that of hens in pen 25 (Plate V). that the egg yield was much greater during the high-price period of Xoveni- ber, December, January and February, also during the good-price period of Sep- tember and October, than it was from the "check pens" (Plates I and II) of similar birds not under lights. In both these cases (pens 25 and 26) the hens and pullets respectively "took a rest" in degree during the height of the natural "flush" and there- fore low-price season — es- pecially March and April. fLLUMINATION ON PULLETS TWILl&HT— SP.M. PEN- 26 AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORK ^8 12 ^6 10 Z4 7 d 7 21 4 ILLUMINATION ON HENS 6 A.M.- ©P.M. ^:. PEN 19 AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YOW I2M.N. 11 P. n. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Z I 12 N. Ilft.h. 10 •9 8 7 6 5 4 3 £ I2M.N. Plate VII In this case, also in that shown by Plate VIII, arti- ficial light was supplied every evening till 9 o'clock, also in the morning during the shorter natural sun- lighted days, with the result that remarkable increases in egg yield were obtained dur- ing the high-price periods, November 28 to March 1, also during the good-price period that comes each year with August, September and October — a time when the great majority of kept-over hens are in the molt and when most pullets ordinarily are immature, hence not laying. IG jO tt « % » tt stn % oti M oc( 13 2? II S 8 2? 5 13 3 It S Plate VIII By reference to this plate and Plate VII it will be ob- served that in these two cases, where artificial light was used both morning and evening, there was little or no falling behind in egg production during the nat- ural "flush season", as com- pared with the "check pens" of hens and pullets respec- tively, and that the birds "under lights" greatly out- laid the not-lighted birds in the high and good - price periods and also about held their own the rest of the time, especially in case of this pen of pullets. ILLUMIKATION ON PULLETS 6A.M.-9RM. PEN £0 AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY ITHACA NEW YORK a E it 10 &L1 l\ \ n t nr^^ N the opinion of the editor or compiler of this book I I the value and importance of the discovery of the L^nnJ use of artificial light to increase the egg yield of ^^^ domestic fowl in northern latitudes during the short, sun-lighted day^ of fall, winter, and early spring, cannot well be exaggerated, so far as professional and alert amateur poultry keepers are concerned. This im- portance is certain to be National, in fact world-wide in scope, and of great economic or financial value. Far- seeing experts and students in the poultry field already tre predicting serious trouble ahead in the annual storage of surplus eggs produced in the flush season of spring snd summer. Our own view is that this method of adding to the supply of new-laid eggs each fall and winter will become widespread and uniformly successful, but that there still will be real need of and ample opportunity for the storage of suiplus flush-season eggs, as produced on the average American farm by the usual indifferent meth- ods as to time o' year, small sizes, irregular gathering, mixed colors, etc. But the word "practical" as used at the* head of this chapter relates more particularly to the "where and by whom" phases of the subject. That word as here used is meant to refer to the situation or possibilities set forth in the quotation from addresses by Prof. Jas. E. Rice, as they are presented in the panel on the title page of this book, to the effect that the use of artificial light for the purpose of increasing egg production, especially during the high-price season or seasons of each year, can be em- ployed successfully and to important financial advantage by all classes of poultry keepers — by back-lotters, by owners or managers of egg plants, small or large, and also on ordinary farms where fowls are kept in consider- able numbers. That is the "practical" use or value we have in mind just here, and we feel that it should be duly emphasized in the opening pages of this book. We could quote at length on this branch of the subject, but shall go only far enough to give these facts the prominence they well deserve. As regards back-yard poultry keeping and the profit- able use of artificial lighting, special attention is directed to the reports by Warren V. Clarke, Buffalo, N. Y., as they begin on page 21 and page 32. From Mr. Clarke's article entitled, "Successful Use of Lighting in Back- Yard Plant", beginning on page 21, the following quotation is made: "The 'secret' of the heavy winter egg yield that 1 obtain is THE USE OF ELECTRIC LIGHTS night and morning, thus giving the chickens a longer day in which to consume foocT, I find that you can feed them a less concentrated food by elongating the day. Of course, no success can be attained unless the fowls are given rea- sonable care, the proper kind and quantity of food, plenty of drinking water, and suitable quarters. These condi- tions would insure the health of the fowls. It is, of course, highly desirable that the birds you keep Should have been bred for egg production. "The lights are turned on at 5:30 a. m. and switched off at 7:15 to 7:30 p. m. Of course, as soon as the day- light is strong enough they are switched off until three or four in the afternoon, depending on the brightness of the day. The lights are used from October 1st to April 1st with pullets, but with yearlings or breeders they are used from August to February 1st, the hens being rested during February and March so the eggs will hatch well during the rest of the spring and early summer. "Another advantage in using electric lights is that the chickens can be attended to after supper for the fol- owing day. The grain feeders and mash hoppers can be filled, likewise the nonfreezing water founts. The only labor, which is a pleasant task, is gathering the eggs." Next we refer the earnest reader to the report by writer entitled, "Further Facts About Use of Lighting System in New Jersey", which is begun on page 75, from which report the following examples of large in- creases in production are published, as obtained from the carefully kept records of Mr. Victor G. Aubry, extension specialist of the poultry department at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick: "Again referring to his notes and records, Mr. Aubry said: 'Here is another case, that of Mr. A. W. Ramsey, who is located in Bergen County, in the northern part of the state. It develops that Mr. Ramsey for several years has tried this lighting system on a - f ew puUets, about fifty in number, but previous to this year (1918-1919) he had not followed up the matter systematically and with a feeling that he was using just the best methods of feed- ing and care. You might class Mr. Ramsey as a back- lotter. Poultry with him is both a side-line and a diver- sion — a pleasant one. Lately he reported that unless some- thing unforseen turns up, he never again will keep pul- lets over the winter unless they are given the artificial light.' "Following is the yield obtained by Mr. Ramsey dur- ing last fall and winter: "September 1, 1918, to March 15, 1919, the lights be- ing turned on September 1st: September 1-7, 4; Septem- ber 8-14, 7; Sep- tember 15-21, 8.1; September 22-28, 8: September 29- October 5, 7.5; October 6-12, 8; October 13-19,14; October 20-26, 22.4; October 21- November 1, 23 . 1 ; November 3-9, 22: Novem- ber 10-16, 21.4; November 17-23, 2 8 : November 24-30, 34.4; De- cember 1-7, 38.1; December 8-14, 42.6; December 15-21, 44.5; De- cember 22-28, 48; December 29-Jan- uary 4, 49; Jan- uary 5-11, 51.2; January 12 - 18, 51; January 19- 25, 50; January 26 - February 1, 48.9: February 2- 8, 47.4; February 9-15, 48; Febru- ary 16-22, 48.9; February 23- Maich 1, 51; March 2-8. 52; March 9-15, 54." (Note — In noting these high percentages of egg pro- duction and many others that occur in this book, the reader will do well to bear in mind that pullets and hens which are not "under lights" produce, as a rule, about 10 to 20 per cent in egg yield, October 1st to the following March 1st in northern latitudes.. In central and southern New Jersey the average yield for well-kept not-lighted birds is about 20 per cent for this period of the year. — Ed.) t\ VlNliL/ANL) liKX No. 106 White Plymouth Rocks, first to last, have proved to be good layers — esjiecially so for a me- dium weight breed. Above is a photographic reproduction of the " h i t e Plymouth Rock which, in her pullet year, 301 eggs in trap-nests at Vineland International Laying and Breeding Contest— year end- ing October 31, 1917— the only bird in 1,000 in this contest that reached the 300-egs- mark in 365 consecutive days. hen laid the PRACTICAL 13 Continuing, Mr. Aubry said: "Here are the reports of Mr. Fred Naylor, who lives in the western part of Monmouth County. He is another beginner who has used artificial illumination in his houses with surprising results, although he attributes a good deal of his success, as regards his first winter's pro- duction, to the good stock he obtained and to the fact that he grew his young stock on a range where poultry never before had been kept, yet he credits most of his phenomenal fall and winter egg production to the fact that he used lights." "Following is Mr. Naylor's production from pullets, the flock consisting of 840 birds, on the average: "September 1-7, 12; September 8-14, 17; September 15-21, 24.3; Sep- tember 22-28, 37; September 29- October S, 39; October 6-12, 43.4; October 13- 19, 44.6; October 20-26, 45; Octo- ber 27-Novem- ber 2, 44.1; No- vember 3-9, 41.4; November 10-16, 40.3; November 17-23, 40; No- vember 24-30, 45.4; December 1-7, 46; Decem- ber 8-14, 53; De- cember 15-21, 56; December 22-28, 6 2 ; Decembe- • 29-January 4, 64.3; January 5- 11, 60; Jaunary 12-18, 58.9; Janu- ary 19-25, 59; January 26-Feb- ruary 1, 61; Feb- ruary 2-8, 62; February 9-15, 60.1; February -16-22, 58; February 23- March 1, 56; March 2-8, 51.5; March 9-15, 52." Next Mr. Aubry furnished us the results obtained by two general farmers. Referring to these reports, Mr. Aubry said: "Also here are reports from two general farmers. I refer to John H. Miller and to Wm. Wilson, both located in the western part of New Jersey along the Delaware River. They raise poultrv as an important side-line. This is especially true of Mr. Miller, who carries about 600 birds. Apples are his main crop. Both of these men however, have realized the importance of poultry when properly cared for and therefore are giving their hens the opportunity they ought to have. After having used the lights this last winter on their flocks, they have become more enthusiastic than ever in regard to poultry keeping and in future will make this work what might be called 'a main sideTline' on their general farms. Both of these men used gasoline lanterns to light their pens. "Mr. Miller's egg production from 600 S. C. White Leghorns (we do not know the proportion of pullets and hens) September 1, 1918, to April 1, 1919, was as follows: "September 1-7, 8.1 (lights turned on September 1st) ; September 8-14, 11; September 15-21, 14; September 22- 28, 16.2; September 29-October 5, 20.3; October 6-12, 20; October 13-19, 21.8; October 20-26, 23; October 27-Novem- ber 2, 24.5; November 3-9, 28.7; November 10-16, 30.8; November 17-23, 35.4; November. 24-30, 43.4; December 1-7, 48.6; December 8-14, 54.4; December 15-21, 56.8; December 22-28, 58.4; December 29-January 4, 54.1; Jan- uary 5-11, 52.4; January 12-18, 54; January 19-25, 53.2; January 26-February 1, 59.5; February 2-8, 57.3; February 9-15, 54.1; February 16-22, 56.3; February 23-March 1, 52.4; March 2-8, 53.4; March 9-15, 51.4; March 16-22, 48.6; March 23-March 30, 53.4. "Mr. Wilson, the other general farmer referred to by Mr. Aubry, who kept 200 S. _C. White Leghorn pullets, obtained the following production, September 1, 1918, to April 1, 1919 — lights turned on September 1st: -EGG R. I. RED HEN (Sanborn s1 "September 1-7, 5; September 8-14, 8; September 15- 21, 12; September 22-28, 20; September 29-October 5, 25; October 6-12, 32; October 13-19, 31.5; October 20-26, 30.3; October 27-November 2, 30; November 3-9, 35.3; November 10-16, 43.2; November 17-23, 47.1; November 24-30, 54.3; December 1-7, 57; December 8-14, 62; Decem- ber 15-21, 61.2; December 22-28, 56.1; December 29-Jan- uary 4, 51.3; January 5-11, 56.1; January 12-18, 58.1; Jan- rary 19-25, 63; January 26-February 1, 68; February 2-8, 61.2; February 9-15, 62; February 16-22, 61.5; February 23-March 1, 58; March 2-8, 56; March 9-15, 53; March 16-22, 54.1; March 23-30, 52.3." Additional to the foregoing, Mr. Aubry presented sim- ilar reports from large market egg plants located in New Jersey. The results obtained on the egg plants were as good, but really no better in the way of high percentages ihan those secured almost without exception by back- lotters and general farmers. Numerous such cases are reported throughout this book. Said Mr. Aubry in con- clusion: "It is but right to state that in New Jersey this past fall and winter, I have known of only one case in which there was disappointment in the use of lights. In that case everything was going fine until the owner of the flock decided if 'more light' was good, then still more ought to be better, so the hens were kept at work or off the roosts for about eighteen hours out of the twenty- four, with the result that pretty soon they went all to pieces, so far as production was concerned. Twelve to fifteen hours per day appears to be all the birds will stand and do well, judging by prolonged tests and re- ports in this state to date." Following is a further quotation from an address made July 7-12, 1919, by Prof. Jas. E. Rice, before the Judging and Breeding School of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York: "A Remarkable, A Revolutionary Discovery" "Here we have a remarkable, a revolutionary discov- ery or advancement in poultry culture. If it is as good as it seems, and I believe that it is, we can afford to pro- ceed carefully, within reason. Such results as_ these hens and pullets have given us under lights — -especially where the lights were turned on at 3 a. m., are absolutely aston- ishing. They seem 'too good to be true', and yet this table is accurate; these results are ACTUAL, and I think you will agree with me in the use of the word 'revolutionary' in describing such remarkable p r o- duction. (See full report of this ad- dress, beginning on page 83). What the results might have been if these fowls had been truly high producers, c o n- sisting of birds bred -in -line for prolific egg yield, I am not pre- pared to s a i". Naturally, we .ought not expect more than one egg a day per hen, hence the financial benefit to the average poultryman in the use of lights will be greater per bird from aver- age layers and moderately good layers than from the really high-produc- tion individuals. Yet, no doubt, by 'lighting' our birds during the short-day period of each season we can get the maximum supply of eggs two, three, or four months earlier, as compared with past achievement, and these ex- cess eggs in the fall and early winter will bring us twice the amount in cash, which to date has been about the general rule, where lights have been used properly. A 313-EGG BARRED ROCK This Parks' strain hen laid 313 eggs in 12^ months, completing the year on December 1st. She continued laying until the total number reached 327 be- fore stopping finally to molt. Description By Professor Rice of the Ten Colored Charts EXPLANATORY LEGENDS TO BE STUDIED IN CONNECTION WITH COLOR PLATE ILLUSTRATIONS ON PAGES 6, 7, 10, 11, AND 15; GIVING RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS IN ILLUMINATION FOR THE CONTROL OF EGG PRODUCTION, AS MADE AT THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, N. Y. By JAMES E. RICE, Profiaor of Poultry Husbandry PLATES I and II attempt to illustrate the amount of da3'light and darkness each month of the year in New York State and the way the length of the night and the day influences the normal distribution of egg production throughout the year in the case of hens and pullets. Plates III to X show the way various methods of providing artificial illumination influence the distribution of egg production with hens and pullets. In the first eight illustrations the same graph is used to display the periods of daylight and darkness, since the flocks under experiment were observed for the same length of time — namely, from November 4th, 1917, to October 31st, 1918, a period of forty-eight weeks. It will be seen that in representing the periods of night and day on a flat suiface it is necessary to divide the periods of darkness at midnight so that reading the hours of the day and the night on the left of each graph, from the bottom up, one can determine the changing time of dawn and twilight for each period of the year. If this 1 ,l ik^ii i k^ 5 \^m ' ^^2SiH?»^ .^liiiym,^^^^^ ^^' ■ -^.. 1 BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN No. 17 Laid 272 Eggs in One Year. These farm-grown, gra de-value, egg- records Riven above, d ling this vTnelan di cted at Vineland. N. J., under the c New Jersey Agricultural Ex periment be done in this diiection. Birds did is done it will be noticed, as showi BARRED n HE> Laid 2TS Es Barred Plymouth Rocks made the high in year beginning November 1, 1916, the I Egg Isaying and Breeding Contest, con- lirection of the Poultry Department of the Station, New Brunswick. Birds had been 3r high egg production. Shows what can not have the benefit of artificial light. shown by the arrows, that on the shortest day, December 21st. the daylight is ap- proximately nine hours and the darkness approximately . fifteen hours long and that on the longest day, June 21st, the exact reverse is true, namely — a fifteen-hour day and a nine-hour night, and that on March 21st and September 21st the nights and the days are equal — twelve hours each — which is approximately the condition each day of the year near the equator where the domestic fowl is sup- posed to have originated. 14 Assuming that the periods of the year in New York state when the nights and the days are essentially equal are the most favorable for production, it naturally fol- lows that during midsummer the fowls have longer periods of daylight than they normally require and that during the midwinter they have shorter periods of daylight than they should have for eflficient egg production. The distribution of egg production is shown in Plates I and II, the dotted line giving the per cent production for each four-week period and showing that the expand- ing period of daylight increases production and contract- ing periods of daylight decrease production, with both hens and pullets. In the case of hens the contrast is more pionounced than it is with pullets. This is due to the fact that the hens, at the beginning of the second or later years^of laying, will have laid out their production during the preceding year and generally are not fully recuperated and ready to start a new cycle of laying when the ad- verse conditions of cold weather and shorter days of the fall arrive, whereas the pullets, if they were hatched so as to begin laying normally in September or October (in New York state) have by that time stored up enough nourishment to produce a considerable number of eggs even under the adverse fall con- ditions, as shown in the case of hens, Plate I, and pullets, Plate II. Results of Three Different Methods How three different methods of supplying light influence egg produc- tion on hens and pullets is shown in Plates III, IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII. Both the hens and the pullets used in these tests were under the average in quality, having been left over after the other college teaching and ex- periment project needs had been provided for. However, the birds in all of the pullet pens were essential- ly similar, as were the birds in the hen pens. The bird%. in all of the- eight flocks were fed the regular Cor- nell rations, and the other conditions, such as the kind of houses, the kind of pens, light, wattage, etc., were as near similar as it was possible to make them. Plates III and IV show, by the area in red, the amount of light given, namely — 7 a. m. until dawn and from twilight until 7 p. m. This, it will be seen, was sufficient to make a perceptible increase in production during the first five months and the last month, in the case of the hens, and a somewhat similar increase in the case of the pullets during the second, third, fourth, and last five months. The age and condition of the pullets apparently' was such that the amount of illumination given was not sufficient to make a marked increase in production. In Plates V and VI will be seen the distribution of production where the light was given from twilight until 9 p. m. during the entire time of the experiment. Thus there was so sudden break or gradual decline in the amount of artificial light given, as is usually the case in actual practice during the late fall and early spring months when artificial lighting normally is started and stopped. Undoubtedly the light was not required in summer. ILLUMINATION ON HENS INTERMITTENT l_IG-HT ABRUPT CHANG-E PENT .2. : I " -'- ■I2N: ■ 11 A.M. lO ■ PER CENTTEG-G- PRODUCTION .ABRUPT LIGHT LE&END \ LI&HTS TNNILI&HT -9RM. NO ARTIFICIAU LI&HT 70° 60 4-7.4 50 31.1 PLATE IX — Find description of this plate on page 16 herewith by Jas. B. bandry. New York State Colleg-e of Agriculture, Cornell University, who was ii mental work which is illustrated so graphically by these ten color-plate chart.", study Plate X below. lice, Professor of Poultry Hus- personal charge of the experi- In connection with this chart. ILLUMINATION ON HENS INTERMITTENT LIG-HT GRADUAL CHAN&E PEN 8 PER CENT E&& PRODUCTION 50.3 — G-RADUAL- LIG-HT •■-LIGHTS TWILIGHT -9P.M. --NO ARTIFICIAU LIG-HT 10% 60 4-74 50 PLATE X — Find description of this plate on page 16 herewith by J bandry, New York State College of Agriculture, Cornell University, who mental work which is illustrated so graphically by these ten color-plate study Plate TX above. R CP Professor of Poultry Hus- pp sonal chai S"e of the experi- connectioi ith this chart, 16 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION The increase in egg production with the hens under illumination was quite marked during the first four months and the last two months, as was also the decline in pro- duction from the normal check-pen flock not artificially HEN No. A-5727. CORNELL UNIVERSITY Laid 1,013 eggs from December 14. 1910- Aug-ust 15, 1918, inclusive. Note length and depth of body. lighted, as indicated by the open space between the dotted line and the green-colored portion of the chart in the sixth, seventh and eighth periods, which was from about the middle of April to the middle of July. The gains in production, therefore, were during periods of high egg prices and the losses in production on the part of the pens having illumination occurred during the periods of lowest prices. Essentially similar shifts in production from the low to the high priced areas, though less in de- gree, resulted with the pullets. The most marked increase in egg production, due to artificial light, of any of the methods tried in this series of experiments was where illumination was given from 6 a. m. to daylight and again from twilight to 9 p. m., to a pen of pullets, thus giving at least a fifteen-hour day during the entire test. Under the same method of illum- ination the pen of hens produced about the same as in pen 25 (Plate V), where illumination was given only un- til 9 p. m., except that there was practically no decline in production during the summer. The consistently high egg yield during the entire experiment, except a slight drop during the Sth or 6thrv, -R-^K, ^ ^ ^ A , , ' ccnts, aud they had a greater demand for them at that let.'Cnr.Vd fr 7/. fi.° "^"'' ^'* ^""^ number of pul- price than I could supply. At the time this article was lets varied from 72 to 63. ^,itt^„ I charged 70 cents retail to persons who called at I he sale of the culls, non-layers, reduced the feeding the house for eggs. I might add that the eggs are quite cost and did not alifect the egg production to an appre- uniform in size and there are not many cull eggs to be ciable extent. The average monthly cost for each chicken used at home. proved to be 13 cents. This included litter. After the November and December laying is finished TTC/./1 171^.-* • T • i.^ .1- T. „ . and the egg yield decreases, watch for the drones and Used Electric Lights the Following Year sell them oflf. Every chicken you sell now saves 27 cents November 1, 1916, I had 87 pullets and 21 yearlings a month for feed. which were gradually reduced until November 1 1917 1 Do not sell the birds that molt in May for you will re- had 19 yearlings left, October molters ' ' £^'^'« S^^^ from them, in June, July and August when other '^ ' >-^uci aiuicers. j^^^g j^^^^g ceased laying- and prices go up again. Sell the Electric lip-ht-'! wpro nc^H /1i..-;.,rv *!,;„ j July, August and September molters and keep for breed- fiil nrrm,nf tf^f 7 it ounng this year and a care- mg stock the birds that have laid from October to October tul account kept of all expenditures. My net profit per without molting. month was as follows: Of course everyone has a dream of the future, and ^Tr^•.^o^k<>, ini« mine is to go out on a small farm near a large city where November, 1916 ^44 55 j ^^n retain my present business connections except for December, 1916 on 79 perhaps three months in the summer. By using a small January 1917 A -tT- truck going to and from my home I shall be able to take P»K,-„,;.'„ 1017 "I-''" to market what I have to sell and haul out what I wish to i'ebruary 1917 4I 99 transport to my farm. March, 1917 4917 This farm will produce hay in addition to poultry and April 1917 TT'iT eggs because of all crops hay will stand the most chicken Mo„'iQi7 ''•'+' manure. Grass needs nitrogen, especially timothy, so I iviay, lyi/ 19 40 would put the droppings on three or four acres and grad- June, 1917 \7Kr\ ually increase the pasture until It embraced half my farm Tulv 1917 ,„ acreage. There is little extra labor needed for a hay crop jixiy, '^i'— ■ 36.86 in the spring when one's whole attention is needed in incu- AUgust, 191/ 14 29 bating and brooding chicks. One can always get a hay September, 1917 ^^'ir crop harvested on shares and when you have to plow up OrtnKpr 1017 40.J0 your rich pasture land you will find the ground in splendid v.^ctoDer, lyi/ 2.52 condition for a crop of corn. This idea of a combination hay and poultry farm was ipAAv Ao suggested to me by a poultry farm I ran across near $447.48 Dorset, Vt. It has a gravel soil with springs forming little During this time the electric 1icrht= .-^^f .^^ tfioc t-i, streams running down the mountain sides and through the epE' vielH hv n^r^nft^o s'ectr c lights cost me $6.95. The fiat meadow. Ten years ago this farm was in a run-down egg yield by months was as follows: condition, but last summer when paying a visit there I November, 1916 ^A/^^ found them cutting and storing, instead of the scant ton Tit^ri^mUar- IQK I'+tH per acre which used to be the yield ten years ago, two tons i^ccemoer lyio 2070 per acre. The increase was due to the practice of putting January, 1917 IR'iri the poultry droppings on the pasture. February 1917 i?or At present it would not pay me to keep breeders and TiA-^^u ini7 *■'■'■' incubate eggs, but on a large poultry farm this would be r -1 'in,y 1449 the natural thing. April, 191/ loQi I.,ike others I have read Uncle Sam's appeal for a great- May 1917 11AC 'y increased production of poultry and eggs this spring ■f,,„.' 1017 1145 and summer. I hope that the writing of this article will T 1 ' ,X,i 1327 Kive many persons the courage to invest in one or two July, 1917 1?^' hundred day-old chicks, for by following my method. Aii£>-ii<;t 1017 „,": adapting it to the conditions they must meet, I am sure ^uguit lyi/ gg4 ^j^gy ^^^ ^.^ materially in increasing the production of September, 191/ 329 eggs, while in spite of the high prices that prevail for October, 1917 ' 1 ic poultry feeds, they can make an excellent profit, have all '^-' the eggs and poultry they need for their own use and have enough to sell to show a good profit, and this can all be 14 541 done on a small back lot with a small investment for A •■ ,r^,>, , . . . ' equipment. April, 1917, I bought 514 day-old chicks which cost me $107.67, including the expressage. I lost about ten per ce"n Vey,r^^^°ry%lS^%sil'lr^.%^'JT^ " reprinted from the "Lighting System" For Increasing Egg Production TO BE USED AS A MATTER OF COURSE, DURING THE "DARK DAYS" OF FALL AND WINTER— HENS ARE EGG-MACHINES— THEY NEED "TIME" AS WELL AS MATER- IALS FOR ADDING TO THEIR OUTPUT — ARE NOT LIMITED NOR CONTROLLED BY MAN'S CALENDAR —AN INEXPENSIVE PLAN THAT NEXT FALL AND WINTER SHOULD BE PUT TO THE TEST BY THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN POULTRY KEEPERS B, J. B. ROE, Pa a/., andE. C. WALDORF. M. D., Buffalo. N. Y. zs S2: readers. No poultry keeper who sees this report should pass it by without getting- the full value of its message. All are well aware that fresh eggs marketed for table use bring the highest prices in the fall and winter of each season, be- cause of the fact that at this time they ARE SCARCE— that but few are laid in the short, cold days when fowls are com- paratively inactive. Dr. E. C. Waldorf, Buffalo, N. T., demonstrated back in 1889-1892, that by lengthening the feeding and digestive day of the ordinary hen, she can readily be induced to average more than one egg per day, extending over a considerable period, and now a California Barred Rock breeder has stumbled on the fact that by lengthening the short, dark days of the fall and winter months he enabled his hens to double and treble their egg yield during this season ot scarcity and high prices. And the plan employed by him and by his poultry- keeping neighbors is inexpensive and easy of adoption, de- cidedly so. Extensive egg plants on the Pacific Coast fol- lowed his lead and now report equally favorable results on a large scale. Next fall and winter literally hundreds of thousands of other poultry keepers throughout the land should adopt this low-cost plan and put it to the test, m their own interests. — Editor. AS STATED in September, 1919, issue of R. P. J., page 117, Mr. J. B. Roe, Pasadena, California, breeder of Barred Rocks, visited R. P. J. offices while on an extended eastern trip in quest of Bronze Tur- keys. Part of our interview with Mr. Roe was of such vital and timely interest to Poultry Culture in this country, especially as regards fall and winter egg production, that we had a stenographer take down his statements, which were substan- tially as follows: "I put in, in 1915, what I now call the 'lighting system.' My reason was that in showing birds on dark days or in the evening to prospective custom- ers, I like to take them right from the roosts and with the houses lighted I could do this. My roosts are three feet from the ground. I put in twenty-five candle power National Mazda lights, one to every twelve feet. "For flock matings for egg produc- tion, I have two long, continuous houses, each one hundred feet long by sixteen feet wide. These houses are divided by partitions into four sections and each section into two apartments. In the center of each 12x16 foot space, I have a light. I keep about fifty birds to every twelve foot space, but this number depends on the birds I have and what use I am making of them. There are no separate scratch sheds. Sometimes for every twelve feet I have seventy-five or more birds. "The window in each twelve foot space is about 8x4 feet. I have yards in front of these houses, leading out one hundred feet — every yard having three orange trees in it. Under the second tree from the house there is a water fountain, with a continuous drip, and I also keep water in the house. In front of these yards, opening out of them is an alfalfa field, into which the fowls are turned to get green food. "Under my plan a house one hundred feet long has a capacity of four to six hundred layers. At present I have about three hundred fowls to the house and as soon as the mating season is over I shall take the males out and put them by themselves, so that the eggs for market will have no germs. All special matings are trap-nested during the breeding season. I have thirteen special mating yards, besides the two large houses. How "Lighting System" is Operated "In the two long laying houses, before described, I turn on the the twenty-five candle power electric lights at 4:30 in the morning, when it is not day-light at that hour, that is, duiing the fall and winter. The fowls get down immediately and go to scratching in the litter for grain left over from the night before. This keeps them warm and they do not get cold. They do not get enough feed in this way early in the morning to fill up and later they go to the egg mash hoppers, which are kept filled. I 53 22: 53: Z3: zz Ml %lt7il dh^Hu^ii im 9,nn:l^ i^iti ifeai^:5r:EEa!s uhm =N: iiu Ml Iki: '^m m HOW WELL THE "GENERAL, PURPOSE" BREEDS LAY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AS COMPARED WITH LEGHORNS The data used in preparing this graph included weekly reports (annual Vineland, can Contest, regard to it. xth Annual Stor ., Contest (year 1916-1917) , __ Newark, Delaware. The original drawing and the were set forth in a thesis by Markus A. Canfield. J used on face of the graph, includes Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds. The lines represent monthly percentages of production for a complete year, starting with 19.1 per cent tor the heavy breeds in November, running up to 63.1 per cent in April and finishing with 28.7 per cent in October. The Leghorns started with 24.8 per cent in November, reached 69.3 per cent in May, and dropped to 12.8 per cent in October. A study of this chart will readily show the reader what to expect in egg production, without the help of artificial light, throughout the production year, starting November 1st and ending October 31st following. It shows that the three general purposei breeds here mentioned laid somewhat more eggs November 15th to March 15th on the average; that these three breeds laid considerably fewer eggs March 15th to the folowing September 15th, and that they again excelled the Leghorns "--" ' " — ' """' " "' " "~' ' ' ,rhat from Sept. 15th to Nov. 1st following. 26 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION feed green stuff at noon. Oats and barley are sown in the yards every week, the fowls eating them at will. "Nothing more is fed until 6 o'clock each evening, which is my feeding time the year round. In the late afternoon the lights are turned on again, before the fowls start for the roosts and are left burning until 8 o'clock. The birds feed from 6 o'clock to about 7:30, which leaves them half an hour to get to their roosts before the lights are turned off at night. They get all they want to eat by the time they go to roost. "The litter consists of mill shavings about four to five inches deep in each scratching apartment. In the front part of the house, enclosing a space about 8x12 feet, a twelve-inch board stands on edge to form a scratching pen. Board extends down the center of each section. The sun shines in here (Pasadena) in winter time and a cur- tain is provided to drop down for shade in summer. "Sciatch feed only is put in the litter. I use mille*, maize, Egyptian corn and Kafir corn. In the winter sea- son we use Indian corn. The fowls fill up every morning on grain left in the litter over night, before they go to the laying mash in hoppers. "MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS DEMON- STRATED THAT THE EGG PRODUCTION CAN BE INCREASED IN FALL AND WINTER FULLY THREE HUNDRED PER CENT BY THE USE OF LIGHTS AS HERE DESCRIBED. "Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Martin, Downey, Calif., breeders 2z: ^'e^^a^f-M^g 2S %flt tlEu^X ?'- i4H tkl^ilL ^e/79^ ^(E^i Zi2zilt le^^em AN R. P. J. GRAPH WHICH SHOWS "HOW NOT TO MAKE MONET" Probably that is is there. The lines : the 600 Leg-horns in ing- and Laying Coi commercial Leghor 1 back-handed way of putting it, but the truth — the FACT n this graph represent the production, in percentages, of the first Vineland. N. J. (1916-1917) International Breed- itest, contrasted with the production of the thirty-six plants for the same year in the same state — this data being secured from the New Jersey Survey Bulletin, No. 329, which has been reviewed at length in these pages, see the two articles in May and June 1919 issues, entitled, "Poultry Farming a Profitable Industry in New Jersey." The contest pens, it will be noted by this graph, started with 24. S per cent production in November, reached 69.3 per cent in May, and dropped to 12.8 per cent in October. Now, how about the meant-to-be money-making com- mercial plants in the Vineland egg farm district, so called? These thirty-six commercial farms secured a production of only 10 per cent in November, reached 44.2 per cent in April and dropped to 9.6 per cent in October. Perhaps New Jersey commercial farm men ought not feel overly downhearted, however, because an investigator of the subject recently stated, on what we believe to be good authority, "New Jersey has an average production of at least ten eggs per hen per year MORE than other states." Our point is that the wide area BETWEEN these two lines in the graph means MONEY — is simply that much "gold" that the commercial egg- farm men of highly favored New Jersey (as to climate, soil, etc.) ARE NOT GETTING by the use of their present methods. This further emphasizes the value of egg-laying contests as a source of valuable and much needed facts and general information, obtained at public expense — from the tax payer's money — for the use of poultrymen who wish to make all they can from poultry and egg production, on the basis of private enterprise. of S. C. White Leghorns, as a result of my experience, installed the' lighting system last fall and Mr. Martin told me recently that their egg yield within ten days to three weeks increased from one and one-half cases to seven cases per week. "E. E. Emerson, well-known poultry judge at Bur- bank, California,, also a breeder of White Leghorns, carry- ing about 6,000 hens, put in his lighting system last No- vember. His egg yield increased from about two cases to eight and ten cases within a short time. "Messrs. Swanson and Johnson, San Gabriel, Calif., who carry between 10,000 and 12,000 S. C. White Leg- horn hens, also put in the lighting system last fall and Mr. Swanson told me lately that whether it was this system or something else, their egg yield last fall and winter more than doubled soon after it was put in — in fact was nearly three times greater than the previous year. "Getting down to actual practice and results, my view of the matter is this: it takes a healthy hen just about so long to convert a given amount of the right kinds of food material into a normal sized egg. In the fall and winter, if left to ordinary conditions, she has only eight and one-half to nine hours in which to do this, whereas- by the lighting system, here described, I furnish her fif- teen to fifteen and one-half hours. That, I believe, is the reason for the increased egg production where the lighting system is installed. Thus far it has proved successful in every case I know about, including the three examples I have just told you of. "I have this lighting system throughout both of the one hundred foot houses. It is not expensive. A twenty-five watt Mazda lamo will not consume as much 'juice' as a fifty watt ordinary incandescent lamp. When these Mazda lamps barn out, the average electric light company will replace them free of charge with the old style of light, providing the consumer will stand for it. "I mix my own mash — that is, the egg mash. Out with us the Coulson egg mash is popularly used, and with ] Leghorns gives excellent results, but ; I have one of my own that is espe- 1 cially suitable for Barred Rocks. For J the Rocks we add more wheat bran -| to the mash and use less meat pro- ; ducts. Our idea is to fill them up. 1 but not get them too fat. I "I feed grain rather sparingly and i make my Barred Rocks scratch in T the litter for every particle of it. At J night is the only time they get all the ,s:rain tliey want to eat. but they have already filled up on egg mash. In the morning they (ire ready to jump right into the litter again after the grain that is left from the night before. If they were to get all the grain they wanted in the morn- ing, they would stand around, but after getting a little grain they go to the mash hoppers. The exercise and shavings keep them warm and they never have colds. The houses are nnen in the front all the time— the whole front being boarded up about three feet from the bottom." i^'xnhm^rj.'z j'iLi^'L^ilLjtihnLt'^fitVnii s?i- The Hen As An Egg Machine Tlie results above reported are based on the theory, on the FACT that the domestic hen is an egg- machine; also on the fact that her ability to manufacture eggs is not regulated by the calendar, nor by (Continned on page 45) More Evidence of Egg- Yield Value of Lighting System ONE COMMERCIAL EGG PLANT INTRODUCED ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS IN LAY- ING HOUSE AND AVERAGE-EGG YIELD CLIMBED FROM 154 TO 194 EGGS IN TWO SEASONS — IN ANOTHER PLANT WHERE LIG HTS WERE INSTALLED EGG PRODUCTION SOON ROSE FROM 12 TO 80 PER CENT — FIRST PLANT GIVES CREDIT ALSO TO BREEDING FROM HIGH PRODUCERS - BOTH AGREE LIGHTS CAUSE MAXIMUM EGG YIELD IN MONTHS WHEN PRICES OF MARKET EGGS ARE HIGHEST — BIG HELP TO COMMERCIAL PLANTS By MESSRS. M. E. ATKINSON, Haliy-wood, Tf^ath., and E. E. EMERSON, Burlani, Caiif. HAVING heard that Mr. M. E. Atkinson, manager of the Poultry Department of Hollywood Farm, Hollywood, Washington, had been using electric lights in his poultry houses and that as a result he had established what may be a world record for a commercial flock numbering thousands of birds — in this case about 6,000 — which last year laid an average of 194 eggs per hen, we asked him for particulars. By use of the "lighting system" a much larger proportion of these eggs than usual were laid in the high-price months of November, Decem- ber and January. Mr. Atkinson replied as follows: "In answer to your letter of re- cent date will say that we have tised electric lights in the houses containing pullets since January, 1916. We start our fiscal year Sep- tember 1st. Last year our pullet flock of 6,000 birds averaged 194 eggs. The previous year when we used the lights in January, Febru- ary, also a part of March, they aver- aged 179 eggs. The year before when no lights were used, the aver- age was 154 eggs. This year we have 6,700 pullets and we believe they will average over 200 eggs. However, we give our breeders more credit for th"e increase than we do the lights, because each year our trap-nest records are better and consequently we have had more liigh producers to use in the breed- ing pens. "We believe that if we can per- suade market poultrymen to use males from high producing hens it will do the poultry industry more good than any other one thing. "Just what credit for the increased egg production we should give the artificial lights in the poultry house, we are unprepared to say because since jising lights we have never ■kept a pen of pullets without the. lights, as a check pen, but we can compare our records with records made by our birds at egg laying contests where, we understand, no lights were used. "For instance, we entered a pen at Mountain Grove, Mo., in the 191S-1916 Contest, which laid 1101 eggs, an average of 220.2 eggs. One individual in the pen laid 275 eggs and another 262 marketable eggs. "At the Philadelphia North American Contest at Newark, Del., November 1, 1916-October 31, 1917, our tTAKTED EARLY IIV ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK IN an article by R. S. Moseley. East Aurora, Erie Co., N. Y., at that time Extension Instructor and Field Prospect Supervisor, Department of Poultry Husbandry, New York State CoHe.se of Agriculture, Cornell Uni- versity, Ithaca, N. Y., which was en- titled, "The Cornell Poultry Project is a Real Success", occurred the following reference to the use of "artificial light to prolong the day." "The use of lights in hen houses to lengtlien the hens' working day has been adopted by practically all the members of the 'Project' in the county, and over 100 plants in the county, outside of the 'Project', are using lights at the present time. Electricity, natural gas, kerosene lamps, gasoline lanterns,, and acety- lene gas are all used. Two methods of operating the lights are used in the 'Project' at the present time — from 5:00 to 6:00 a. m. until day- light, and from dusk to 8:00 p. m. ; also at night only, in which case lights are kept going until 9:00 p. m., depend- ing upon each farmer's conditions. Un- der, the first system hens are fed at a regular time in the morning and hard grain at 6:00 to 7:00 p. m., and under the latter system at 8:00 p. m. Dry mash is before them all day. "The lights have the effect of giving the hens an April length of day and thus they have a chance to eat more than they naturally would and gain more exercise, which is like spring conditions. "The 'Project' has been using lights for three winters and it has been a help to poultrymen in getting -eeding birds ar< only from Feb- ruary 20th, in order to start them up so as to secure early hatching eggs. Many things enter into the successful management of flocks under lights which space does not permit me to mention. Cornell Experiment Station is working- on the use of lights this vear. The records from the 'Project' show that artificial light has increased winter production from 30 to 60 per cent over fowls kept under natural conditions." pen of five birds laid 1,166 eggs, an average of 233.2. One pullet laid 265 eggs, another 252, and still another 251. As stated above, it is our understanding that no lights were used there. "We have many hens with better twelve months' rec- ords than these. There is one th?t laid 307 eggs, another 304 eggs and another 298 eggs last year, but we must re- member that the eastern climate is colder in winter and warm in summer and that the contests run 365 days from a given date while at home we start the record with the first egg laid in a trap-nest. Where Artificial Lights Score "There is one important thing for which artificial lights must receive full credit, namely, that by their use we get the highest egg production in November, December and Janu- ary. We produce more eggs in these three winter- months than we do in any other three consecutive -months of the year, and at that time market prices are the highest. By the use of lights, pullets give their maximum yield earlier and the spring yield is less than if no lights are used. . .. " "Many of the pullets that are kept under lights molt in the spring, but the better they are bred, the less they molt. Am enclosing copies of pen records that we keep where the pullets are not trap-nested. Only 900 are trap-nested each year. We take a few from each mating each hatch and trap-nest them in order to keep a check on our matings and to give us the highest producers from which to breed our males. "We brood each season about 16,000 chicks and sell all the stock when they commence to molt in the fall except the cream, which birds are kept for breeders for ourselves or for sale as breeders. "Pen 5, whose record I am send- ing you, is one of our four best pens, while Pen 6 is one of our two lowest. Notice, please, the date they were hatched, the date they were moved to the laying houses and that both were first choice. "By 'first choice' we mean this: We rear all our chicks in room brooders, the rooms being 14x40 feet — about 1,000 chicks to a room. The cockerels are re- moved at an early age and the pullets are left in the house to mature. When they are in a fair lay, 27 28 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION we go through and select those that are laying, or about to begin laying and remove them to a lay- ing house. These wc call first choice. The backward ones then come on faster and when they are matured we make another selection. It is our aim to cull our flocks before they go to the laying houses, not afterward. Pen 6, you will note, never reached the degree of laying that No. 5 did. They were in a SO per cent lay when they were moved and some of them started a partial molt early and as they came through, others started. It would be no surprise if they produce as much gross in dollars and cents at the end of the year as Pen S. We do not expect any of our pens to drop below SS per cent in egg produc- tion. After a partial rest in the spring when ordinary birds are laying the heaviest, our birds are ready to take in declaring that it increases the winter egg yield; also they are agreed that lights should not be used in the pens where the breeding stock is kept. Following is more testi- mony in its favor, this time from a California breeder of S. C. White Leghorns, representing the firm of Emerson and Mumford, Burbank, California. — Editor.) t'TN REPLY to your inquiry regarding the lighting system as used in California poultry houses, will say that I am pleased to tell our experience to the read- ers of R. P. J., hoping that it will help them in these strenuous war times to solve the problem of profitable poultry keeping in spite of the high cost of feed. "When the subject of installing an electric lighting system in the laying houses to increase the egg produc- tion was brought to my attention some years ago, I con- fess I was, as many others are, somewhat skeptical about its efficiency. One of the objections raised was that it would tend to overwork our 'egg machines', and many HOLIiYWOOD FARM HOLIiYWOOD FARM -1917 POULTRY DEPT. House — 4. Pen — 5. Hatched— March 15th Brooders — 8. Moved — September 11th Choice— First Pen Cleaned. Egg Production 1 1 Month 111 1 s II Is 1 August 1 1 September 30 211 305 3340 55.0 5 206 305 5701 305 6202 65.6 28 27 158 214 November 3 172 December January 1 237 304 6723 305 5881 71.1 62.2 12 2 225 28 141 18 203 302 5167 61.1 58.1 -■i 167 193 March 30 17 144 299 5392 up the good work when the others drop off, and so we catch the higher market again. "We are not yet prepared to say that the use of arti- ficial lights in the laying house will increase the number of eggs laid in twelve months, but the use of lights will certainly increase the earning power of each hen by causing her to lay in the seasons of the year when her eggs will bring the highest price. "We turn the lights on at 5:00 A. M. and off at day- light, turning them on again at dusk and off at 7:00 P. M. We do not believe they should be used in the houses where the breeding stock is kept. The breeders should be permitted to rest during the winter in order to give the best results in strong, fertile eggs during the hatching season." We are reproducing above the two cards sent us by Mr. Atkinson in order that our readers may see the data they have found it advisable to collect and a sample of the egg yield of their flocks in the winter months. Read also what Mr. E. E. Emerson has to say herewith about using artificial lights. CALIFORNIA PLANT USES ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS WITH MARKED SUCCESS By E. E. EMERSON, Burbank, California. Hatched— April 5th. Brooders— 11-14. Moved — September 25th Choice — First Pen Cleaned. Egg Production a) Q s & Month kS3 iS 1 August 1 September u_ 131 309 630 34.0 October 26 225 309 5776 60.3 2 113 November 244 309 6702 72.3 195 December 252 308 6951 72.8 203 January 244 305 6713 71.0 208 February 222 303 4929 65.5 21 March 22 5 201 303 5461' 58.1 151 really thought they would not hold up in the year's pro- duction. "It stands to reason that when a hen sits on a roost sixteen consecutive hours out of each twenty-four without food or water, there is much more danger of a. lowered vitality from lack of exercise and the long hours without food than there is of their being overworked when they are aroused at an early hour. One of the strongest argu- ments in its favor is that the lights are turned on at the coldest hour in the morning and the hens immediately be- come active and avoid being chilled or standing huddled in the corner in the half light of the early morning. "It was not until we put in a commercial plant in con- nection with the fancy that we really became interested and decided to install the system as an experiment in one section of the utility division of our plant. This laying house is 16 feet wide by 120 feet in length and is divided into six compartments, each 16x20 feet. "One hundred pullets were placed in each division and we had a 50-watt Mazda light placed in each section in such a position that the mash bins were well lighted. In this house the bins are in front and the lights were placed in the center of the roof. They were turned on by the ringing of an alarm on a Big Ben clock. "We began by getting the birds up a half hour earlier than usual and gradually increased the time until we had them out at 4:00 o'clock. "The floors of the houses are covered with straw in which a little grain is scattered at night after the birds have gone to roost. The moment the lights are turned (Continued on page 45) Influence of "Illumination" on Production of Winter Eggs REPORT OF ADDRESS ON ABOVE TIMELY SUBJECT GIVEN BY PROF. JAMES E. RICE, AT FIRST CONVENTION OF NATIONAL WAR EMERGENCY POUL- TRY FEDERATION. CHICAGO, JULY 16-18 — DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO THE SPEAKER (NOTES WERE MADE MOSTLY IN DARK, WHILE LANTERN SLIDE MACHINE WAS OPERATING) BUT NUMEROUS POINTS ARE HERE SET FORTH WHICH NO DOUBT WILL INTEREST AND BENEFIT MANY R. P. J. STUDENTS OF THIS PRACTICAL METHOD OF INCREASING EGG PROFITS By JAMES E. RICE, Profcsior of Poultry Huilandry, Corn.U Urn Reported By EDITOR ofR. P. J. ,, llhaca, N. Y. PROF. RICE stated that special illumination, with the object of lengthening the working day, or egg production day of the domestic fowl, has long been used experimentally, but only recently on a commercial basis. He expressed the belief that it is fraught with important results, but also possibly with some dangers; therefore it ought to be studied on a systematic basis and careful records should be kept to determine how far it is safe to go, also which methods will produce the most profit in different sections of the country, meaning, as a rulei^he different latitudes. Said he, in substance: "We want two things: liberal or maximum practical egg yield during the season of high prices of each produc- tion year; also we want maximum annual production per hen, per unit, or per flock, within practical limits." Continuing, he said, in substance: "If we get the first, we are pretty sure to get the second, because to get high egg production from an individual, we need to have her begin to lay early in her production year and keep on laying late in her year. "Cold storage, that splendid modern discovery for the conservation of surplus foods during the period of over- production, these foods to be used in the time of scarce or insufficient production, has been represented to us here as 'the great equalizer' in supplying our markets to advantage. Poultrymen to date have suffered a great han- dicap in this matter of 'control of production.' "If this method of using supplied illumination, thus lengthening the production day of our fowls, checks up as promisingly as now would appear, it will help very materially as a market equalizer in the case of eggs, be- cause evidently by the intelligent use of this method we can increase, in large measure, the number of eggs to be laid during the yearly scarce period — November to Febru- ary, inclusive — and although these eggs, once laid, will not be laid again, which means fewer eggs in April, May and June, our poultrymen will be far better off in cash returns and we shall have helped to equalize production and also will be meeting the market demand to better advantage. "Anything that will help poultrymen control produc- tion, thus to regulate the supply of his product to the market, bids fair to be of great help to the industry, especially to this important branch of it." The speaker then took up other matters which relate to the subject of increased egg production per fowl and per flock, including vigor, stamina, proper care, right feeds and feeding, careful culling by selection, etc., then came back to the main subject under discussion. Said he, in substance: "In this country, fowls come into laying from south to north, much as strawberries come into bearing. In Australia and New Zealand, on the other side of the equa- tor, the reverse is true. Our hens, when cold weather comes upon them, INSTEAD of going into a dormant condition, WILL RESPOND AT ONCE, in the way of egg yield. TO FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT. If we can duplicate or maintain suitable conditions as to bodily comfort, length of day, etc., they will go on producing. In our country this statement refers to production during November, December, January and February, in the case of fowls that are old enough and that also are in proper condition as to health and surroundings. Early Hatching Necessary For Desired Results "There is one thing we surely must do if we wish to get high egg production in the fall and winter months — we must hatch early. Without these earlyhatched pullets we cannot obtain the desired results, regardless of whether we do or do not use special illumination. We need to have our new crop of pullets 'come into production,' so to speak, at about the time high prices prevail, or begin to prevail for strictly fresh eggs for current consumption. We should realize that these pullets will come into pro- duction according to when they were hatched. Late- hatched, immature pullets will not, CANNOT give us the results sought in this case. "It is a fact well known, that when the first cold days come, all laying stops, regardless of when the pullets or older fowls started to lay. This is a fact in Nature that we must overcome the best we can, partly by breeding, but largely by comfortable quarters. Health, maturity, ample flesh and bodily heat must be present if we are to get the egg yield we want in this period of high prices. Calls This Kind "Long Distance Layers" "It will pay to 'select' and retain the late-fall laying hens. We need to select our hens by their ability to GO ON LAYING in the season of high-priced eggs. I call them 'long distance layers.' Under favorable conditions they keep right on laying right into September, October and November. As a rule, these hens will lay at both ends of the period. Be jealous of this kind and make a practice of holding on to them for laying or for breeding purposes. "We investigators are of the belief that such factors exist as may well be described as 'principles of persistent laying.' It is the duty of students and investigators to determine what they are and to prove their dependability. "To date it has been disclosed that by 'intelligent selection' and physical examination we can pick out the most vigorous types of hens — those that should lay the most eggs in a given period of time. If you will investigate this method, apply it to your fowls and keep records, you will find that real progress has been made. Try it and see! Merely by a casual inspection of your fowls and the weeding out of those who LOOK INFERIOR, as regards vigor, size, activity, etc., you can. as a rule, increase the annual egg yield one dozen eggs per fowl, no matter what the extent of the flock, and this is well worth while." The speaker next came direct to the question of the benefits of artificial illumination to increase egg produc- tion during the short days of winter in the north tem- perate zone. Said he, in substance: "We might seek to accomplish the same purpose by sending our birds to a warmer climate during the winter months — down south, where the days would be longer, also warmer. The question arises: is it merely a coin- cidence that our period of largest egg production matches the period of longest days— the days of most sunlight. This may not be exactly true but the facts are suggestive. There appears to be something in the length of the 'sun day' that has a direct bearing on egg production by fowls in domestication." . Prof. Rice next discussed the question of the rela- tions of illumination and nutrition," in the sense that by lengthening the natural day by artificial means during the late fall and winter months, there is more time given the fowls to eat larger quantities and digest more material 29 30 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION for bodily maintenance and egg production. The facts of course are that each fowl must have sufficient food to maintain her physical well-being before the production of eggs can be assured. A short, natural day cuts off her time of eating, also her time of digestion and assimilation. In mid-winter it sends her to the roost at four to half past four in the afternoon and she remains there until seven, half past seven or even eight o'clock of the next day. This means a 'long fast" iu mid-winter, with small chance for her to obtain and digest enough food to pro- duce an egg a day or every other day at this time. Fowls under these conditions average about nine hours of eating, as compared with fifteen hours on the roost. This difference appears to be too great for profitable egg pro- duction, from the point of view of the commercial eg.g farmer. Said the speaker, in substance: Twelve Hours of Work, Twelve of Rest "At Cornell, beginning last November 1st, we are conducting 10 experiments, using both pullets and hens. We are using 'light' with the object of comparing results and we hope to draw some helpful conclusions as to the extent that lights can be employed, meaning the length of time they should be used during each twenty-four hours. Over fifty commercial breeders in New York state are reporting to us regularly and our present thought is that the hens do their best functioning on a twelve and twelve hour basis — that is, twelve hours of- work and feed- ing, with twelve hours of rest on the roosts. "Evidently it is largely a matter of 'carrying capacity.' Our object is to help them over the night till they can again feed themselves. We feel sure that hens can be over-stimulated by this illumination, 'speed-up' process, and we are confident also that this method should not be employed with fowls kept for breeding purposes. Its benefits, we think, will be limited mainly, if not wholly, to the production of e.ggs for market, especially during the high-price period of each season. "We suspect, too, that as a result of these experiments we are going to find out much about the KINDS OF FEED that will carry the hens through the night to best advantage and that can be converted into the most eggs, in order that we may perhaps secure an egg a day in the period of high prices, or come much nearer this goal. "One of the essentials IS HEALTH— health and good size, based on vigor and stamina. If we have a les.^ secure foundation than this to work with, or on which tn base our experiments, we shall not get very far. Our birds must be in perfect health or practically so. thus enabling them to digest their food promptly and com- pletely, also to assimilate it and accumulate fat, because witliout this surplus of fat they will not be good winter layers." Charts were exhibited by the speaker that showed, by the use of colors, how daylight and' darkness were changed in the ten Cornell experiments by the use of artificial illumination. These charts covered the period from November 1st, 1917, to about July 1st, 1918. The amount of illumination varied with the different tests, but in practically every case where the length of time for "working and eating" on the part of the fowls WAS LENGTHENED, as compared with natural conditions, there was a noteworthy increase in egg production, espe- cially up to the "50-50" test, where twelve hours of light (both kinds) was furnished, as compared with twelve hours of night time, or of roosting period. In this connection, an impressive example was shown, as published in R. P. J. last month as part of the report of the First Convention of the National War Emergency Poultry Federation. Same is republished herewith as fol- jows: One Hundred Hens With No Lights Egg-s Sold for Laid Per Doz. Receipts D cember 14 $ .69 $ .81 January .t 154 .71 9.11 February 430 .57 20.43 March 841 .43 30.13 Apiil 1401 .43 50.20 May 16aS .38 55.83 June 792 .43 28.39 Total '. 5237 $194.90 One Hundred Hens With Lights Esgs Sold for Laid Per Doz. Receipts December 1410 ^ $ .69 $ 80.08 January 780 .71 46.15 February 548 .57 26.03 March 483 .43 17.31 April 451 .43 16.16 Mav 771 .38 24.42 June 704 .43 25.23 Total 5147 $235.38 It will be noted by the foregoing that the one hun- dred hens with "no lights" laid 90 MORE EGGS during the seven months, but that the one hundred hens "with lights" brought in$41.48 MORE MONEY by laying more eggs during the period of high prices. Point of Special Value to Commercial Egg Plants Referring to the above example and others like it. Prof. Rice said, in substance: "These cases show that by this method the poultry- men GET MORE high priced eggs from their fowls and PAY FOR THEM IN LOWER-PRICED EGGS, which is a profitable financial transaction. We do not get more eggs in num'bers, so it would appear, but in practically every case we get our. eggs at a time when they bring more money. We can't rob Peter to pay Paul completely, but evidently this is true: by the use of illumination, as here meant, you can CONTROL PRODUCTION, so as to supply your trade and hold it. If this proves to be true throughout the important egg-producing sections of the country, it will be a great forward step — no doubt about that. To date this has been one great difficulty: poultry- men could not contract to deliver eggs the year 'round, because during the period of scarcity not enough fresh eggs were available to keep up the supply. It now appears 1 at by le athe „ he product on day a d crea g egg eld dur g the sea ce per od ve si all be able over n e o lar ely off set th s rade d ff cul j ited from the Discovery of "Li^htin^ System" in the Northwest AN ENGLISHMAN JOKINGLY SUGGESTED IT TO PROF. GEO. R. SHOUP, OF PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON, WHO FIRST TRIED ORDINARY BARN LANTERNS- GOOD RESULTS WERE IMMEDIATE — SYSTEM NOW USED EXTENSIVELY IN SHORT DAYLIGHT TERRITORY, WITH IMPORTANT FINANCIAL BENEFITS By MR. and MRS. GEO. R SHOUP. IV c , Puyallup. AT the National Poultry Conference, held in Chicago March 29-30 this year, Mr. Frank W. Breed, Seat- tle, Wash,, well-known poultry judge and breeder, told editor of R. P. J. that Prof. George R. Shoup, Poul- try Instructor and Investigator at the Experiment Station of the Washington State College of Agriculture, Puyal- lup, Wash., was a pioneer in the use of artificial illumin- ation for winter egg production. Soon after that we wrote Prof. Shoup, asking him for information on this line, also to send us any bulletins or other printed matter the State College of Washington had published on the subject. It develops that Prof. Shoup, with the co-operation of Mrs. Shoup, replied promptly to our request, but his letter came to hand during the editor's absence from R. P. J. offices on an extended eastern trip, hence was over- looked until lately, except that its receipt was promptly acknowledged. We now find pleasure in printing said letter in full, as follows: _ _ _ Puyallup, Wash., April 19, 191S. _ _ _ prac- ticed in this section, has been given careful consideration and we are mailing- you under another cover such bulletins and other printed matter as are now available. We have no idea as to what you may care to use, but we are glad to give you the straight o( it. "These are the prevailing conditions out here. The ranches are small, ranging from five to twenty acres of logged-oft land, freely sprinkled with standing stumpage. Either dairy or diversified farming is not to be thought of on these small ranches, unless the income can be sup- plemented by one or more of the family working in the logging camps or mills. The puzzling problem is to get an income from the rural home the year 'round. "Poultry flocks that begin laying in January do well enough the following nine months, but must be carried the other three. It is no special trick to have well matured pullets by October or November, but being so far north, our short winter's day gives a short daylight working day. winter and finally suggested that we ha-ng up lanterns to make the fool hens work longer. It sounded pretty good, and we sized up the situation briefly as being a case of having {!) mature stock ready for work; (2) mild winter ■weather conditions though exceedingly wet, (3) and an abundant supply of green stuff all the year round. "We shut the pullets in and tried barn lanterns. Fine, except that fourteen lanterns were required for the 120 foot laying house, because it needed to be made bright and shining by .3 p. m. every day, Sunday included. How- ever, the production was so materially increased that we searched for a simpler lighting system. Anally coming to use the gasoline lanterns — hollow tube, or private or muni- cipal electricity, according to the location of the poultry plant, "Along with the lights we use one-fourth inch sprouted feed; kale, upon which we oats for the breakfast - - sh for evening dessert. "Hoping the information concerning these commercial methods with S. C. White Leghorns in the Puget Sound District will show why we ship strictly fresh eggs to locali- ties unable to produce them in winter, we are. Very truly, MR. AND MRS. GEO. R. SHOUP, Per Mrs. Shoup." The foregoing recital of facts is extremely interesting and shows how these methods often come about — how, as • the result of accident, some of mankind's progressive steps are taken. Evidently quite a number of poultrymen located in widely separated sections of the country, stumbled upon this method of increasing the egg yield during the short daylight period of the year. Undoubtedly this is an important forward step — one that will soon be adopted by tens of thousands of poultry keepers in all sections of the country — especially thoughout the North, with the result that large quantities of eggs which other- wise would be laid in the spring and summer will be pro- duced during the late fall and winter, thus equalizing the supply for human consumption and adding materially to the cash revenue of poultry keepers. rticle reprinted from, the BALANCED RATION OF WHOLESOME FOOD NECESSARY FOR HIGH EGG PRODUCTION a hundred that j Feed Poultry For Journal. Eggs a ppli The above illustration is one of n cessful poultry feeding, entitled, "How son, Associate Editor of Reliable Po tain materials. It is necessary that these mate "factory output" on the part of the wonderful little animal sume seventy to seventy-five pounds of wholesome feed dui as food) while the larger breeds — Plymouth Rocks, Rhod to six pounds more for their annual sustenance and outp artificial lights to increase egg production, we recommend ire published in R. P. J.'s latest book on sue- Any Purpose With Profit", by John H. Robin- re a manufactured product. Into them go cer- ed in "balanced quantities" to insure a large lown as the domestic hen. A Leghorn will con- ig one year (not counting grit and oyster-shell Island Reds and Wyandottes — require about five . To all readers of this book on the use of VIr. Robinson's new book, as here mentioned. Practical Advice for Use of "Lighting System" MAN WHO HAS USED IT A NUMBER OF YEARS WITH FINE SUCCESS IN BACK- YARD POULTRY PLANT ON CITY LOT, BUFFALO, N. Y., TELLS WHAT HE DID, HOW HE DID IT, AND GIVES GENERAL REPORT OF RESULTS SECURED By ITARREN V. CLARKE, Buffalo; N. Y. READERS of this journal who are following the series of timely articles on the use of artificial illumination for increasing egg production during the short daylight period of the fall and winter, will recall the valuable articles contributed to these columns by Mr. W. V. Clarke, 59 Bird Ave., Buffalo, N. Y., whose city "poultry farm" consists of a space 25x90 feet. Dimensions of house used by Mr. Clarke are 16x18 feet. An electric light is located in the center of this house, near the ceiling. In an article published in February, 1918, R. P. J., begin- ning on page 1113, Mr. Clarke said: "The 'secret' of the heavy winter egg yield that I ob- tained is the use of electric lights night and morning, thus giving the chickens a longer day in which to consume food. I find that you can feed them a less concentrated food by elongating the day. The lights are turned on at 5:30 a.m. and switched ofif at 7:15 or 7:30 p.m. As soon as the daylight is strong enough they are switched off until three or four in the afternoon, depending on the brightness of the day. Lights are used from October 1st to April 1st with pullets, but with yearlings or breeders they are used from August to February first, hens being rested during February and March so the eggs will hatch well during the rest of the spring and early summer." Some weeks ago, R. P. J. corresponded further with Mr. Clarke, whereupon he kindly offered to furnish our readers a detailed report of results obtained on this city poultry plant for the year to end October 31, 1918. In acknowledging that letter and thanking Mr. Clarke for his further contribution — to include the annual report — we asked him for "some good, timely advice, to be published in our November issue, a month ahead of the annual re- port, for the instruction of R. P. J. readers — advice based on your personal experience that will prove helpful to them in the use of the lighting system." To this letter Mr. Clarke replied, under date of October 14th. In his personal letter to the editor he said: "I wanted to give you something for the November issue and have done so in spite of my recent illness. Hope the facts herewith will benefit my brother poultrymen who are just starting the plan of lighting their coops or hen houses to increase fall and winter egg production. I hope you may be able to visit Buffalo in the near future, when I shall gladly show you around 'my back yard' and give you some further ideas that you can write up, for the purpose of helping R. P. J. readers. That article in your October number by Prof. Waite, telling and illustrat- ing how to pick out the laying hen, is worth the price of several years' subscription." Following is Mr. Clarke's contribution to this issue — and the instructions and advice he gives are based on practical, successful experience: Buffalo, N. Y., October 14, 1918. Editor R. P. J.— "October R. P. J. came just at the right time as I have been ill for the past week with an infected foot, also a bad cold. I will try to give you the facts, gathered from my experience of the past year. "In using lights with poultry you are forcing the pul- let, not with a concentrated feed, but with a longer period to eat. You can, therefore, feed a ration full of bone- producing food and containing somewhat more fibre, be- cause the bird has a longer time to eat such food. "I feed quantities of oats — in the mash, as scratch grain, also sprouted. I sprout now in three and four gal- lon pails, filling the pails about one-third full. In about four days they are ready to feed to the chickens, and how the birds do fight to get them! Oats cost about three cents per pound in Buffalo, and I consider oats the cheap- est feed for poultry and the best feed to make a large framed bird. "When starting the lights in the fall of the year, sort your birds according to size and vitality and place your most precocious pullets in separate pens or coops, using less light with the large, forward birds than with the smaller, weaker ones. "If you force your forward birds you will bring a semi-molt to many of them in the month of January. The weaker bird will stand the extra light and forcing, not laying as well during the months of November and De- cember, but escaping the molt of the heavier laying birds in December and November. "By the use of artificial light you will have a per- centage of your birds molting from January on to March, and if one has a plant of numerous pens or coops he should sort his birds continuously during the period from January to March. "You will find a molting bird rather timid and the bird in full laying will crowd her away from the feed. As an example, last March I sorted over one hundred birds and placed forty birds as non-layers in a separate pen. The following day I received three eggs from these birds and in the course of two weeks they were giving me a 30% to 40% egg yield. "With the use of the lights one can afford to keep most all his pullets from November on to July, because the bird that molts in March and April will start laying again in the late spring and produce eggs when eggs start to increase in price. "I do no hatching on my plant. I have not the room to keep breeding stock and the cost of raising would be more than buying chicks at $15.00 to $20.00 per hundred. "This spring I raised about fifty pullets frorh day-old chicks and bought the balance of my pullets at eight weeks old from Ward's Poultry Yards. In a later letter I will tell the difference in cost of raising the pullets up to November first. "I had on November 1, 1917, 168 pullets and 19 year- lings. My egg yield from November 1, 1917, up to Octo- ber 1, 1918, was as follows: November. 2781 eggs; De- cember, 2594; January. 1724; February, 1834; March, 1609; April, 2130; May, 2840; June, 2779; July, 2025; August, 1308; September, 785. "In keeping poultry in the back yard, with my sys- tem of feeding, one can water the chickens after supper, feed the grain as soon as you arrive from work, feed some sprouted oats before going to one's business and directly after supper, so you have your chickens under your control, and the only assistance you will need is the gathering of the eggs at noon in extremely cold weather. "When my poultry year ends, I will give you an ac- count of the cost of raising my pullets, net profits per month, cost to feed and how this system can be used on a large poultry plant as well as in a back yard. Very truly yours, WARREN V. CLARKE." Use of Artificial Lighting to Increase Winter Egg Yield IN TIMES OF PEACE AS WELL AS IN WAR-TIME, MAXIMUM EGG PRODUC- TION IS THE AIM OF ALL PROGRESSIVE POULTRY KEEPERS-THE PROBLEM PRIMARILY IS ONE OF ADEQUATE NUTRITION - PROLONGING THE FEED- ING AND WORKING DAY OF THE HENS BY ARTIFICIALLY LIGHTING THEIR PENS MORNING AND EVENING RESULTS IN GREATER WINTER YIELD- GIVE THE HENS MORE TIME TO EAT AND YOU WILL GET MORE EGGS- MANY POULTRY KEEPERS ARE NOW USING LIGHTS IN THIS MANNER B\ PROF. LUTHER BANTA, Department of Poultry Husbandry, Masiachuietti Agricultural College, Amher.t, Mass. (First of a Series of Three Articles) EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Banta candidly states that he has not, as yet, been able to collect all of the fragments of the history of the evolution and prac- tical developments of the "lighting" idea as applied to poultry houses. If any of our readers know of persons \Vho have had extensive experience with lights, or who used artificial illumination to increase winter egg production a considerable number of years ago, and they will acquaint Mr. Banta with the facts, he will put this data in such form as will make it promptly available for the information of all Reliable Poultry Journal readers. It is confidently expected, as a result of publish- ing in these columns several detailed reports from practical poultrymen in widely separated parts of the country, who have successfully used artificial illumi- nation to increase winter egg production, that many other poultry raisers will be encouraged to take up this plan and give it a trial on their own plants. In this way they will be doing a patriotic work in en- deavoring to increase the supply of human food, will help to sustain the patronage and interest of con- sumers in poultry products by providing a fresh mid- winter egg supply, and will also contribute to our exact knowledge of the practical value of lighting when applied to a still wider range of conditions in various parts of the country, and hasten the,develop- ment of tried and proved modifications, as compared with its present status. In the next issue Mr. Banta will take up in detail the various systems of lighting and the accompany- ing feeding programs employed with success in dif- ferent parts of the country. Upon request he will gladly confer with poultrymen who desire further information or advice as to the installation of light- ing equipment or the management of the same on an efficient basis. IT appears quite evident that the phrase, "There is nothing new under the sun", was not virritten by one acquainted with the poultry business. Poultry- men are familiar with the ever-changing aspects of their business as brought about by war conditions, and have frequent occasion for wonderment at the astonishing rapidity with which new ideas and discoveries come to the front. Often what we consider brand new ideas are. in reality, older ones re-discovered and revived. This idea of using artificial illumination to increase winter egg pro- duction is an example of this sort. I think it was about four years ago that Professor O. B. Kent, of the Depart- ment of Poultry Husbandry at Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., discovered that what we thought was an entirely new idea in selecting heavy layers by their bleached-out shank color toward the end of the laying season, had been observed and reported in one of our oldest and most widely read agricultural journals some thirty years before. It seems that a poultry woman with a few hens had ob- served that her best layers bleached out their shanks, but as no one else came forward to substantiate her claims or perhaps even took the trouble to look into the matter, this idea, along with many other no doubt equally valuable ones, was consigned to the scrap heap, to be later "re- discovered." Supposed Origin of the Lighting Idea Professor James E. Rice, of Cornell, while doing Farmer's Institute work in northern New York State about twenty years ago, ran across a poultryman who had used electric lights to increase the length of his hen's feeding days in winter, and, as a consequence, had ob- served a marked increase in their egg production. To the best of my knowledge it is not known where or how he obtained the idea or suggestion which led him to try the experiment. Probably it was original with him. The fact that he was the owner of a local electric light plant, doubtless explains the reason why he ventured to spend money on what must, at that time, have been considered a LIGHTING SYSTEM IS IN COMMON U^y \l ^%Z ^_^ 11 ^^ ^^ Stll^ 3niis5::]c n =i:5 ;^ — ^ ; ^-- -^—^^^\7\ u-:--^::::^- -^:^ /--.--'^ ^ "^^ X :: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 CHART 3— CURVES OP EGG PRODUCTION IN ILLUMINATED AND tJNILLUMINATED FLOCKS . The upper line marked "illuminated" represents the production line of a flock of 70 pullets under artificial illumination at Hillhurst Farm, while the lower line marked "not illuminated," shows the production of a flock of 350 pullets kept under similar conditions, but not illuminated. The figures on the left represent per cent of increase, and those along the bottom, the days of the month. The actual number of eggs produced by each flock daily will be found in Chart 2. one marked "illuminated" showing the yield of the '0 pullets placed under lights, and the line marked "not illuminated," showing the production during this period on a percentage basis of the 350 pullets that were not under lights. Sunny Crest Farm for a number of years has had its own plant for generating electricity. An illustration of same is shown herewith, including the switchboard and set of clocks for turning the lights on and off either all at one time or gradually, depending on when this is to be done. In the forenoon when there is sufficient daylight for the use of the hens, all the lights can be turned ofi at once, by automatic means as determined by the time clocks, but in the evening it is necessary to diminish the light gradually in the poultry pens, otherwise the hens will be unable to find their way to the roosts. Nature's method in this respect needs to be imitated. At Sunny Crest, the pens, in most cases, are 16x18 feet in size, though some of them are 18x26 and as a rule they use one to two 60-watt lights to each pen. Said Mr. Moseley in substance: "For pens 16x18 feet, or 18x26 feet, as examples, we advise using two 60-watt lights, locating them a propor- tionate distance apart across the center of the room and using a white enameled reflector above each light, of ten to twelve inches in diameter, although a smaller diameter also gives good results. A tinsmith or other handy per- son can easily make a reflector out of galvanized iron, using two coats of white enamel to make it complete. Re- member that a white interior also increases the brightness of the room or laying pen. When electric power is plen- tiful it is well to have an abundance of light. The cost of what might be deemed a suiplus of light is negligible in comparison to the benefit of full light, owing to the fact that the hens will work better in all parts of the room." Should Take ChUl Out of Water For prolific egg yield Mr. Moseley believes that the chill should be taken out of the water, especially in ex- treme cold weathei ; therefore they recently put in one or more large water tanks, with a natural gas burner under each tank. This burner gives a small flame and burns constantly day and night. The water is under low pressure, is carried by pipes to the poultry pens and there drips steadily into the drinking troughs, thus insuring not only water with the chill off, but a continuous supply of pure, fresh water. As stated elsewhere in this issue (see interview with Dr. E. C. Waldorf beginning on page 64), Mr. Moseley has learned as a result of study and observation in Erie County that moderate temperatures for the poultry quarters during se- vere cold weather helps materi- ally to increase egg production where the lighting system is em- ployed. This has been observed uniformly (other things being equal) in cases where farm flocks are housed during winter weather in the basements of barns, notably cow barns occu- pied by numerous head of cat- tle. Here the temperature aver- ages ten to twenty-five degrees warmer than would be the case in the average poultry house and the egg yield is helped hero by the use of artificial illumina- tion (whether furnished by lanterns, natural gas or electric- ity) and the results are con- siderably more favorable than can be obtained in ordinary poultry houses from the same fowls, at the same time, given the same feed and treatment, except being subjected to m temperature ten to twenty-fiv« degrees colder. February- EARLY "LIGHTING SYSTEM" TESTS IN EASTERN TERRITORY 57 As above intimated, all sorts of lighting schemes are Slow being used or "tried out" in Erie County, so Mr. Moseley reported. Ordinary kerosene lanterns are being "used, also special gasoline lanterns; likewise natural gas, •employing Welsbach burners to give maximum illumin- ation. Furthermore, in a number of cases the poultrymen '(both experts and farmers) are furnishing their layer- way, will hatch as well as they would if produced by the same fowl in fewer numbers. To the best of my know- ledge, the eggs in our breeding pens are as strongly fertile under lights as otherwise." In a later issue we plan to report the feeding inetlio'ls used at Sunny Crest Farm. (See art'cle beginiiiiifj ^.: page 60.) (NOTE: The fore^ouig article is reprinted from April, 1919, issue J.) A SIMPLE HOPPER FOR DRY-MASH FEEDING The hopper here illustated is simple, practical, and can be made by any one at slight expense. Dimensions may be modified to suit size ot flock. For feeding large numbers of hens, however, extra-big hoppers like the one illustrated at foot of page are more satisfactory. flocks with artificial heat, generally in the form of stoves that use natural gas, although in a few cases kerosene -Stoves are used — and with generally good results. Natural .gas has not been found as satisfactory as electricity for .lighting purposes, but it does help to moderate the tem- 'perature of poultry houses or other laying quarters in which it is used to supply light. Said Mr. Moseley i;i substance: "The benefits of artificial illumination can be said to be established, so far as Erie County is concerned, both in cold and open weather, also when used by specialized poultrymen and by farmers. In this county it may properly be said that the use of artificial illumination, ■other conditions being approximately right, has been a uniform success. Here where natural gas is available at low cost, we advise the use of this source of light and heat, including the Welsbach buraer which gives a max- imum light in the case of gas, prn- -vided electric lights are not avail- able." Touching on another question of importance, Mr. Moseley said: "The lighting system also can be made a big help to breeders. They can allow cold weather and short days to hold back their fowls until the time in February or early March, depending on latitude, when they want eggs for hatching purposes, then they can put on the lights for ten or twelve days and the egg yield will double or triple, thus giving them an ample supply for early hatches. So far as I know or can judge, the use of lights does not af- fect fertility. Eggs produced under -the lighting system, or forced in this ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING OF PACIFIC COAST POULTRY HOUSES (Continued from page 52) 12 quarts of short-sprouted oats, fed in good, clean litter. By daylight the droppings boards should be cleaned and the lights turned off. Clean the water pails thoroughly and give them a good scrubbing, then refill with clean water, and milk if you have it. "At 3:45 p. m. give them about nine quarts of mixed grain in the litter, composed of a commercial scratch grain, or two parts of wheat to one part of cracked corn. At about 4:00 o'clock, or whenever it begins to get dark, turn on the lights. At S:OC p. m. give them fresh water, then if the birds have eaten all the grain they will, feed them a wet, lumpy mash made from the egg mash mixed w'th milk. Feed it to them in troughs at about 7:00 p. m. At 7:30 give the birds all the kale they will eat. The birds will literally stuff themselves and go to roost at 8:0'i • r 8:30 with plenty to last and keep them waiin until llic light is turned on at 5:45 the next morning. By 8:30 p. m. we have all the lights out but one, which gives just enough light for Biddy to find her roost. "Shell, grit, charcoal and egg mash, dry, are constant- ly before the birds. "The egg mash is composed as follows, by measure: Two parts bran, one part corn meal or feed meal, one part soy bean meal, one part oat middlings, one part wheat middlings, half part fish meal or beef scraps and one part alfalfa meal. The latter may be omitted if you have plenty of green food for the birds. Twice a week a little cut green bone is added to the wet mash, this being a good substitute for bugs and worms. "The two big 'secrets' in getting winter eggs arc to have pullets bred and raised with winter eggs in view, and the production of spring conditions as nearly as pos- sible." "EFFICIENT" STRAIN OF S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS "UNDER LIGHTS", SUNNY CREST POULTRY FARM, EAST AURORA, N. Y. Above picture, made from photograph, shows part (one side) of giant feed hopper located in partition, holding at one time 1200 lbs. of dry mash, as used on Sunny Crest Farm. Has same construction on other side, for use of the birds in adjoining pen. Provides twelve lineal feet of feeding space for each pen, "giving all birds a chance", as Mr. Moseley expressed It. "Works the Hens Day and Night"— Report By Mr. Jordan PROPRIETOR OF SUNNY CREST FARM, EAST AURORA, ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK, GIVES EARLY HISTORY OF HIS EXPERIMENTS WITH THE "LIGHT- ING SYSTEM" AND TELLS OF THE PROFITABLE AND SATISFACTORY RESULTS OBTAINED — CAUTIONS AGAINST A MISUSE OF LIGHTS BY OVERDOING IT, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF FOWLS KEPT FOR BREEDING PURPOSES — EMPHASIZES THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF PROPER FEEDING WHERE HIGH EGG PRODUCTION IS SOUGHT — HAS FOUND SPROUTED OATS TO BE AN UNEXCELLED FORM OF GREEN FOOD FOR WINTER USE Py J. P. JOKD/IN, Ni-w Tor* Cuy, N. Y. (NOTE: The following article is reprinted entire from the Cornell Countryman, the official paper of the New York State College of Agriculture, Ithaca, N. T. Article is printed herewith with the consent of the publishers of the Cornell Countryman. Mr. Jordan, author of_the accompanying arti- autho member of the firm No.' 6 East Thirty-Ninth St efficiency engineers. It was Knoeppel & Co., Inc., York City, well-known 1, therefore, and in line with his business training that Mr. Jordan at Sunny Crest (for several years his summer home) should have given special attention to "efficiency methods" in developing his poultry plant. This farm comprises fifty acres of land, consisting of well-drained, gravelly loam that is good growing soil for vegetation of all kinds native to that sec- tion.— Editor R. P. J.) THE Sunny Crest Farm began operations in 1912. It was our plan to grow the best utility S. C. White Leghorns we could, under the most effi- cient methods possible. Producing poultry as a fad was not our intention. We believed that the reason of so many failures in the poultry business was due to lack of proper attention to details in care, breeding The first year brought its problems, as did later years, but this was particularly true the first year and we were fortunate in looking to the Cornell Department of Poultry Husbandry, at Ithaca, N. Y. for guid- ance. If we have ever been in a posi- tion approaching real success in breed- ing S. C. White Leghorns, we owe the greater part of the credit to the advice and interest of our good friends at Ithaca. In 1913 we started to cull out the unprofitable hens and purchased eggs from the descendants of the well-known "Lady Cornell". Next we bred the cockerels from those eggs to five hun- dred selected heavy layers. During this time we culled our chicks very strictly and in each successive year, having tested the great value of keeping only the very strongest and most perfect birds, our culling has become abso- lutely merciless. We also at this time picked from our flock, which had grown to 3000 layers, the finest specimens, and from these made up special hatching pens from which we kept the finest cockerels for the next year's breeding. The final lesults of the merciless culling, and of breeding only from the very finest birds, have more than justified what seemed at the time to be a prodigal waste of bird life. Ideal Conditions "At Every Season" One of the principal lines on which we have worked has been that of trying to stimulate ideal conditions at every season of the year. This is most strikingly brought out in two points, one of great magnitude, and the other quite interesting and certainly valuable. 58 The lesser point is a scheme used in the production of green food in the shape of sprouted oats. Our oat sprouting cellar was so designed as to have an equal tem- perature throughout, using ventilating stacks to draw the cold air from the floor, which has tlie effect of drawing down the heat, thereby equalizing the temperature throughout the room to a marked degree. The principal point in the production of sprouted oats is the method used in wetting them. We have a common thirty-gallon hot water boiler, with the hot and cold water piped to a common pipe in which we mix the water to a constant summer rain temperature. In this condi- tion the water goes into the boiler, being carried to the bottom through a pipe from the top. To fill this boiler we open a valve which allows the air to escape. When the boiler is filled with water at the right temperature, we close the relief valve, and, having compressed air ' at our disposal, we open the com- pressed air valve just sufficiently tcy give us a proper pressure to distribute the water through the hose and into a three-foot pipe. By this method we can reach into our trays, which are two feet deep, giving each tray a wes- ting of water at a constant tempera- ture. By this method we produce the very finest sprouted oats, getting twen- ty to twenty-two pounds of green food from four pounds of oats in seven day?. Beside the green food, the oats are in a perfect milky condition, which in themselves are most agreeable to the birds. THE GREATEST THING at Sunny Crest, however, is the introduc- tion of electric lights. .We started ex- perimenting with electric lights in late November, 1915, and to tell of the re- sults seems like a fairy tale. We first installed the lights in our No. 2 house consisting of five pens of pullets, with 100 birds to each pen. These particular pullets were the poorest ones we had out of 2100, the 1600 best ones being or eacn year or j^^ ^^^ ^^ 3 house. To make our test of far greater value, it happened that nature came along at this particular time with the coldest and bitterest weather of the entire year. Remember this — the SOO pullets in the No. 2 house in which we turned on the lights were the weakest, small- est and most unpromising of our entire flock. We greatly regretted that two pens, or 200 of the birds, we had not sold to market. The No. 2 house in which we installed the lights was running an average of about 20 per cent production at the MR. J. P JORDAN, CITY, N. NEW Y. YORK ^residen Farir . I of Sunny Crest Poultry nc, East Aurora, N. Y. Mr. Jordan was one of the first men in the eastern part of our country to discover and recognize the commer- cial value of artificial light to in- crease egg production during the short-day period of each year or season. 'WORKS THE HENS DAY AND NIGHT"— REPORT BY MR. JORDAN 59 time we started the experiment The No. 3 house was running between 35 per cent and 40 per cent at the same time. Three weeks from the time we turned on the lights the production of the entire No. 2 house under the electric light had soared to 65 per cent. Our No. 3 house with our finest birds sank to a production of 20 per cent. It is needless to say that we immediately installed the lights throughout our entire plant. They have been used ever since with considerable profit. They have not only been used by the Sunny Crest company, but nearly every- one in and about East Aurora has installed the same light outfit. This is our method of operating the lights. We have a small switchboard which consists of a resistance on the back, and on the front of the board a series of five alarm clock snap switches. Whenever it becomes dark in the afternoon the lights are turned on. At eight o'clock at night an alarm clock goes off and releases a spring switch which throws a light resistance into the current. From five to ten minutes later, the second clock throws in still more resistance. This dims the lights so that it makes it difficult for the birds to see enough to pick up food. From five to ten minutes later, the third clock throws in still more resistance, which brings the light down to a red glow, too dark for the birds to see anything except the roost and how to get to their places for the night. The fourth clock snaps the lights out for the night. At from five to five-thirty the next morning, the fifth clock throws the switch turning on all lights full strength, upon which the birds hustle off the roosts, reminding one of Niagara Falls, seemingly glad to get down and do some good hard work and to get warmed up. Many joking comments have been made on working the poor birds overtime. But what if you had to go to bed at half-past three or four o'clock on a winter after- noon, your food all digested by ten or eleven o'clock at night, and then you had to huddle yourself up as best you could until half-past seven or eight o'clock the next morning before you could see enough to work for your living? You would soon become discouraged with life, contract all diseases born of weakness, and fail to produce your share of the interests of life which you would other- wise produce if you were given the opportunity. IN THE OPINION OF THE WRITER, THE RE- SULTS OBTAINED FROM ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN A POULTRY PLANT ARE EXACTLY AND ONLY WHAT WOULD NATURALLY BE EXPECTED. More exercise, more feed, — especially dry mash — more water by almost treble, and there follows these re- sults: better health, stronger .constitution, greater strength, and lastly, the logical end of it all — namely, far greater egg production. O C T O B E R NOVE There is no question whatever in the mind of the writer so far as our experience has shown to date, that the effect of the electric light in the pullet year of the bird can be anything but of the very best. If it is true that the effect of tlie use of light is to give health and strength, it would naturally follow that it is good for the bird. It is to be believed, however, from our experience of last year, that the electric lights should not be used with breeders, that is yearlings from which breeding eggs are to be taken. Our reason for saying this is that when we had considered our birds practically through the molt last winter, we turned on the electric lights thinking that we would get them nicely speeded up for the breeding season. There could be no question in anyone's mind about the speeding up, as we jumped 875 breeders from a total pro- duction of 20 eggs per day to a total of 470 in a period of less than three weeks. When we started up our incubators, however, our egg production started to go down, the hens having started to molt and, worse than anything else, our egg fertility was the lowest we have had for a number of years. Special pens which were not under the lights, were just the reverse. This seems to point conclusively to the fact tha:t we had overworked the breeders at a time when they were least prepared for standing the work. The chicks which did hatch, however, were strong and healthy. The writer would later like to go on with some points in regard to our business. It is desired to reiterate that those, who are now in or are contemplating going into the poultry business, should do so only under the advice and direction of experts whose life is devoted to the many prob- lems of a very complicated and precarious business. It, of course, is true to some extent that all poultry plants are a little different, but in the main there is not difference enough to warrant such fool things as feeding all corn because wheat is high or all wheat because corn is high. It is perfectly in order for a progressive operator of a poultry plant to try experiments of great value to him- self and to everyone in general, but such experiments should be on small units and careful records kept of the results. An instance of the above is a theory of the writer that some day we will see poultry plants with automatic tem- perature control which, with the use of the electric light, and careful growing of green food, will produce condition.^ almost identical with the months of the year in which the birds produce the greatest number of eggs. The Sunny Crest Company have kept temperature rec- ords for the last three years, and we have studied the tem- perature effects on birds, as well as general climatic con- ditions. We found that the temperature seemed to be real- ly the only controlling feature and that the effect of a change of temperature either way was noted on the sixth or seventh day following the change. If we could now devise a poultry house with artificial circulation of air, big and roomy, where no air would come in except through thermostatic control, the writer believes that this, combined with electric light and fine green food would almost duplicate the egg production of tho most ideal months of the year. After we have made a little more money. Sunny Crest proposes to perform an experiment nt this sort, and the first ones to know of the result will be your own Cornell University. BER DEC EMBER TEMPERATURE CHART WHICH LED TO MR. JORDAN'S DISCOVERY Or THE BENEFITS OP ARTIPICIAIi LIGHT The original idea, on the part of Mr. Jordan, in keeping this temperature chart was to find out what effect sudden or severe changes in atmospheric temperature would have on egg production in the case of birds not under lights. From October 10, 1915, when this chart was started, none of the birds here represented were "under lights." The dotted line shows the production of 500 "late pullets'" from October 10th to November 2Sth without lights. On the latter date lights were introduced in three pens of House 2 (containing the 500 late pulletst and December 1st, three days later, "lights" were given all these 500 pullets. On the other hand, no lights were given, the earlier-hatched pullets in House No. 3 (1600 in number) from November 10th to January 1st following. Now compare the production. The late-hatched pullets, as might have been expected, were lagging behind the earlier-hatched pullets in production, but within ten days after they were "given the lights" they passed the earlier-hatched pullets and soon were producing forty to sixty-flve per cent of eggs, in the cold month of December, while their competitors not under lights (the "earlier" pullets) were ranging from twenty-five to thirty-six per cent — a big gain in favor of the "lighted" late-hatched pullets. It is shown by this tem- perature chart that while changes in temperature DID affect egg production, it was not to any radical extent, as may be noted by the key to this graph. All pens that held the 500 late pullets and the 1600 earlier-hatched pullets were 16x26 feet in size. More "Lighting" Facts From Sunny Crest Farm LATEST INTERVIEW WITH R. S. MOSELEY, SECRETARY-MANAGER OF SUNNY CREST FARM, EAST AURORA, NEW YORK, ON USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO IN- CREASE EGG PRODUCTION DURING SHORT-DAY PERIOD OF THE YEAR— SHOULD FEED- LOTS OF GREEN FOOD, SPROUTED OATS PREFERRED — "LIGHTS"OF SPEC- IAL HELP TO LATE PULLETS— MODERATE TEMPERATURE OF GENUINE IMPORT- ANCE— FRESH, PURE AIR ESSENTIAL— "LIGHTS" ALSO HELP HATCHABILITY Report By THE first week of August, 1919, writer paid a visit to Sunny Crest Farm, located about a mile and a half from the thriving village of East Aurora, N. Y., and had a further interview with Mr. Moseley, secretary of Sunny Crest Farm, Inc., and general manager ■of this fifty-acre poultry plant where the "efficient strain ■of S. C. White Leghorns was originated and where today they now exist by the thousands. Writing R. P. J. under -date October 16, 1919, Mr. Moseley said: "We contem- plate making greater strides than ever before, within the next year, including the buying of additional land and 'n ■other ways, which will make our plant still more efificient, -as to labor saving features and as a money-maker." Mr. Moseley took us over the plant, through the num- erous buildings, describing their facilities and explainin.g their methods. Treating on the matter of "the use of arti- ficial light to increase egg production during the short-day period of each season" he said, in substance: "Yes, we are now trying morning lighting, starting the lights at 3:30 a. m. and using no artificial light at night. You will recall how well the birds under lights did at the ■poultry plant at Cornell University from November last until June of this year — birds that had the lights fro:ii 3:00 a. m. until dawn, with no help of this kind in the evening. If that proves to be the best plan we want to test it out here at Sunny Crest and adopt it. "As regards feeding, we are now giving our lighted birds hard grain at 7:00 a. m. and again at 6:00 p. m. This is during midsummer, so to speak. As the afternoons grow shorter we shall feed earlier; also at that time we shall give them more artificial light, probably turning on at dusk and running up to 6 p. m. This schedule appeals to us, because it provides for feeding of grain at the natural time — at about 7:00 a. m. At present from 3:30 a. m. to 7:00 a. m. these birds can help themselves to the dry mash, .all they want of it. EDITOR "We like the idea of sprinkling a little grain in the litter — quite deep litter and always kept dry — in the mid- forenoon and midafternoon, doing this to promote ex- ercise. Should Feed Lots of Green Food "There is one thing in connection with this use of lights to increase egg production that I feel is very im- portant — that is to feed lots of green food. We believe that poultrymen in general do not, as a rule, feed enough green food, especially in winter. We produce and feed great quantities of sprouted oats and do not believe they have a superior for the purpose. Also we believe in the poultryman being 'a doctor to his fowls' by watching close- ly their condition of health and production, then when he sees anything 'going wrong' he should act at once and with intelligence. "Here is another important point: to retard molting in case it starts earlier in the season than you think is natural or necessary, increase the litter to practically a foot deep and every time you go through the pens sprin- kle a little hard grain in the litter. "We have found that more exercise on the part of our layers induces a hardening of the feathers and if the birds are treated in this way they will postpone molting, at least in many cases, and go on laying. "In regard to the matter of molting, especially un- naturally early molting, we have noted that usually a hen out of condition will stop laying and then soon will go into the molt. We also found that where there appeared to be a lack of exercise, these birds would go into the molt, doing so at earlier dates than was natural or neces- sary. Our observations on this line have led us to con- clude that during summertime this good, dry, deep litter is just as necessary as during the winter, if we are to get high egg production, with or without lights. "Also it is advisable, in fact necessary at this time of the year (during the summei) to feed more protein, thus to build up the tissues — using buttermilk, for example. We use large quantities of semisolid buttermilk that we obtain by the barrel for this purpose. SPROUTUTG OATS ON U. S. GOVERNMENT POULTRY FARM, BELTSVILLB. MARYLAND Reproduction of photograph furnished R. P. J. by Bureau of Animal Husbandry of U. S. Department of Agriculture. Shows oats in metal trays two days, four days and six days along, respectively. A pound of oats when t-prouted will weigh three to four pounds. The sprouted oats do not contain any more nutrients than when fed dry, but the> are much more readily digested in sprouted form. The increased weight comes largely from added moisture. Fowls will eat hulls and all. Young and growing chicks greatly relish the green sprouts. Larger chicks eat sprout and hull combined. As a winter green food sprouted oats cannot be excelled. Users of -artificial lights in poultry houses invariably report the use and value of sprouted oats and their dependence on them as green food for their laying hens. MORE "LIGHTING FACTS" FROM SUNNY CREST FARM 61 "As regards different kinds of green food, our advice to poultrymen in general is to use any good thing they can get. Additional to sprouted oats we used mostly cabbage last winter. We find that our birds prefer a variety, at least to some extent. Sprouted oats are always good, though there is some labor attached to their production. Cut clover or alfalfa are really preferred by us, but the supply is uncertain and often is limited. Will repeat that nothing in this line, however, has given us better results than sprouted oats. Special Help to Late Pullets "Under lights you do not have to eliminate from your flock so many late-coming pullets, either those later hatched or those of somewhat slower growth. The lights will bring them along so well that but few will need i.o be culled out as late starters. The lights seem to be a help in every way, but especially with those birds that are backward. In other words, the lights BRING THEM ALONG, if used properly and with judgment and they all start to lay at about the same time. For this reason we let them lay through the winter, then cull out the early quitters. This is becoming more or less the rule in Erie County, on the part of members of the Cornell Poultry Project. Fortunately, this longer day by the use of arti- ficial light, helps most in proportion to the need of the birds — that is, the somewhat later or undersized birds are helped MOST, proportionately or comparatively. "You asked me what I think of the matter of tem- perature in our poultry houses or in quarters where we keep layers, with or without lights. I think temperature is going to play an important part in colder sections of the country. Even under lights birds will lay especially well until a severe cold snap gets them, then they will go off COMPARISOJV OF EGG PRODUCTION BETWEEN PI/ANTS USING AND NOT USING I.IGHTS IN ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK April, 8014 31 6571 24-f- 850 May, Jun. 7301 34+ 9179 434- 675 May, Jun. 1665 44-t- 2357 604- 1597 414- 125 May 5th 1622 134- 7376 594- 6762 544- 400 May 1st 3086 594- 168 May 1st 18,830 284- 23,330 354- 25,045 36 2200 Apr., May 28 44 41 *% 5350 74- 15,500 204- 10,625 154- 2500 21% 24% 26% Gain In production in per cent from lights. • Total average per cent production. Above is a table furnished by Mr. Moseley, of Sunny Crest Farm, that shows a comparison of flocks under lights, with other flocks (totaling 2500 birds) not under lights. It will be noted by this table that there were six flocks under lights, ranging from 125 birds to 2200; also that the Novem- ber production of the birds under lights was 21 per cent greater than from the birds not under lights — three times greater in fact; that the December production was 24 per cent greater — more than double, and that the January pro- duction was 26 per cent greater, or nearly twice as many eggs as were laid during this month by the nonlighted flocks. fifteen per cent, or such a matter, in production. This loss of eggs at the high-price time of the year is serious — it probably comes out of net profits, hence we should prevent it if we can. "The members of the Cornell Project in this county noticed that when they used a little artificial heat this fifteen per cent reduction and loss was avoided. In this connection dry litter also is important — a fact that you should emphasize. The litter absolutely must be kept dry for greatest egg production. How to Moderate the Temperature "Sources of the moderate amount of heat needed, just enough to take the chill out of the air and keep the drink- ing water from freezing can be obtained in different ways, according to successful practice in this county. Hot water pipes can be used, either just under the floor or on top, or along the front wall beneath the windows. Here at Sunny Crest we noticed that Pen No. 1 in No. 2 house gave us a greater egg production during severe cold weather, to the extent of 10 per cent or more. Our men noticed this before we began the use of lights — noticed it when gathering the eggs day after day. Later, we con- nected this increased production in that pen with the fact tr.at our water heater for the plant (hot water boiler) was in the basement right underneath that pen. It kept the floor warm and a surplus of warmed air would come up- the stairs into the vestibule adjoining Pen 1 and thence found its way into that pen. The combined result was that water would not freeze in this pen and the egg yield, was ten to fifteen per cent better. Also this _ conditioa helped keep the litter dry. In this connection let me direct your attention to something that Mr. Jordan said on this, subject four years ago, as published in the Cornell Coun- tryman: " 'An instance of the above is a theory of the writer that some day we will see poultry plants with automatic temperature control, which with the use of the electric light, and careful growing of green food, will produce con- ditions almost identical with the months of the year in which the birds produce the greatest number of eggs. " 'The Sunny Crest Company have kept temperature records for the last three years and we have studied the temperature effect on birds, as well as general climatic conditions. We found that the temperature seemed to be really the only controlling feature and that the effect oi a change of temperature either way was noted on the sixth or seventh day following the change. " 'If we could now devise a poultry house with arti- ficial circulation of air, big and roomy, where no air would come in exccDt through thermostatic control, the writer believes that this, combined with electric light and fine green food, would almost duplicate the egg production of the most ideal months of the year. After we have made a little more money, Sunny Crest proposes to perform an experiment of this sort, and the first ones to know of the result will be your own Cornell University.' "Replying to your question about other kinds of heat used on the Project in this country, will say: "Some use natural gas, using a horseshoe burner, as we call it, located in a simple form of heating stove or , drum, thus to secure protection from fire. Additional to this use poultry netting around the stove, a little ways removed, to keep the hens away. "In one case a successful poultryman is using a Can- dee Incubator Heater of well known pattern. He uses tw'> pipes along the floor that keep the litter dry and the tem- perature moderated. Ordinary oil stoves used for heating living rooms also would answer the purpose but no doubt should have extra care against fire risk. The same is true, no doubt, of coal or oil stoves commonly used for heating colony brooders. They can be used, but special care must be exercised. Of course the flame must be protected, as is done in using these heating devices for broods of chicks. "You ask what is about the right temperature. Ac- cording to our experience there is no fixed degree. The problem is not so difficult as that. To date our advice would be just enough heat to offset the excessive cold — to take the gripping chill out of the air and prevent water from freezing. It is well known that too much heat is injurious to the health of the birds and will have results quite opposite to those we want This use of too much heat, so to speak, was tried in Canada some years ago, also in this country and was found to be bad for the birds. Just take the chill off so that the combs are not frosted nor the drinking-water allowed to freeze. As a rule, have the heating element or device (if it is an oil stove or something of that kind) up on a stand or platform, so the birds cannot get near it. And the same is true with hot water pipes. They should be protected in some way so the birds cannot get on them or around them. If a new building is being erected and is to have a concrete floor, run troughs through it for the pipes, or even place the pipes right in the concrete. Fresh, Pure Air is Essential "Another matter of importance in this connection: "We must continue to give the birds plenty of fresh air, by means of good ventilation. Our advice is to keep- the windows open, when using most methods of heating. JUST AS YOU WOULD WITHOUT HEAT. Let me mention further that this use of a little heat will mean a big saving in litter. In former years we had to throw- out and renew litter once a week— a costly method. Now- each winter a little heat prevents this, in large part" At this interview we asked Mr. Moseley if Sunny Crest Farm had used "check pens" in testing egg produc- 62 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION tion under lights as compared with production of other birds not under lights. He replied in the negative and said, in substance: "Fiankly, as a commercial plant, run on business lines, we do not like to spend money on tests, or not too much of it. Let the State Experiment Stations do that. Is not that largely or mainly what they are for? Take our case for example. Four or five years ago Mr. Jordan did not want to hold back a check pen, because when he found out that the use of lights was so helpful, in the way of increased production and so beneficial from the financial point of view, very naturally he wanted to put lights throughout all our houses — and he did so. Some- what later, however, a number of poultry plants in this section made comparative tests and in every case the results were highly favorable to the use of lights. Am pleased to hand you herewith, for reproduction, if you so desire, the first temperature chart that Mr. Jordan kept or used in this connection. It was the result of this study that caused him to discover, here at Sunny Crest, the wonderful benefits of the use of lights, result- ing in their adoption for the entire plant." (See page 59.) At the time of this visit to Sunny Crest they were installing a new electric lighting plant. Previously they had used an independent plant, generating their own electricity, but by this time the village of East Aurora was able to make it more satisfactory for them to buy power from the village plant, as sold to the local public. The system formerly used at Sunny Crest is known as the Gould Storage Battery System, manufactured by a concern doing business in Buffalo, N. Y. Asked for a description of the Sunny Crest method of turning the electric lights on and off, Mr. Moseleysaid: "Referring to past use and experience, I can do no bettei than to give you the following description, as writ- ten by Mr. J. P. Jordan, Piesident of Sunny Crest Farm, Inc., some three or four years ago: " 'This is our method of operating the lights. We have a small switchboard which consists of a resist- ance on the back, and on the front of the board a series of five alarm clock snap switches. Whenever it becomes dark in the afternoon the lights are turned on. At eight o'clock at night an alarm goes off and releases a spring switch which throws a light resistance into the current. From five to ten minutes later, the second clock throws in still more resistance. This dims the lights so that it makes it difficult for the birds to see enough to pick up nI Of 1 JANUARY 1 FEBRUARY IMAB > 8. |2lM23M25|26N28N30|3,|,U|3|a|5|6h|8|9|.0 2|l3H,5|,6|,7|,8|l9MaiMa3|24M26|27|23| , |2 ^°** » ^ : — 1 1 \l l/\ /\ lAl 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M 1 1 1 M 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1/ \ 1 V A\ IL _r 10 -Ct iX t it X '° TTT 1^ \ -\- -t --I M l»l 1 M 1 1 f^^ « 1 M 1 M 1 1 1 1 Jl J :.: : :: - -* - BO ^«; 80 __-._|^__ ^_ . 70 - - J - - - ^ _ - 60 \ 60 \ "■" ' ' 50 - - ^ 40_- [« "" ^ ■" " 40 - t^ ____ . ' " c J 20 _._:_. :;_! ^ 10 K ' ^^ rr VX." 1 J ~ 00 -- 'It-. ° ^ " " Qo jL K - ^ '%t-^lt aol^U ± :*.:::_: ::_:::::: AN ILLUSTRATION OP THE IMPORTANCE OF USING CLEAN LITTER The above chart shows in graphic manner the egg production of a flock of 440 Leghorn hen.s on a New York egg farm, from January 21st to March 2nd The litter was badly soiled and should have been removed by January 25th. Instead, it was not changed until February 15th. The black line, which indicates the egg yield, shows the result. It pays to change the litter often enough to keep it reasonably clean. Note in interview herewith what Mr. Moseley says about the importance of i._. _f ACTrirnUnrp nn the inhiert- "Influence clean litter. Needless to say this graph does not show conditions that '^/?„°* ^'S^l5Ultu^e, on the subject, intluence have existed on Sunny Crest Farm, as managed by Mr. Moseley. of Illummation On The Characters Indicat ng food. From five to ten minutes later, the third clock throws in still more resistance, which brings the light down to a red glow, too dark for the birds to see any- thing except the roost and how to get to their place for the night. The fourth clock snaps the light out for the night. At from five to five-thirty the next morning, the fifth clock throws the switch, turning on all lights full strength, upon which the birds hustle off the roosts, re- minding one of Niagara Falls, seemingly glad to get down and do some good hard work to get warmed up.' "Our further advice in this connection, is to give plenty of light. We have obtained best results by use of a 60-watt light in the center of each pen, 16x18 feet in size. Two 60-watt lights also will give excellent re- sults in pens 20x20, especially so if the inside walls are painted white. Also be sure to whiten the ceiling. Use white paint or whitewash. We use Carbola, a disinfecting white paint, manufactured by one of your R. P. J. adver- tisers, the Carbola Chemical Company, Inc., Dept. M, 7 East 42nd St., New York City, N. Y." At the time of this visit, August 7th, there were but few signs of molting. Mr. Moseley stated that they had done no culling during the preceding six weeks and then had taken out only a crateful from a house that con- tained about 1500 fourteen to sixteen months' old birds. The combs were all bright red, the egg yield was aver- aging high and the birds showed no appearance of phy- sical debility from heavy laying "under lights," starting in the early fall of 1918 and continuing to August 7, 1919. These layers, also the numerous pens of breeding hens, were an even lot, ranging in weight from 4 lbs. to S lbs. each and showing every sign of contentment. In recording temperature in poultry houses, extending over a period of several years, Messrs. Jordan and Mose- ley have used the Bristol Recording Thermometer, made by the Bristol Thermometer Company, Waterbury, Conn. This is a clock affair, so to speak, that records tempera- ture and charts it by the use of red lines — does it auto- matically day and night, when in operation. Mr. Moseley was asked if they believed, at Sunny Crest, in using eggs for hatching purposes that are laid by pullets or hens that have been under lights during the preceding fall and winter. Replying, he said, in substance: "To a considerable extent, that is uncharted terri- tory, but we do believe this: Start your hens under lights in January for the production of hatching eggs in Feb- ruary, depending on how early you want eggs for this purpose. The birds thus to be bred from L should be placed under lights about four weeks before you wish to incubate their eggs. But at present we do not believe it is safe or good practice to keep breeders under lights all fall and winter. "Our poultrymen around here do this quite extensively — that is, put the lights on their birds four or five weeks before they want to incubate the eggs, and with uniformly good results. One man near here was getting only about four eggs a day, from a flock of nearly 200 should-be layers. In a week's time he was getting over forty eggs a day and the total yield kept on going up until it passed the one hundred mark. That was early in February and these birds had been kept over for breed- ing purposes. About March 1st he took the lights off. and they kept at it — kept laying right along above the hundred mark. By the use of lights he appeared to get them well started — and after that they did not let up all spring. This might be regarded as a single case, but the facts are as I have stated — re- ferring to the taking off of the lights — and therefore this man's experience is worth re- porting." "Lights" Also Help Hatchability At this point in the interview, editor of R. P. J. read three or four paragraphs from the report of the address of Jas. E. Rice, Professor of Poultry Husbandry, New York State Col- MORE "LIGHTING" FACTS FROM SUNNY CREST FARM 63 The Laying Capacity of Fowls," as same is published later on in this book. Following are the paragraphs: "Colored charts exhibited by Prof. Rice showed a corre- lation of these several points, Including actual egg produc- tion, with earlier changes of external characters, earlier molting of the individual birds, etc. He also spoke at some length about the 'Fertility and Hatchability of Eggs Pro- duced Under Lights', in connection with these 1919 tests and exhibited tables that showed some surprising records. Re- ferring to this particular phase of the subject, he said in substance: " 'Perhaps I ought not give out this information at pres- ent, for fear it may prove misleading. It takes more than one swallow to make a summer and we do not as yet have the data to justify us in drawing conclusions in regard to this very important matter, let alone proclaiming any posi- tive or definite correlation. On the other hand, this infor- mation is of such vital Interest that I felt you should have it, with these WORDS OF CAUTION as to the very limited amount of data on which it is based. If this one test proves to be the rule, rather than an exception, of that we may be sure. Perhaps it is true and dependable, but we cannot be sure of that until we have ample confirmation.' "The foregoing timely and earnest remarks by Prof. Rice were meant to apply particularly to a special table of fig- ures he exhibited, showing the influence of artificial illum- ination on the fertility and hatchability (especially the latter) of eggs laid by certain S. C. White Leghorns kept under lights in tests started November 4, 1918, and con- tinued to June 15, 1919, and thereafter. "Briefly stated, eggs were incubated from ten test- pens 'under lights' and these results developed: the eggs from the check pen of hens not under lights produced 51% in live, strong chicks, while the pen that had lights from 3:00 a. m. each day during the period until dawn, gave 56% in good lively chicks. In the case of pullets, the check pen not under lights produced 56% in good chicks, while the pen of puUets that were given the lights from 3:00 a. m. until dawn each day during the period produced 75% in satis- factory chicks. The other pens 'under lights' for different hours (morning or evening, one or both) and in different amounts, did quite well in hatchability, but not equal to the pen of hens and the pen of pullets that had the lights from 3:00 a. m. until dawn. It appears that in this partic- ular case (see results given further along in this report) the birds, both hens and pullets, that were under the lights from 3:00 a. m. until dawn, not only laid the most eggs throughout the test period, but also laid eggs that were highest in hatchability — that gave the greatest percentage of good strong chicks." Referring to the above, Mr. Moseley said, in sub- stance.: "We have found that to be true here at Sunny Crest, also elsewhere in Erie County. Of course if hens or pul- lets are forced into molt, that is different. It begins to look as though pullets that have been under lights all winter will give good hatchability. We have been slow +o reach this conclusion, but have had a number of reports in this country to that effect — that higher percentages were obtained from eggs laid by hens under lights than from hens not under lights. Evidently, therefore, the lights truly agree with them, if not overdone. "Speaking for ourselves, based on our own experi- ments and records, I will say this: we do not hesitate to put lights on hens during January and February to speed up production for hatching purposes. When we first did this, the high fertility and good hatchability were a sur- prise to me, because we had been taught to believe that high production, even without lights, would not give high percentage hatches, but not so under lights, if other fac- tors are what they should be. "Furthermore, I do not see why we cannot use eggs in the springtime to good advantage from well-matured pullets that begin to lay in the fall and lay well during the winter under lights. We are going to try it — to test it out, this coming season here at Sunny Crest, using 600 choice yearling pullets for the purpose. "While working on the Erie County Project, I found out that the use of lights can be overdone — that they can be kept on too long, for too many hours out of twenty- four. We have reached the conclusion that fourteen to fifteen hours is about right for us in this latitude and cli- mate — that we get best results on that schedule. Use of the lights, or a workday that starts at 5:30 a. m., and ends at 7:30 p. m. is a good practical plan, as regards the egg yield and it also is convenient for the poultryman, for the attendant. In Erie County, also here at Sunny Crest, we have tried both, the fourteen-hour day and the fifteen-hour day and could see but little difference. "Now, as befoie stated, we are going to test the morn- ing plan — from 3:00 a. m. till dawn, starting August ISth, or possibly a little later and when the days grow dark early in the afternoon we may use the lights up to 6:00 p. m. The experiment or tests during the winter of 1918 were not conclusive enough to prove that the morning light is best during cold severe weather, as last winter here with us was a moderate one. "So far, since October 1st, 1918, the morning light has worked perfectly in our case and at this time we have between 1500 and 1600 yearling hens that have not started to molt, yet are laying about 50 per cent production, after having been under lights all last win- ter and spring. We are going to give this new schedule (Cornell, November 4, 1918, to June IS, 1919) a fair test ^ and if it gives maximum results, as compared with a more convenient schedule, we shall continue it. I refer to the use of the lights in the morning only — that is, from 3:00 a. m. till dawn. Prof. Rice's theory is that despite extremely cold weather these birds, if lighted as early as 3:00 a. m., will get off the roosts, go to work, exercise vigorously and thus warm up and do better lay- ing as a result. Experiments will show more about this before long, and we then can be governed accordingly." FEEDING FOWLS UNDER ELECRIC LIGHTS Notes By R. S. Moseley, General Manager Sunny Crest Poultry Farm, East Aurora, N. Y., Written Under Date, October 16, 1919 ttT^RUST that the following feeding schedule and notes -*- may be of interest and benefit to many readers of R. P. J. and of your forthcoming book on the use of artificial light to increase egg production. "At 7 a. m. give three quarts of grain food to one hundred hens. "At 9 a. m. scatter a good-sized handful for the oiie hundred hens in eight inches of dry litter and at this time feed all the green food the hens will clean up in one hour, giving them sprouted oats, cabbage or mangel beets. "At 3 p. m. scatter another handful of wheat in litter for each one hundred hens. "Night: Feed all grain that birds can practically clean up. A small quantity, however, left over at he time they go to roost will afford healthful exercise early in the morning. "If sprouted oats are fed in large quantities in the morning or early forenoon, the giain fed can be cut down to two quarts for the morning ration. "With us the straw is raked to the front of the lay- ing pen where the windows are, each day or two, so that the litter will be evenly distributed for exercise. Birds face the light when scratching for grain and therefore, as a rule, kick the litter to the rear of the pen. "I firmly believe that one reason for many poultry- men's flocks shutting down on laying in the summer is that the houses or laying pens receive but little at- tention in the way of proper litter. Also at this season other things quite commonly are left undone that would detract from cheerfulness and health-giving properties in the surroundings of the birds, not to mention such things as lice and mites. "The actual condition of oui birds, both layers and breeders, is the big controlling factor for high produc- tion, outside of heiedity. BE YOUR HENS' COMMON- SENSE DOCTOR BY WATCHING THEIR CONDI- TION! You will find that when they get loose feathered and the production goes down, their livers probably are enlarged. That means not enough exercise, and the best way to make them work (exercise properly) is by the use of GOOD, DEEP, DRY LITTER. The cost of litter of this kind is but a small part, as compared with the benefit through having it in use — plenty of it — and chang- ing it often enough to keep it dry and healthful. Winter Dry Mash At Sunny Crest "Our mash consists of the following: "One hundred pounds bran. "One hundred twenty-five pounds corn meal. "One hundred pounds red dog flour. "Fifty pounds grounds oats heavy and ground fine. "Fifty pounds ground barley. "Seventy-five pounds meat scrap if buttermilk is used, otherwise one hundred pounds meat scrap. Semisolid but- termilk (a commercial article) diluted, one and one-half pints to ten to twelve quarts of water, is given both morn- ing and afternoon — about one pailful per hundred hens a day — that is, half a pailful at each feeding. "Our hoppers for two pens (built in the partitions) each hold 2,100 pounds of dry mash and are long (see illustration on page 57), thereby giving the flocks plenty of lineal space. If it is found at Sunny Crest that the birds lack appetite or appear rather logy, the mash hoppers are shut down for a period of three or four hours in the fore- noon. Late Interview With Dr. Waldorf on Artificial Lighting TESTED THIS PLAN THREE OR MORE SEASONS, BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES AND IS DEEPLY INTERESTED IN RECENT COUNTRY- WIDE PRO- GRESS OF THE METHOD, ON COMMERCIAL BASIS — SUBMITS TO INTER- VIEWS AND TELLS OF OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS NECESSARY FOR SECURING THE DESIRED RESULTS IN HIGH EGG PRODUCTION — MODER- ATE TEMPERATURE NEEDED FOR A MOST PROFITABLE YIELD Report By EDITOR ofR. p. J. THIS spring and summer, in time for publication early next fall, editor of R. P. J. is to compile a book on the use of artificial illumination for increasing egg production during the short-day period of the year. Considerable material already has been col- lected and arrangements are under way to secure reliable data, giving the results of this method, as practiced on the Pacific Coast, in New York State and elsewhere. In- terested readers are hereby invited to write us on the OOBEELATIOH OP PHODTICTION WITH EOF/ WEISHI EISHT BEEBM ^ Weight In ronnds ^ ^ §270-241 10 R ., sn p 1 1ft ?fi IP p 7P p 1 180-151 2 10 16 44 3.1 n 1P6 , e, q ?! Tq 32 9R ^ fi 14 7 45 § 9n_fii p 14 ° 60-31 o 30-1 -^ ^ Mist*;— 51 ?^r 170 1?4 ie< 170 17? 17« 169 m isa VINELAND, N. J.. EGG CONTEST RESULTS Above table shows eg-g- production for two years, November 1, 1916-October 31, 1918, as made by 600 Leghorns (mostly White Leghorns, but a few Blacks and Buffs) at International Laying and Breeding Contest, Vineland, N. J. Down the left-hand side is egg production, ranging from one egg at bottom to 300 eggs at top. Weights of birds are shown across top of table. It will be noted that two of this total number of birds laid between 271 and 300 eggs; that twenty laid between 241 and 270 eggs, etc. Also note par- ticularly that the great majority of these eggs were laid by pullets and hens that weighed between 3 lbs. and 4% lbs., which also conforms closely to the official Standard weights for Leghorns (as set forth in the American Stand- ard of Perfection) which are as follows: pullet, ZV^ lbs.; hen. 4 lbs. Observe that the birds that weighed less than S lbs. did not lay very well, nor did those that weighed more than 5 lbs. subject, meaning in particular those who have inform- ation to supply or suggestions to offer. A main object is to have this R. P. J. book contain a quite full treatment of the subject right down to date, all material to be from reliable sources. In the above mentioned book we shall want to give credit to whom credit is due. One question of interest will be: Who first conceived the idea of lengthening the workday of domestic fowl, especially during the late fall and winter months, by supplying artificial lights? Facts and information on this point are invited from the public in geneial. So far as writer now knows, E. C. Waldorf, M. D., Bufltalo, N. Y., was the first to employ this method, and his "primary reason for attempting forced ovulation was not to obtain more eggs from a given number of hens in » specified time, but to secure eggs of the highest hatch- able quality." The foregoing sentence is quoted from an article by Dr. Waldorf, published in the February, 1915, issue of R. P. J., entitled "Ten Eggs Per Week Per Hen and How it Was Done," from which article we quote further, as follows: "This suggestion developed from the fact that the eggs from hens laying five to seven eggs per week hatched much better than did the eggs from the same hens when laying fewer eggs per week. Close observations along these lines were made for two seasons. It was also ob- served in connection with these experiments that only the dense eggs hatched in high percentage and that the density of the eggs was not lessened while or dur- ing increased egg production. With these facts established, I began my first attempt in forced egg production in December, 1889. "These experiments were made on the premises of Patrick Kinney, 56 York St., Buffalo, N. Y. A hen house for the purpose was erected, measuring 12x16 feet," etc. * * * In the article referred to (published in R. P. J> February, 191S) under a sub-heading, "Prolonged Their Day Artificially," Dr. Waldorf reported as follows: "The proper length of daylight was provided for by the installation of four, 100-candle power, Ar- gand gas burners suspended from the first ceiling (first floor ceiling — house was three stories high) one foot from the outside edge and five feet from the ground. Each burner was provided with a large reflector, throwing the light directly down- ward. These lights were controlled by an auto- matic time adjuster and were turned on at 3:30 a. m. and off again at 7:30. They were turned on again at 5:00 p. m. and off at 8:00 p. m. for the night. The results of these tests were published in the Clyde Times, Clyde, N. Y., in February, 1889, the complete daily record having since been mislaid or lost." The last paragraph of Dr. Waldorf's report or article as published in R. P. J., February, 1915, was as follows: "The interesting tests here described would have been continued had not the fire underwriters ob- jected to the use of gas (for heating and lighting- purposes) in that manner. Electricity and the ^ tungsten bulb offer today a far better light with ■ no risk, and such illuminant is much to be pre- ferred, not only on account of less risk, but alsck from an absence of dust in the burner itself." Late Interview With Dr. Waldorf En route home from Boston and Garden Shows, Jan- uary, this year, writer spent four days in Buffalo and vicin- ity, including a visit to Sunny Crest Farm, East Aurora, and had two interviews with Dr. Waldorf. They were short owing to the fact that at that time he was extra. busy. He still follows his profession and enjoys a large practice. We wanted to refresh our memory in regard xo those early experiments of his, or our understanding of them, also to get new light on the subject, especially with reference to the right temperature for prolific egg yield where the lighting system, so-called, is used during the late fall and winter months in northern latitudes. The interview published herewith was not submitted to Dr. Waldorf in written form, owing to lack of time, and as the subject matter is more or less technical we ask LATE INTERVIEW WITH DR. WALDORF ON ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING 65 readers of R. P. J. not to hold Dr. Waldorf responsible for the exact wording, or shades of meaning. With this ex- planation, here is what we understand Dr. Waldorf to say: "As reported in your Journal some four years ago, I started those experiments, back in the late eighties, not to find out how large a number of eggs I could obtai i per hen per month or from a given number of hens in any stated length of time during the winter, but my ob- ject was to increase fertility and improve the hatchability of the eggs, also to improve the vigor of the chicks to be hatched from these eggs. However, 1 had heard previously that in sections of southern China it was not unusual for poultry keepers to get seven, eight and even nine eggs per hen per week. "In thinking over the subject I decided to study the food and chemical elements of eggs and their develop- ment in the organism of fowls, with a view to aiding all I could in their production. I not only wanted plenty of eggs as to numbers, but also wished to have them strongly fertile, so they would hatch altogether, so to speak. "After some study I decided that the necessary nutri- tive elements must be supplied and in an easy form for conveision in hatchable eggs that would pro- duce strong germs, embryos and chicks. Then i built the special three-story house, as described in detail in your journal several years ago — a house 12x16 feet, heated with hot water pipes and ar- ranged to give quiet and secrecy or seclusion to the fowls. The different pens were separated by tight board partitions and all windows were three feet above the floors, so the fowls could not look out and become discontented or see banks of snow and ice. Moderate Temperatures For Best Results "It will be found by those now experimenting in this field that moderate temperature is required, together with a longer workday, in order to get the desired increased production. In this three- story poultry house of mine there were four pens on the ground, as first constructed. One pen, the one in the northwest corner of the house, was about five degrees colder than the others, and I soon noticed the difference in the egg yield dur- ing cold periods. Later I corrected this differ- ence by changing the hot water piping. For best results for these test pens, or where high egg pro- luction is desired in the short-day period of the (Tear, the temperature should not be below 50 de- grees Fahrenheit, while 55 to 60 degrees gives the best results. However, it ought not to be above 60, because in warmer temperatures than this the fowls soon become seriously lousy unless given frequent attention. "Hot water pipes were used for warming the three-story poultry house and the return flow pipes passed through the food troughs or hoppers to keep the mash warm in cold weather. They also passed through the dust troughs or bins in which sand, dust and coal ashes were kept for the fowls to wallow in. I also cooked all food, including the green food and meat food. I wanted it easily digestible and quickly assimilated. At that time I considered seriously the question of putting a predigested poultry feed on the market, but my practice as a physician made this im- practical. "The nests were specially secluded and this is essen- tial to prolific yield. Fowls are timid. In the matter of nesting and laying, during tests of this kind, also when kept for commercial profit, the layers should not be dis- turbed. They should be fed regularly BY THE CLOCK, also by the same person, dressed in the same clothes, and gentleness should be the rule. I recall distinctly the case of a neighbor — a woman who was interested in poultry and who wanted to look inside my poultry house and see the fowls. Finally I yielded against my better judgement and although she was in the pens only a few minutes, it took several days to get those fowls back to full laying. Within a few moments after she entered the house the hens began to cackle and they grew more and more ner- vous and restless till I asked the women to come away. Eggs Are About 85 Per Cent Water "Water — fresh, pure water, is of vital importance. Poultry keepers need to remember that 85 per cent of the contents of the egg is water. If fowls under test or kept for commercial profit cannot at all times get good drinking water WHEN NEEDED, this will break up the laying habit and cost one, two or three eggs per fowl per week in the case of birds thus mistreated or neglected. "Yes, I believe that fowls have intelligence, also that will power is involved, when it comes to the matter of their laying or not laying, at least in many cases. This must be so, because a change of quarters, any real dis- turbance, also fright, causes the nesting desire to decrease, or the fowl can check it voluntarily and will do so on slight provocation. That is why gentleness should be the rule if high egg production is sought, either per fowl or from a pen or flock. "If uniform or concurrent hatching is to be obtained in the case of eggs set at the same time or placed in an incubator, these eggs MUST NOT be allowed to undergo incubating temperature till the regular period is started. This temperature exists in the fowl that is to lay the egg; therefore the eggs when formed should move normally from her because if retained they will start to incubate lOHEElATIOB OF PRODUOTIOH WITH BODT WEIGHT HEAVY BREEDS h Weight In Pounds o p.h 7.5 7.0fi K R n K B K (1 4 B A n .^i .-s .'^ n R .<; s.n ^ 300-e71 2 1 i , K 7i „ 81 '? A Ifi m 14 c 69 . 14 ifl IS q (7 7B Sl20.91 f I a R 66 1 ( 4 19 o 60-31 , a 30-1 ^ , 1R 34£ "iW^- 1S3 ISS 14R IRK Ififi i,w 151 141 124 138 VINELAND EGG LAYING CONTEST RESULTS Above table shows egg production, pullet year, of Ply- ' mouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds at Vine- 1 land Contest. Weights are shown across top of table. Down the left-hand side is egg production, ranging from one j egg at bottom to 300 eggs at top. It will be noted that ' four birds laid between 271 and 300 eggs each In the 365 days; that five laid between 241 and 270 eggs in the same period, etc. This table also shows that the great bulk of the eggs laid by the 400 birds here represented were laid by pullets and hens that weighed between 4% and IVz lbs., which corresponds very well %vith the official Standard weights of the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds — see latest edition of the American Standard of Perfection for e.Kact weights. These birds were not "under lights." and as a result will be advanced twelve or more hours. "This is not desirable for best results in hatching. And after the eggs are in the nest they should be gathered regularly, at least twice a day, especially during sum- mer weather so that other laying hens or brooding hens will not advance them another hour, or two or three hours, as the case may be. Then after these eggs are gathered they should be kept in a cool temperature until ready to incubate them regularly. Poultrymen do gather their eggs regularly, as a rule, but not so on many farms. Protect Hens In Molting Period "Advise your readers to be sure to keep males away fiom hens in the molting period. Eggs not laid at this time shrink down to the size of small peas and even smaller. In this condition the male germ attaches to them, joins the female germ and BOTH ARE BLIGHTED. Later when these eggs develop, the female germ is dead and a new male germ is of no benefit in the case of these particular eggs. Such eggs will not hatch or if the blight is not complete, as may sometimes be the case, it means chicks dead in the shell. One to two dozen eggs per hen may be rendered unhatchable in this way, with no benefit whatever to the owner of the hens or to any one who tries in vain to hatch such eggs. In the case of large numbers of hens it means considerable loss, and as a rule 66 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION the incubator is blamed for failure to do the impossible. "Yes, I endorse in a general way, Mr. D. W. Young's theoiy or statement lelative to the craving that a laying hen has for albuminous food; also that after the brood- ing fever comes on there is a material change in her ap- petite, to the effect of her not wanting albuminous food, which helps in shutting off the egg supply while she is incubating a clutch of eggs. That, no doubt, is one of the reasons why the broody hen after she gets a nest full of eggs, can readily discontinue laying for a period of several weeks, although in good health and otherwise in condi- tion to go on laying. "After the hen has laid she should not be disturbed or excited in any way. In my experiments I noticed that after laying they would go to the third floor — up under the glass roof where it was warm and where they would not be bothered in any way. On large plants the earnest poultryman probably cannot give maximum seclusion to the layers, but he should do all he can in this direction. The feminine instinct and wild nature are still inherent in our domestic fowl to a considerable extent and we must respect these facts if we are to get best results. "Yes, I believe in the intelligence of fowls; also in what you describe as 'good dispositions.' Intelligence is made evident by their adaptability. Tameness must be cultivated. This can be done with remarkable results. Please say on my authority that tame fowl and the glut- tons are the best layers. Horsemen and dog fanciers, time immemorial, have been very attentive to intelligence possessed by horses and dogs, and poultry breeders SHOULD BE. If I were making a living breeding poul- try, or if it were my desire to make money in that way, I would not breed from scary fowl, from the excitable kind, from those not responsive to kind treatment. I would pay attention in my selections to those that can be tamed with comparative ease. This would show intelligence or adaptability, which is needed for best results in high egg production, meaning eggs of the right kind and pro- duced at the right time for our purposes." reprinted from the ADDITIONAL DETAILS FROM DR. WALDORF In This Communication Dr. Waldorf Gives Special, Valuable Information Regarding the Way in Which He Developed His Method of Using Artificial Light and Heat in His Poultry House On the subject of maximum egg production by the aid of artificial light I desire to enlarge somewhat upon my paper as it appeared in the R. P. J. of February, 1915 (see page 19, this book), but more particularly to be explicit as to measurements, for the benefit of anyone wishing to conform to my plan. Bear in mind that the form of coop adopted was an evolution, so to speak, begun in 1889, using kerosene oil lamps, in a barn ad- joining the building (occupied today by the distributing office of the Magic Egg Tester Works), and culminating in the construction, after four years of experimenting, of my ideal coop directly across the street in the rear of 56 York St. By the way, it may be of interest to know that for the past 26 years continuous experiments with eggs for incubation, with the aid of the Magic Egg Tester, have been conducted on these premises. Now to return to style and size of coop I believe best adapted to use in forced egg production. My arti- cle just referred to states the ground floor as 12x16 ft. This size is the coop proper and exclusive of two aisles three feet wide bisecting in the center. This arrange- ment gives four apartments each 8x6 ft. Each apart- ment has an entrance door (matched lumber) at center aisles, 2^/2 feet wide extending from one foot above ground to within four inches of first ceiling. This gives a door S ft. S in. long. Four partitions of matched boards, each 7 ft. X 2 ft., are placed upright lYz ft. from intersection of aisles for support to ends of roosts and ends of drop- pings boards, the latter being two feet wide, slanting back- wards. For the purpose of ventilation a band of wire screen four inches wide encircled the top of each apart- ment. The floor of the second apartment forms the ceil- ing of the nests which are one foot square, extending from the upright partition supporting roosts to outside wall of coop. The wire screen affords easy inspection of nests without opening board door. It will be observed that the floor surface allowed for each section of fowls is 48 square feet multiplied by three — equal to one pen for each group twelve feet square, and far better on account of the privacy allowed and the privilege of additional warmth and comfort not desirable for the ground floor where it would tend to induce colds and facilitate the bleeding of lice, difficulties not experi- enced in the "upstairs" system of cooping. Consequent- ly health, perfect digestion, quick assimilation and max- imum egg formation is the result of using the three- floor arrangement. Perhaps it might be a good idea to dwell more fully on the heating system than was done in my former article. Efficiency and economy were essential factors. A low laundry stove fitted with a water coil and gas burners was used, set in the west end of the excavation, which was 15 feet long and 3 feet wide, covered with flooring for ten feet, with four steps to the bottom of the furnace pit. Fifty feet of one-inch pipe for each section, placed above the windows on ground floor, comprised the radia- tion necessary for entire coop. A one-half-inch stand- pipe extending to highest point with expansion tank sup- plied the necessary pressure for circulation. On the subject of heating I must not omit to say that the outside was banked with corn stalks up to the lower ledge of the windows and this in turn was covered with one width of tar paper to shed the snow or rain. This provision forestalled sudden changes in temperature within the coop. Attention to coop arrangement, heating and lights, while absolutely essential, must be understood to be sim- ply the FOUNDATION for the business. For example, it interrupts the egg machines to turn on the lights at unexpected moments. Actual experiments proved this. Owing to the exactness of time required I found it nec- essary to invent a time-trip mechanism called by me "Waldorf Chronometric Adjuster." Application for United States patent for this clock mechanism, already in use, was filed June 1, 1892, and U. S. Letters Patent No. 489350 granted January 3, 1893. The absolute regularity of this device made the daily illumination something that the hens always met with eager satisfaction. Before my experiments of forced egg production by the use of artificial lighting were concluded in 1893 and 1894 many well-known and prominent Buffalonians be- came enthusiastic of the method. (The names of these persons will be found in the Historical Chapter, page 4.— Editor.) While the system at that time proved a success com- mercially, the greatest benefit, as I felt, was the relief from unhatchable eggs by eliminating their slow forma- tion, which unquestionably is detrimental to normal germ life within the egg before laying and during incubation. This much accomplished, all that remained to be done in order to select the hatchable egg was to learn the re- quired density, as shown my specific gravity test. This subject suggests a matter uppermost in my mind and should be to every poaltry raiser in the world — I refer to the specific gravity of eggs in the unbroken shell, readily determined by the use of the Magic Egg Tester. It is the key to the whole situation of poultry propagation. The great value of specific gravity lies in its ability to show the first atomic chemical change not discernible either to the eye or on the scales. Eggs may show marked change in specific gravity with no percept- ible change by the finest scale. Gases must be present to produce this, and these must be detrimental to the egg substance. For proof of this, incubate for 72 hours two classes of eggs, one of high and the other of low specific gravity. Then in a room temperature of 70 degrees care- fully remove the shell at the base of each egg. The vessels and arterial pulsation will be strong and vigorous in the eggs of high test but will be weak, frail and dis- connected in eggs of lower test, the pulsations ceasing after a few moments in the latter, but surviving for an hour and longer in eggs of high specific gravity test. What evidence of the importance of specifiic gravity to the poultryman could be more convincing than this com- parison? Successful Use of "Lights" on Commercial Poultry Plant CAPABLE AND INSTRUCTIVE REPORT ON USE OF LIGHTS ON NEW YORK STATE EGG FARM— GAVE LARGER CASH RETURNS AND DID NOT INJURE HATCHABILITY— LIGHTS USED ON THIS PLANT DURING PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS— COST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT PER HEN PER YEAR, THREE CENTS By R. T. ARGOOD, Morhsville, N. Y., Poultry Huthandman, New York State School of Agriculture EXTRACT from letter which accompanied the fol- lowing article: "I am at present poultry hus- bandman in the Agricultural School at Morrisville and now and then find time to write up some of my ex- periences as a poultryman. I personally carried on the work of the enclosed experiment, in connection with my other duties. Numerous inquiries for data on the use of lights in this experiment prompted me to prepare the ar- ticle herewith." Article kindly sent us by M'r. Argood, was as follows: The use of electric lights to increase winter egg pro- duction has been successful for the last four years on a large commer- cial egg plant near Oneonta, New York. The proprietor, a wealthy man, started to keep poultry as a hobby. Five years ago he came across an article in a poultry maga- zine on the use of "lights" to force the production of winter eggs. On thinking the matter over, he de- cided to try the scheme out, think- ing perhaps there might be some- thing in the idea after all. An experiment was started by trying out "lights" on a pen of scrub hens. A vacant building was fitted up for suitable quarters and electric lights installed. This was during the first of Decemiber. In two weeks' time the hens respond- ed with an increased egg yield and kept at the good work through the winter. Inspired by this success, preparations were made to equip all the laying houses with "lights." Since this trial in 1914, "lights" have been in use each winter in the laying pens. The size of the plant has also been increased from 1000 to 3000-hen capacity and is now managed on a commercial scale. The plan in equipping a lay- ing house with "lights" is to use a 60-watt bulb for a pen twenty feet square, holding 100 hens. The light is placed a little to the front of the pen so that the floor sipace under the roosting platform re- ceives more illumination than it would when the light is put in the middle of the pen. The schedule formerly follow- ed was to turn the lights on in the morning at 5:30, discontinuing their use at daylight. The lights were again turned on at dusk and continued until 8:00 p. m. By this plan it was necessary to dim the lights so the hens would find their way to roost. From experience it was later found that a twelve- hour day was sufficient and less electricity used, cutting down the bill for current one-third. During the last year the electric light bill on 2500 layers was $82.00, or a lit- tle over THREE CENTS PER BIRD A SEASON. Under the present plan, the lights are turned on by means of an alarm clock at 4:30 in the morning. In the evening the hens are allowed to go to roost naturally. By this plan the hens have a twelve-hour day and a twelve- hour night. No dimmer is necessary and the scheme fits in better with the regular routine. The first feed is given at 5 in the morning, which con- sists of a grain ration well scattered to induce exercise. Mluch care has to be taken in the feeding methods since the hens under the "light" system have a longer day than is usual at this time of the year and it requires more skill on the part of the feeder to keep the birds "on their feed" throughout the day. To be on the safe side it is well to feed a scant ration of grain in the morning and give all they will clean up at night. The mash hoppers are left open at all times, unless the hens start wasting or picking over the mixture. Green feed in some form or other is plentifully supplied during the forenoon. It is absolutely essential that plenty of fresh water be available. fiiilM lipMNfei^te fljllljl {III BMj ]|!|ii||||l| HillllliM giii«ila |l|[i|l||[[ 1 1 1 ^fi S apliM ifiHHlraffl! ■ teH 33|"-lC4rT.pi| {{liH 3 ^ _ -:X" " H=sffl SlwSt-- 'liitwl^ MSB}- -' |ka» J^ IB^Hii^i^ /. i ^ ' 1 flSlH 1' 'i^^'-f'^'^'E ,1 1 -T ' »ilSfc?i-ii« fe Naf 1 -feikkl V - 11" i-q; ",L.iv.\um AVERAGE PRODUCTION OF HENS OF DIFFERENT BREEDS IN EGG LAYING CONTESTS To show readers of this hook the comparative production of the different hreeds, the ahove graph was prepared, showing the monthly egg-yield (in percentages) of Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks, employing for this purpose the actual trap-nest records made at the Vineland, Storrs, Missouri, and) North American contest. Not a very great difference, is there? The Leghorns fell behind during the winter months, but laid well from early April until mid-September. In none of these contests were any of the birds "under lights". Unfortunately, "lights" to date have not been commonly used on the Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes or Rhode Island Reds. No doubt they will respond propor- tionately well to the helpful effects of a longer workday during which to eat, digest, assim- ilate and function. — Courtesy of the New Jersey Experiment Station. When it is dark and dreary a little grain is sometimes scattered about the pen, just enough being fed to "coax" the hens to exercise during the middle of the day. It is the constant endeavor of the poultryman to do all he can to keep the hens 'busy. Last winter two pens of Leghorns were selected to try out an experiment on the effect of "lights" on the hatchability of eggs. The hens selected were yearlings, one hundred birds in each pen. They were given sim- ilar treatment, except for the use of "lights" in one pen. The experiment was started in December and careful rec- ords kept. 68 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION "Lights" Also Helped Hatchability In the spring, eggs were set from both pens at dif- ferent times during the incubating season. It was ex- pected that the use of "lights" would result in a low hatchability record from the eggs produced in the lighted pen. The results, however, do not seem to bear out that point as can be seen from the data which follow: How Lights Affect HatchabUlty Per cent ; Fertile Esss Per cent Hatched of Date Set 7th Day Total Eggs Set Dec. LIGHTS NO LIGHTS LIGHTS NO LIGHTS Jan. Mar. 6 82.3 80.5 25.5 25.2 Feb. Mar. 29 88.0 92.0 60.0 61.0 Mar. Apr. 1 86.2 90.8 61.3 61.1 ^^a^. Apr. 13 92.3 91.1 70.0 64.8 Apr. 17 90.5 91.0 47.6 47.0 June Apr. 25 Apr. 29 92.4 93.8 97.5 97.9 56.4 63.2 61.5 53.0 Av. per cent 89.3 91.4 53.4 53.3 From the above figures it will be seen that no defi- nite bad effect on the hatchability of eggs could be laid to the use of "lights." The general opinion among poultry authorities to date, however, seems to be rather against the use of forcing methods in producing hatch- ing eggs from breeders. The egg record from the two experiment pens follows, and it can be seen that the hens in the lighted pen brought in the larger receipts, although the pen without lights laid the larger number of eggs, the difference in profit being due to the season of the year in which the eggs were produced. Past records from this same farm show that in years when "lights" were used a lower egg record per hen was obtained than in years before the use of "lights" was adopted. It has also been found that under "lights" there is less trouble than usual with broody hens, since they go through a partial molt in the spring months. Our opin- ion is that the "lights" will be the means of a revolution in change of methods in egg production. Experiment on Layers; "Lights" vs. "No Lights" PEN 1—100 HENS WITHOUT LIGHTS Price Per cent per Doz. Production Heceipta Eggs .81 June 154 .71 4.9 9.10 430 .57 15.35 20.43 838 .43 27.03 29.90 1401 .43 46.66 50.16 1605 .38 51.77 50.72 792 .43 26.4 28.35 5234 $189.47 4 per cent. PEN 2—100 HENS WITH LIGHTS Price Per cent Eggs per Doz. Production Beceipi 1401 .69 45.19 80.56 780 .71 25.16 46.10 548 .f 19.57 26.03 483 .43 15.58 17.29 451 .43 15.03 16.15 771 .38 24.87 24.36 704 .43 23.33 25.20 5138 $235.69 Mortality 5 per cent. Cost of electric current for season, $5.40. Prom this experiment it can be seen that the hens without "lights" laid 96 more eggs than the hens with "lights," but that the lighted pen made the larger returns. The receipts of the lighted pen with the cost of the elec- tric current taken out, exceeded their competitors by $40.82. Private Users of "Lights" in Pacific Northwest TWO OF THEM, D. P. RAGER OF SUMMER, WASH., AND MRS. T. H. RIDLEY OF PUYALLUP, WASH., GIVE SPECIAL AND DIRECT CREDIT TO MR. AND MRS. SHOUP FOR THEIR GOOD SUCCESS — TELL HOW THEY USE "LIGHTS," ALSO WHAT THEY FEED, AND GIVE THE HIGH EGG PRODUCTION PERCENTAGE OB- TAINED—EXCELLENT REPORT FROM A. E. HAMMOND OF KIRKLAND, WASH., WHO ■ USED THE SHOUP TYPE OPEN-FRONT POULTRY HOUSE WITH STORM CURTAIN HEREWITH are three sample letters from the Pa- cific Northwest, as sent to the Reliable Poultry Journal by private users of artificial light in that section. Other similar letters were received, some of them of more recent date, but the three here given are representative of the uniformly good results that Pa- cific Coast poultrymen and poultrywomen have obtained by the use of "lights" in a climate that is quite mild, but in a latitude where the winter nights are long. Letter From D. P. Rager, Summer, Wash. November 18, 1918. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal; Received your letter of Oct. 2Sth and expected to an- swer sooner, but have been quite busy. You ask for my experience in using lights on my chickens. Two years ago I decided to go into the poultry business. It was late in the season and I had to take just what baby chicks I could get. Owing to poor stock, inexperience and a back- ward season, I only raised two hundred and ninety-five laying hens from 1,000 chicks. Professor and Mrs. Shoup, poultry experts of the Western Washington Exiperiment Station, strongly ad- vised lights — electric lights if possible, but at any rate lights oi some sort. Could not get the electric light company to come out to my place, so had to put in a private plant — 30 volt. I placed eight forty-watt lights in my ninety-foot pullet house, dropping them to within two feet of the floor. Began working the pullets from 6 a. m. to 8 p. m. On Novemiber 6, I decided to reduce the working hours on account of too high percentage of eggs. In seven days they dropped from two hundred eggs to one hundred and sixty eegs daily and it took me three weeks to bring them back to normal. This year my pullets again began laying too great a per cent, so am only working them from 6 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. The old hens are working fourteen hours daily and coming through the molt rapidly. I feel sure that the use of lights has shortened the molting time. I have a night light on the lower end of the building as a pro- tection against thieves and can also switch on all the lights from bedroom, in case there is any commotion dur- ing the night. You asked for any pictures I might have showing the lights. Cannot have much luck taking the pictures from the inside, but am inclosing one taken from the outside which shows the position of the lights, also one show- ing part of the light plant. The wiring is my own work and not a very artistic job, but it answers the purpose. Prof, and Mrs. Shoup (latter also a decided "live wire") are doing an immense amount of good here in the Valley and I think we all owe them a vote of thanks. Wishing you success in your campaign for "more light in the poultry house," I am Yours truly, (Signed) D. P. RAGER. Letter of Mrs. T. H. Ridley, Puyallup, Wash. Puyallup, Wash., Jan. 12, 1919. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: I owe you an apology for failure to answer promptly your letter in regard to artificial lighting for poultry. I must plead as my excuse that I have been so busy caring for my 1050 birds that I have had no time'to write let- ters, even to my mother. I have done alone all the work connected with our 1050 birds, except for the help of my husband before 8 a. m and after 6 p. m., and of a man for a few hours once or twice a month to remove the litter and do the heavy work that I could not manage. Besides I have done my own housework. We started raising S. C. White Leghorns February 14, 1916, and have always used lights, so we can give you PRIVATE USERS OF "LIGHTS" IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST 69 no comparative data, but we are convinced that the dif- ference between lights and no lights IS THE DIFFER- ENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE. • The first year we used gasoline lanterns on 360 Feb- ruary and March-hatched pullets, lighting them from Oc- tober 1st to March 1st. That fall wt had a good many molt, due to our inexperience in feeding. Our highest production for the year was in December, 1916 — 67.7%, for the month. The percentages of production were as follows: Nov., 54.27o; Dec, 67.7%; Jan., 1917, 64.2%; Feb., 59A%. In April a part of them went through a spring molt, lasting a short time, coming into a 64% production in June and July. The second year we used a hollow wire lighting sys- tem and found it very unsatisfactory, but by a deal of fussing we managed to keep lights going most of the time and our production for the winter months of 1917- 1918 was as follows: Oct., 44%; Nov., 68j4%; Dec, 65%; Jan., 64%; Feb., 59?^%; a light molt in April and a 58% production in June and July. This was a flock of pullets hatched March 23rd. This year we have 650 pullets hatched as follows: 320 Feb. 22nd; 193 March 14th; 137 April 18th. In Feb- ruary, 1918, we mstalled a Lally Light electric system and Oct. 1st we 'turned on the lights at 6:00 a. m., turn- ing them off at daylight, on again at dusk and off at 7:30 p. m. This plan has been followed faithfully with practically no deviation ever since. We had no fall molt to speak of, only one bird molting enough to lose tail and body feathers while six lost only the neck feathers. The production for this winter's months was as fol- lows: Oct., 52%; Nov., 64%; Dec, 67%; Jan. (to pres- ent writing), 65%. Our birds are looking fine and have been laying since July 4th. They are hatched from our own trap-nested stock. Besides 650 pullets . we have 400 breeders. We wished to make an early hatch, so Dec. 10th, as we were getting only about fifteen eggs per day from the breed- ers and we wanted 2500 in the machines Jan. 21st, we turned on the lights for an hour in the morning and un- til 6:30 in the evening. The following figures will show you the results: Dec. 10, 15 eggs Dec. 11, 8 eggs Dec. 12, 15 eggs Dec. 13, 13 eggs Dec. 14, 12 eggs Deo. 15, 15 eggs Dec. 16, 17 eggs Dec. 17, 17 eggs Dec. 18, 15 eggs Dec. 19, 30 eggs Dec. 20, 35 eggs Dec. 21, 29 eggs Dec. 22, 81 eggs Dec. 23, 127 eggs Dec. 24, 139 eggs Dec. 25, 143 eggs Dec. 26, 195 eggs Dec. 27, 215 eggs Dec. 28, 208 eggs Dec. 29, 217 eggs Dec. 30, 221 eggs Dec. 31, 230 eggs When they reached 215 eggs on the 27th of December the lights were discontinued and have not been used since. Tonight we tested forty-five eggs set under hens and PEITATE ELECTEIO LIGHTING PLANT OF D. P. BAGEE found two infertiles and two doubtfuls, which we con- sider excellent. Every one knows the price of eggs this winter compared with last summer, but regardless of high or low prices the person who can produce WINTER EGGS has the advantage over the one who gets the largest production in summer. I want to state here that we have handled our flocks after the methods taught at the Western Washington Ex- periment Station, which, in our opinion, cannot be beaten. Yours truly, (Signed) MRS. T. H. RIDLEY. Letter of E. A. Hammond, Kirkland, Wash. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: May 18, 1919. Complying with your open request in a recent issue, for items on lighting, the following is submitted: The writer is numbered among those who believe that even the best stock should not be allowed to go beyond a 60 per cent production during the winter months. In this instance, it was the aim of the writer to hold, as near- ly as possible, to a 70 per cent production from six months of age to June first. The result is given without comment, other than to say that statements are correct. Stock: 40O pullets, May 25th hatch. White Leghorns bred by D. Tancred, Kent, Washington. Housing: Shoup type open front with storm cur- tain, 20 by 75 feet, not partitioned. Capacity of house would be 500. Lighting: 50- watt nitrogen lamps every 20 feet. Max- imum hours of lighting, _ twelve. Lighting usually both ends of day, though at times only morning lighting was given. Lights were automatically turned on in the morn- ing, except at such times as there was a possibility of water or the feed being frozen. Dimmers were used at night for fifteen minutes to send the birds to roost. Feeding: Germinated oats placed in litter at night for morning feed, except when danger of freezing. At 2 p. m., grain. At 6 p. m., mash wet with fresh blood — occasionally semisolid buttermilk. 7 p. m., green feed. Dry mash accessible at all times. Feed consumed per 100 birds per day, not including green feed, shell, grit, etc., 16 pounds of grain and 8 pounds of mash. Up to March first nine birds had died, apparently from liver trouble induced by overfeeding. On the same date, 67 pullets were in a partial molt. Fifty-five, in- cluding part of the molters and those that had stopped laying from other causes, were culled. None have since died, nor have any more been culled out. The production follows, being given to the nearest unit, and for number of birds on hand at date given: First egg Oct. 17th. Production Nov. 25th ^ 60 p* cent Production Dec. 25th 67 per cen';. Production Jan. 25th 73 per cent. Production Feb. 25th 56 per cent. Production Mar. 25th 55 per cent. Production Apr. 25th 70 per Production May 25th 81 per Daily production seldom varied over twelve eggs from 70 per cent. Trusting the above may be of some use to you, I am Yours truly, (Signed) A. E. HAMMOND. Early Use of "Lighting System" in Michigan J. G. HALPIN, PROFESSOR OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY AT WISCONSIN COLLEGE OF AGRI- CULTURE, WRITES AN INTERESTING LETTER TELLINGOF HIS EARLY EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATION OF THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL ILLUMNIATION TO INCREAtB WINTER EGG PRODUCTION— USED FIFTEEN TO TWENTY YEARS AGO, AND WITH GOOD RESULTS By PROF. J. G. HALPIN, Head of Poultry Department, Univeriit, of fTU Madi.o«, Wh. THE following letter, written to editor of R. P. J., was not intended for publication, but recogniz- ing its value we wrote the author and asked his permission. Our object, as a matter of course, is to se- cure and publish all the interesting and helpful data we can, on this important and truly promising subject — "prom- ising" in the sense of placing a profit-earning foundation under the commercial egg plant or flock in many sections of the United States and Canada. — Editor. The Letter From Prof. Halpin Madison, Wis., March 17, 1919. Editor R. P. J.:— I was very glad indeed to get your letter of March 13th. Am sorry to say that we are not doing anything special in the way of artificial illumination here at the ex- periment station. I believe that I am the first experiment station worker to be guilty of trying this out on the hens. Back in 1906, over in Michigan, we started this and had splendid suc- cess with the artificial light as compared with those birds with no light. Our long house in Michigan was especially adapted for that sort of thing, in that the ipartitions between all pens were solid and we illuminated every other pen after having carefully selected the birds, so that one pen was just about as good as the other at the start, and all that sort of thing. My records and observations at that time were received with a great deal of amusement by my Professor of Poultry coworkers who seemed to agree Husbandry, University of , . Wisconsin. Was one of with the daily press at that time the "ack"of'th°e use of 'hat it was a joke. I remember artificial light to increase one rather prominent agriculturalist egg pro4uotion. , ■ , , , r laughingly told me a farmer was not going to go out and hang a lantern in the chicken coop! The only publicity that I got was from one or two daily papers that thought it was a great joke and said I was trying to work the hens to lay two and three eggs a day. I believe the work has been carried on in Michigan at least part of the time since I left there. I have never been able to find the original data which I se- cured 'there in Michigan. When the practice began to become more popular, I, of course, was more anxious to secure the records that I left there, but they evidently had been destroyed. I have frequently recommended this plan to our com- mercial egg farmers and some of them are trying it out and have been trying it out for years with good success, in fact they would not return to no lighting. I started this illumination proposition entirely with the idea of get- ting data largely from an extension standpoint. For in- stance, at that time in Michigan a large per cent of our farmers that took fairly good care of their hens were feed- 70 ing a wet mash in the morning. It frequently happened that they did not get around to feed the wet mash until eight or nine o'clock, with the result that the hens sat on the roost and waited for the attendant to come with their breakfast. Other observations that I made at the same time showed that during the short days the hens would have practically empty crops by midnight and the theory suggested itself to me that the hen was simply a mill and that she was not equipped for running and man- ufacturing eggs on the basis of a short ^ eipH HR4. Ai>r!^1 to to to S«0S5 SS02SL m&s. AnrZO Jnaia. 2fi£2&. -TiyP.n ^eb&aJ JApraoljnBlfil GRAPH EMPHASIZING THE BENEFITS OF This graph is based on the two Cornell tahli 'LIGHTS" ON HENS AND PULLETS half is devoted to HENS andl compares the egg prod to June 15, 1919, of the "check pen" No. 21 (not illuminated "lighted" from 3 a. m. till dawn throughout the period and gave t duction during the entire period. Right half is devoted to PULLETS "check pen" No. 20 (not illuminated) with : duction of Pen highest and coi Pen 22, which had the that was results in pro- pares the pro- "Jio-htfl" from while Line A for each period, represents the yield of the birds under lights — hens in the on« case and pullets in the other case. It will be noted, for example, that the hens in the not- lighted pen for this period (November 4-June 15 inclusive) laid 1576 eggs, while the same number of hens (one less in fact) laid 1675 eggs in the same period. By referring to the right half of this chart, it will be noted that the not-lighted pullets during the period laid 1652 eggs, while the lighted birds (exactly the same number) laid 2127 eggs. The cost of "lights was insignificant, so the records proved. Laying quarters, care and feed were the same in both cases, as near as these factors could be regulated by human agency in a test meant to be fairly conducted. and purple from 125 to 149 eggs, while the black squares mean LESS than 100 eggs. "Now compare the two charts. You will note that 'without lights' NOT A SINGLE ONE of the birds reach- ed the 200-egg mark, although these not-lighted pullets presumably were the equal in every respect of the lighted birds, so far as we were able to judge, and they were housed similarly, fed similarly and had similar care. Over here on this chart that shows the lighted pen of pullets, we find one that shows by the blue checks that it passed the 200-egg mark, laying 223 eggs; that we have two birds that laid from 175 to 199 eggs, as shown by the red marks, averaging 191 eggs; that we have four birds that laid 150 to 174 eggs and that we have twelve among the pen of twenty-five birds that laid less than 100 eggs. "In the case of another pen of twenty-five pullefs un- der lights, four laid 200 or more, averaging 212; one 175 to 199; three 150 to 174, and only six laid less than 100 eggs. "Now look at Chart No. II, representing not- lighted birds and note what a large number of them, com- paratively speaking, (twenty) laid less than 124 eggs in the 48 weeks. Here there are no 'blue' hens at all! Not one of this lot was able to reach even 140 eggs, the best USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION five having laid between 125 and 139 eggs; ten laid between 100 and 124, and ten of them laid less than 100 eggs. This low yield from hens without lights perhaps was to have been expected from 'reject birds' that, if it had not been for our decision to put Ihem under lights, would have been sold on the local market for eating purposes. COiPARISON OP "LIGHTED" WITH "HOT LIGHTED' LEGHOBNS AT HEW YOBK STATE IHSTITUTIOH «c 53.4 52,6 •v gbO y \ 47.8^ y 48.Cib> < O / \ ^ 5 / 43. fy 1 ^ ,! / ■ / / / / 36.4^ / ^ 32.7 , o 30 /^ / 2d. 6 ^ / s 2$»3 / / 1 ^° / 16.7 / 15.5 10 Jan. 1 Ppb, JIatJ -Aiau_ Jfay Department of the New York State College of Agriculture, „_ _.. forth in tabular form on page 86. Line A represents the pro- duction (in percentages) of the lighted birds, while Line B shows the percentages from birds of equal merit kept in the same quarters the year before "without lights." Mr. Botsford and the General care and feeding we're the same, or practically good results are in keeping with many other similar tests made throughout the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and -- -ally m northern latitudes where the fall and winter nights longer than cithern territory. "Results like the above make us wonder whether men or hens are responsible for egg records and suggest the probability that many times the egg records have been the measure of the man rather than the hens. Verilv the responsibility of man is great. The responsibility clearly is equally divided between the inherited tendency of the fowl to lay and the methods and skill of the man. Hens have a right to be given a chance to do their best be- fore being consigned to the culling crate and to mar- ket. Under better care many a misjudged hen may be- come a creditable producer. Artificial light, properly ap- plied, is one of the most effective methods of enabling hens to lay what is in them to lay. This will be the hen's greatest joy in life and man's greatest reward in money and satisfaction. "These results furnish conclusive proof, so it would appear, that the lights immediately and materially im- prove the birds physically, doing this by helping them to function better, by giving them conditions more nat- ural to their organisms— conditions nearer to their orig- inal state when they enjoyed an equatorial day of twelve hours of sunlight on the average for each twelve hours of darkness. "Thus far, I am frank to say, in every test we have made here at Cornell in the use of artificial illumina- tion it has been decidedly favorable. This is the fact — and it is information to which you are entitled. As a result of these tests and developments, it is the inten- tion of the Poultry Department of Cornell to put on a state-wide campaign this coming fall in favor of the use of artificial illumination to increase egg production dur- ing the period of scarcity and high prices. We believe that we are fully justified in doing this and that the results will be wonderfully helpful to poultrymen and poultry- women who are keeping fowls for egg production, espe- cially those who keep quite large flocks and look to the sale of market eggs as an important source of income." Exhibit Showing "Influence of Illumination On Egg Pro- duction" In one of the classrooms in the Poultry Building at Cornell, during the week of the Second Annual Judging and Breeding School, there was a carefully arranged ex- hibit made up of trays of eggs and placards, the display bearing .this title: INFLUENCE OF ILLUMINATION ON EGG PRODUCTION Beneath the above wording was the following: T TPuTc ( 6 A. M. to Dawn No ^^^^^^ 1 Twilight to 9 P. M. ^*- Lights Average per period; average per bird. Below the foregoing was the "range of prices" (actual for Ithaca, N. Y., being two cents per dozen less than New York quotations, same dates) from November 28, 1917, to October 29, 1918, said prices being as follows: November 28 to December 25 69 cents December 26 to January 22 71 cents January 23 to February 19 59 cents February 20 to March 19 43 cents March 20 to April 16 38 cents April 17 to May 14 39 cents May IS to June 11 43 cents June 12 to July 9 48 cents July 10 to August 6 - 55 cents August 7 to September 3 61 cents September 4 to October 1 66 cents October 2 to October 29 82 cents On the table or long bench underneath each price placard for the stated period (placards tacked to the wall) were two small trays of eggs, one showing the actual number of eggs laid for the period at Cornell (average) by pullets "under lights" and the other tray showing the average number of eggs laid (under same conditions) by pullets of same quality, not under lights; then at the end of the long table were two big trays, one holding 141.38 eggs (141), representing the actual number laid by the average of the pullets under lights, and the other holding 106.99 eggs (107), representing the number laid on the average by pullets not under lights, and above these trays respectively, was the actual market value (Ithaca prices) of the eggs laid, showing that the average pullet under lights laid $6.31 worth of eggs from Novem- ber 28, 1917, to October 29, 1918, whereas the average pullet not under lights produced eggs worth $4.43, a dif- ference of $1.88 in favor of the same kind and quality of pullets under lights, given the same feed, care, etc. Then, along the same table, nearer the front, were two more rows of small trays and two big trays — these rep- resenting the same kind of a comparison for hens. The hens under lights averaged to lay 127.9 eggs with an ac- tual market value that year (Ithaca prices) of $5.61, whereas the same kind and quality of hens under lights averaged to lay 101.4, having a value of $4.04, thus illus- trating that the hen under lights averaged to earn $1.57 more per bird than did the average hen not under lights, based on the cash value, each month, of the eggs actually laid. And let it be kept in mind that these birds, both the pullets and hens, were rejects, the left-overs. This exhibit attracted much attention and furnished "favorable evidence" in an impressive form of the sur- prising — the astonishing benefits of the use of lights dur- INFLUENCE OF "ILLUMINATION" ON EGG PRODUCTION "CHARACTERS" ing the short-day period of the year, beginning as early as September 1st, in the North Temperate Zone and con- tinuing until March 21st, on the average, at which time the sunlit day is equal to the hours of darkness, after which the birds not under lights generally do as well, as a rule, as those under lights, although the experiments at Cornell, November 4, 1918, to June IS, 1919, would in- dicate that where lights are put on at 3 a. m., for ex- ample, and kept burning until dawn, the birds will be so far improved as to health, vigor, etc., that they can be expected to lay even more eggs clear through the spring than birds of equal quality which have not been given the benefit of the longer day and that do not begin to lay un- til two or three months later, starting perhaps in late January or during February. Such points as this are still to be tested until the limitations are found and rules of practice can be adopted, based on actual results many times repeated. Tables and Data on Which Eight of Colored Charts Are Based REFERENCE HERE IS MADE TO THE EIGHT THREE-COLOR CHARTS THAT ARE PUBLISHED ON PAGES 6, 7, 10 AND U OF THIS BOOK, SHOWING IN IMPRESSIVE FORM PRACTICALLY YEAR-LONG TESTS WHICH WERE MADE BY THE POULTRY DEPARTMENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, STARTING IN NOVEMBER, 1917, AND ENDING OCTOBER 29, 1918-^TABLES HEREWITH WERE OBTAINED BY THE COURTESY OF PROF. JAS. E. RICE, HEAD OF THE POULTRY DEPARTMENT AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY AS above stated, the tables herewith represent the actual egg production on which eight of the color plates shown in the forepart of this book (pages 6, 7, 10 and 11) are based. The eight tables also present a good deal of additional information th_at is of inter- est and value. First, it should be borne in mind that Prof. Rice reported, with reference to these hens and pullets (the entire number under lights during 1918 at Cornell) that they were "rejects'' — that is, birds that if it had not been the decision to make the test of the use of artificial light to increase egg production during the fall and win- ter, would have been sold on the daily market for table meat. These birds, both hens and pul- lets, were the "left-overs" after all ' ' ' specimens needed for other breeding ° ' .^ ^ work and instructional purposes had been picked out of the Cornell flocks. The foregoing facts explain, in large part, the low average produc- tion per hen and per pullet from these S. C. White Leghorns, both without lights and under lights. For hens that only 100.74 eggs and pullets only 127.94 eggs "without lights," is poor enough, while averages of 113.69, 126.42 and i+o 127.92 for hens "under lights" and av- erages of 126.59, 127.2 and 147.27 for pullets are averages that would not 30 satisfy the up-to-date fancier-breeder using trap nests, or the progressive commercial egg farmer — not by con- siderable, although it should be stated that these averages, such as they are, are above the averages for the nu- merous egg farms of New Jersey, one of our most progressive eastern states in the commercial egg-farming branch V^EKS of the industry. These tables (also the colored charts made therefrom) should be studied on a comparative basis — that is, how much better did the lighted hens do than the nonlighted hens, and how m^uch better did the lighted pul- lets do than the "check pen" of pul- lets without lights. According to the best judgment of Prof. Rice and his assistants in the Poultry Department at Cornell, all these hens and all these pullets were practically the same, as to their mediocre qualities; they were housed on an equality, and were fed the same, handled alike, etc. On that basis it is fair and enlightening to compare these lighted pens with the nonlighted pens, not only as to eggs laid and percentages of production, but also as to the cost of feed and the value of eggs above cost of feed, thus to determine the approximate benefit of "lights" even on inferior specimens such as these undoubtedly were. In this same connection it should be taken into ac- count that in no case were the results of these 1918 ex- VINELAND PRODUCTION 10 IS- ZO 2? 30 35 HO H-S- SO ' EGG PRODUCTION FOE GRAPHIC CHART SHOWING WEEKLY PERCENTAGE OP THREE YEABS AT VINELAND, N. J. Heavy black line shows pullet production, November 1, 1916-October 31, 1917, inclusive; dotted line shows production of original pullets as yearling hens, November 1, 1917-October 31, 1918, inclusive; lighter black line shows production of pullets, November 1, 1918, to No- vember 1, 1919, these pullets being bred at Vineland from the yearlings here mentioned. Note that the pullets bred at Vineland laid remarkably well the first fifteen weeks of the period; that they excelled their mothers as pullets during the entire twelve months, except for a day or two in the sixteenth or seventeenth week and for two or three days in about the twenty-third week, also for a short period at end of year. Observe that at about the twenty-fifth to twenty-eighth week, these 1,000 pullets touched the 70 per cent production line, which meant 700 eggs per day for a period of several days. This chart contrasts in the clearest manner pullet and yearling production, and emphasizes the inferiority of hens as early winter layers. If they are to be made more profitable at this season, lights must be used, and there is no objection whatever to doing this if the hens are not to be placed in breeding pens later en. 90 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION May, June, etc., but in the later experiments at CorneH (November 4, 1918-June 15, 1919) the birds under lights continued to lay more eggs right through the flush sea- son, notably in the cases of pens that had the lights from 3 a. m. until dawn. periments equal to the remarkable egg yield secured at Cornell from November 4, 1918, to June IS, 1919, with different lots of hens and pullets, especially those pens (one of hens and one of pullets) that had the benefit of lights from 3 a. m. every morning until dawn. In these 1918 experiments (see tables below) the reject hens and pullets did not hold up so well in egg production dur- ing the flush season of the year, namely: March, April," DATA SECURED IN ONE-YEAR LIGHTING TESTS CONDUCTED BY POULTRY DEPARTMENT OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND GRAPHICALLY PRESENTED IN COLORED CHARTS ON PAGES 6, 7, 10 AND 11 TABLE No. 1— PKODUCTION OF CHECK PEN OF HENS WITH AETIFICIAL LIGHT CoraeU University, Ithaca, N. T. ittention is here called to an error whicli occurred in ginal drawing for Color Plate VIII (page 11) illustrat- - -- For the period June 13-July 11, the solid production should he helow the dotted line instead of ahove. The percentage (32.6) is correct. NOTE: making the ing Tabl TABLE No. 5— PEODUCTION OF HENS THAT HAD LIGHTS DURING EVENINGS ONLY, TILL 9 P. M. Cornell University, Ithaca, N. T. Hens Lights 9:00 P.M. Nov. 38-Dec. 25 Dec. 26-Jan. 22 Jan. 23Peb. 19 Feb. 20-Mar. 19 Mar. 20-Apr 16 Apr. 17-May 14 May 15-June 13 June 12July 9 July lO-Augnst 6 August 7-Sept. 3 Sept. 4-Oct. 1 310 46.1 289 43.0 224 33.3 80 11.9 2.07 6.39 7.85 12.97 12.40 13.24 11.38 Cost Feed 5.02 5.04 4.71 3.42 59.06 Value Eggs Feed per Above Feed Doz. Eggs 4.33 121.80 5.25 4.42 4.73 7.49 8.72 7.22 —.31 —1.57 38.72 1.59 Date Nov. 28-Dec. 25 Dec. 26-Jan. 22 Jan. 23-Peb. 19 Feb. 20-Mar. 19 Mar. 20-Apr. 16 Apr. 17-May 14 Mav 15-June 11 June 12-July 9 July 10- Aug. 6 Aug. 7-Sept. 3 Sept. 4-Oct. 1 Oct. 2-Oct. 29 Totals Averages Mort- Eggs Percent Value aUty Laid Prod. Eggs 188 26.8 10.81 36.8 15.27 36.4 12.24 42.7 10.28 Value Eggs Feec Above Feed Doz. ; 4.42 10.03 258 854 52. e 1 265 40.1 L.21 10.77 7.59 7.65 7.46 7.73 7.17 4.95 5.10 4.17 4.21 5.11 69.85 3.11 8.41 4.78 2.55 4.04 4.41 6.73 6.60 3.38 2.54 46.05 24.9 8.45 9.2» 8.38 6.56 7.58 5.36 7.09 6.51 6.51 10.28 16.26 7.96 TABLE No. B— PEODUCTION OF CHECK PEN OF PULLETS WITH NO AETIFICIAL LIGHT Cornell University, Ithaca, N. TABLE No. 6— PEODUCTION OF PULLETS THAT HAD LIGHTS DUEING EVENINGS ONLY, TILL 9 P. M. Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. PuUets Noughts Pullets Lights 9:00 P. M. te Mort- Eggs Percent Value Cost Value Eggs Feed per Date Mort- Eggs Percent Cost Value Egg. Feed per alitj Jfd Prod. Eggs Feed Above Feed Doz. Eggs ality Laid Prod. Eggs Feed Above Feed Dos. Eggs Nov. 28-Dec. 25 Dec 26-Jan 22 157 22 4 9.03 6.12 2.91 11.52 Nov. 28-Deo. 25 112 16.0 6.44 5.88 .56 15.33 23.1 9.59 5.81 3.78 11.38 Dec. 26-Jan. 22 333 47.6 10.70 7.30 12.40 6.94 Jan" 23-Fel> 19 223 31.8 10.96 6.00 4.96 8.33 Jan. 23-Feb. 19 370 52.9 18.19 7.98 10.21 6.66 Feb. 20-Mar". 19 Mar. 20-Apr. 16 Apr. 17-May 14 May 15-June 11 June 12-July 9 348 14.7 12.47 7.10 5.37 6.39 Feb. 20-Mar. 19 375 53.6 13.44 7.61 5.83 6.81 441 13.97 7.02 6.95 5.16 Mar. 20-Apr. 16 368 52.6 11.65 6.55 5.10 5.75 390 55!5 12.68- 5.59 7.09 4.71 Apr. 17-May 14 May 15-June H 296 42.3 9.62 5.54 4.08 6.18 270 38.5 9.68 4.57 5.11 5.67 267 38.1 9.57 4.23 5.34 5.81 254 36.2 10.16 5.80 4.36 7.67 June 12-July 9 1 259 37.9 10.36 5.34 5.02 6.91 189 27.0 4.87 3.79 8.48 July 10-Attg. 6 247 36.9 11.32 5.05 6.27 6.73 I 117 17.3 5"95 5.26 .69 14.92 Aug. 7-Sept. 3 1 184 27.5 9.35 5.47 8.88 9.82 62 9.2 3.41 5.06 —1.65 27.83 Sept. 4-Oet. 1 149 23.1 8.20 4.90 3.30 11.23 2 50 7.7 3.42 4.31 — .89 30.43 Oct. 2-Oct. 29 134 20.8 9.15 4.56 4.59 12.18 Totals 3 2663 109.98 67.51 42.47 Totals 2 3094 136.99 70.41 66.58 Averagea 107.94 4.46 2.74 1.72 8.23 Averages 126.59 5.61 2.88 2.72 7.36 TABLE No. S— PEODUCTION OF HENS WITH LIGHTS, 7 A.M. TABLE No. 7- -PEODUCTION OF HENS 1 THAT HAD LIGHTS, AND 7 P. M. 6 A .. M.— ' 9 P.M. Cornell University -. Ithaca, N. Y. Cornell University, Ithaca, , N. Y. Hens 7:00 A. M. —7 P .M. Lights Hen Lights 6:00 A.M. —9:00 P. M * Mort- • Eggs Percent Value Cost Value Eggs Feed per Date Mort- - Eggs Percent Value Value Eggs Peed per ality lifd Prod. Eggs Feed Above Peed Doz. Eggs ality Laid Prod. Eggs Seed Above Feed Dor. Eggs Nov. 28-Deo. 25 80 11 4 4.60 5.85 — 1.25 21.54 Nov. 28-Dec. 25 142 20.3 8.16 5.48 2.68 11.21 Dec 26-Jan 22 2 150 22.9 4.98 3.90 10.45 Dec. 26-Jan. 22 252 36.0 14.91 5.90 9.01 7.38 Jan 23-Feb 19 246 38.1 12!l0 5.95 6.15 7.43 Jan. 23-Feb. 19 2 222 33.4 10.92 5.15 5.77 7.06 Feb" 20-Mar 19 296 45 9 10.6 6.11 4.49 6.40 Feb. 20-Mar. 19 2 284 46.6 10.17 5.19 4.98 5.61 Mar". 20-Apr! 16 Apr. 17-May 14 May 15-June 11 June 12-Jaly 9 Jnly 10- Aug. 6 Aug. 7-Sept. 3 Sept. 4-Oct. 1 Oct 2-Oct 29 373 57.9 11.81 7.25 4.56 8.29 Mar. 20-Apr. 16 308 52.3 9.75 5.74 4.01 5.98 336 52.1 10.92 6.05 4.87 5.93 Apr. 17-May 14 May 15-June 11 317 53.9 10.30 5.42 297 46.1 10.64 5.18 5.46 5.84 801 51.1 10.78 4:58 6.20 i'i2 1 231 37.0 9.24 4.90 4.34 7.11 June 12-July 9 243 42.0 9.72 4.21 5.51 5.78 220 85.7 10.08 4.54 5.54 6.78 July 10 Aug. 6 1 231 43 1 10.58 4.24 6.34 6.02 1 143 24.1 7.27 5.01 2.26 11.53 Aug. 7-Sept. 3 156 29.3 7.93 3.46 4.47 7.80 1 79 13.8 4.34 3.85 .49 16.26 Sept. 4-Oct. 1 110 21.4 6.05 3.87 2.18 11.78 99 17.6 6.77 4.11 2.66 14.61 Oct. 2-Oct. 29 137 27.2 9.35 4.80 4.55 12.80 ""'"Totals 5 2550 107.25 63.78 43.47 Totals 7 2703 118.62 57.50 61.12 Averages 127.2 5.46 2.77 2.69 7.16 Averages 127.92 5.6 2.72 2.89 6.84 TABLE No. 4- -PEODUCTION OF PULLETS WITH LIGHTS, TABLE No. 8— •PEODUCTION OF PULLETS THAT HAD LIGHTS. 7 A. M. AND 7 P. 1 W. 6 A .. M.— 9 P. M. CorueU University, Ithaca, N. Y. CorneU University, Ithaca, N. Y. PuUete Lights 7 A. M. —7 P . M. PuUets lights 6:00 A.M.— 9:00 PJU. Date Mort - Eggs Percent Value Cost Value Eggs Feed per Date Mort - Eggs Percent Value Coat Value Eggs Peed per allty Laid Prod. Eggs Feed Above Feed Doz. Eggs alltj ■ Laid Prod. Eggs Peed Above Feed Dos. Eggs Nov 28-Dec 25 153 21.6 8.80 6.14 11.81 Nov. 28-Dec. 25 256 14.72 6.65 8.07 7.65 Dec. 26-Jan. 22 214 30.5 12.66 5.57 7;09 8.23 Dec. 26 Jan. 22 380 54:2 22.48 I-?f 15.22 6.03 Jan. 23-Feb. 19 309 44.1 15.19 6.23 8:96 6.21 Jan. 23-Feb. 19 381 54.4 18.73 6.88 ^Hl 5.58 Feb 20-Mar. 19 387 55.2 13.89 6.53 7.36 5.25 Feb. 20-Mar. 19 420 60.0 15.05 7.07 7.98 is^ Mar. 20-Apr. 16 405 57.8 12.83 6.18 6.65 4.94 Mar. 20-Apr. 16 1 423 61.8 13.40 6.97 6.43 5.33 Apr. 17-May 14 1 342 49.7 11.12 6.18 4.94 5.95 Apr. 17-May 14 1 370 55.3 12.02 5.68 ?-^t 5.04 May 15-June 11 289 43.0 10.35 4.86 5.49 5.64 May 15-June 11 2 264 43.8 9.46 4.03 5.43 f-19 June 12-July 9 1 247 38.0 9.88 5.69 4.19 7.74 June 12-July 9 192 32.6 7.68 4.65 3.03 8.71 '^V^^lti 3 217 37.0 9.94 4.26 5.68 6.47 July 10-Aug. 6 1 202 34.8 9.26 4.10 5.16 6.64 159 28.4 4.03 4.05 8.37 Aug. 7 Sept.3 147 26.2 7.47 4.92 2.55 ll-ii Sept. 4-Oct. 1 Oct. 2-Oct. 29 1 89 16.3 4190 4.36 .54 16.48 Sept. 4-Oct. 1 92 16.4 5.06 4.46 .60 16.27 117 21.9 8.00 3.72 4.28 11.22 Oct. 2-Oct. 29 159 28.4 10.87 5.75 5.12 12.78 Totals 6 2928 125.64 63.75 61.89 Totals 5 3286 146.20 68.42 77.78 Averages 127.2 5.46 2.77 2.69 7.16 Averages 145.27 6.46 3,02 6.76 How Mr. and Mrs. Shoup Discovered the Benefit of "Lights" PLAIN STATEMENT OF HOW THESE TWO EARNEST WORKERS ON THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST, PUTTING IN OVERTIME AND WITH A DETERMINATION TO MAKE GOOD IN THEIR POULTRY VENTURE, DISCOVERED INDEPENDENTLY THAT A LONGER WORKDAY FOR THEIR SHOULD-BE LAYERS MEANT AN INCREASED PRODUCTION DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS, ALWAYS THE HIGH-PRICED PERIOD FOR NEW-LAID EGGS By MR. AND MRS. GEO. R. SHOUP, Poultry Specialists, fVeste /^, while that of Pen No. 2 was $3.77;^. For the following five weeks the average weekly feed cost of Pen No. 1 was $3.02, and of Pen No. 2, $3.29. This is almost wholly due to the fact that the January- hatched birds in pullet molt had regained their plumage, and those of the May hatch had fully matured. These two needs were no longer ev- ident, so the ration was changed by slight re- ductions in various feeds, bringing the total costs down as indicated. COMPARISON OF METHODS OF MANAGING PULLETS FOR EGG YIELDS 95 Pen No. 1— Ration Tenth Week Per day 10 qts. sprouted oats equals 35 lbs. per wk., at $24.50....$ .43 4 lbs. clabbered milk equals 28 lbs. per week, at 20c per 100 05 10 qts. mixed grain equals 105 lbs. per week, at $32.20.. 1.69 S'A lbs. mixed mash equals 22 lbs. per week, at $32.40 .36 1 large or 2 small mangels (split) per day. 1 large or 2 small kale stalks per day. $2.53 Pen No. 2— Ration Tenth Week Per day 10 qts. sprouted oats equals 35 lbs. per wk., at $24.50....$ .43 4 qts. clabbered milk equals 28 lbs. per week, at 20c per 100 - OS 8 qts. mixed grain equals 84 lbs. per week, at $33.60.. 1.41 6 lbs. mixed mash equals 42 lbs. per week, at $34.40 72 1 pt. blood equals 1^4 qts. per week, at 25c 11 Gasoline, 3c a day 21 1 large or 2 small mangels per day. 1 large or 2 small stalks of kale per day. $2.93 Statement— Pen No. 1 (Without Lights) First Five Weeks 1st week 76 eggs at 4Sc per doz. $2.85; cost of feed $3.29 2nd week 107 eggs at 46c per doz. 4.10; cost of feed 3.29 3rd week 128 eggs at 4Sc per doz.- 4.80; cost of feed 3.29 4th week 155 eggs at 43c per doz. 5.55; cost of feed 3.4S 5th week 186 eggs at 42c per doz. 6.51; cost of feed 3.45 652 $23.81 $16.77 Profit over cost of feed, $7.04. Statement — Pen No. 1 — Second Five Weeks 6th week 194 eggs at 38c per doz. $6.14; cost of feed $3.45 7th week 191 eggs at 36c per doz. 5.73; cost of feed 3.29 8th week 230 eggs at 34c per doz. 6.52; cost of feed 3.29 9th week 264 eggs at 33c per doz. 7.26; cost of feed 2.53 10th week 270 eggs at 33c per doz. 7.42; cost of feed 2.53 U49 $33.07 $15.09 Profit over cost of feed, last five weeks $17.98 Profit over cost of feed, first five weeks 7.04 Statement— Pen No. 2 (With Lights) First Five Weeks 1st week 97 eggs at 45c per doz. $3.64; cost of feed $3.62 2nd week 223 eggs at 46c per doz. 8.53; cost of feed 3.77 3rd week 392 eggs at 45c per doz. 14.70; cost of feed 4.12 4th week 414 eggs at 43c per doz. 14.84; cost of feed 4.23 Sth week 466 eggs at 42c per doz. 16.31; cost of feed 4.23 1,592 $58.02 $19.97 Profit over cost of feed, $38.05. Statement— Pen No. 2— Second Five Weeks 6th week 485 eggs at 38c per doz. $15.35; cost of feed $3.88 7th week 477 eggs at 36c per doz. 14.31; cost of feed 3.36 8th week 463 eggs at 34c per doz. 13.11; cost of feed 3.36 9th week 442 eggs at 33c per doz. 12.15; cost of feed 2.93 10th week 421 eggs at 33c per doz. 11.57; cost of feed 2.93 2,288 $66.49 $16.46 Profit over cost of feed, first five weeks .$38.05 Profit over cost of feed, last five weeks 50.03 Total $88.08 All the station flocks not included in the foregoing demonstration were confined during the month of Novem- ber, and the open fronts of the poultry houses were fit- ted with muslin curtains. December 1st found most of the pullets quite well matured but not many of them lay- ing. Most of the hens had completed the molt but prac- tically none of them were laying. December 6th lanterns were hung in all of the houses, and the feeding schedule followed with Demonstration Pen No. 2 was adopted. The station flocks, not including the demonstration pens, consist of 70 Orpington pullets, 19 Orpington hens, 56 Barred Rock pullets, 20 Barred Rock hens, 247 S. C. W. Leghorn hens, 6 White Wyandotte pullets, making a total of 418. These birds were in two compartment houses, each breed being penned separately, the hens and pullets of each breed likewise being in separate pens. The weekly production of these birds (286 hens and 132 pullets), be- ginning December 6, follows: 1st wk. 2nd wk. 3rd wk. 4th wk. Sth wk, 6th wk. ..144 ..239 ..$25.02 Hens. - Pullets Total 383 Aver, per day... .54 447 325 786 487 551 664 HEN WITH UNIFORM CYCLES AND UNIFORM RHYTHM The two terms used above describe respectively, the frequency and regul; ft day. Rhythm is the uniformity and rate of repetition of the cycli egg record is shown in above illustration began laying in November -^ — sometimes four, and these cycles were regularly repeated with a i: day between. During the winter her cycle was reduced to two, but these were repeated regu larly with the lapse of only a single day, showing unusually good rhythm during these two months. In the heavy producing season her cycles averaged longer, but rhythmic repetition thout missing The hen whose daily cycle of three eggs form lapse of only of the (By courtesy of the New Jersey Agricultural Exper 772 1,273 1,540 1,750 1,507 110 181 220 250 215 The total egg production of the 418 birds for the six weeks amoonted to 20 cases of 30 dozen eggs each. During this period all the flock, both hens and pullets, were fed alike and this will naturally raise the question of the advisability of such a procedure. The need of having practically all the breeders laying showed plainly. These birds had to be gotten i.ito lay- ing prior to the date when hatching eggs will be needed, as the first eggs are liable to run irregular in form and shell. As soon as the Coast weather conditions return, the breeders which have already struck their normal laying gait will be put on the breeders' ration. When the workday was length- ened for these birds, hens and pullets, by the use of lights, and their ration was adapted to their needs, and fed according to a regular schedule, they began responding at once. While they were giving only a 13 per cent egg yield a day the first week, they yield- ed 26 per cent the second week, 43 per cent the third week, 53 per cent the fourth week, 60 per cent the fifth week, and 51 per cent the sixth week, notwithstanding that severe winter weather prevailed the last four weeks. NOTE: Above article is reprinted from The Monthly Bulletin of the Agricultural Ex- periment Station, State College of Washing- ton, January and February 1916. Essentials for Getting Fall and Winter Eggs IN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE MR. AND MRS. SHOUP GIVE GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF POULTRY KEEPERS WHO WISH TO KNOW SOME OF THE EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS FOR SECURING EGGS DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS, WITH OR WITHOUT "LIGHTS," BUT ESPECIALLY WHERE "LIGHTS" ARE USED— THEY TELL WHAT TO FEED, WHEN TO FEED, AND HOW TO FEED IN ORDER TO GET PROLIFIC EGG YIELDS— THESE TWO POULTRY INVESTIGATORS SPEAK AND WRITE FROM PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE — THEY HAVE PUT THEIR THEORIES TO THE TEST AND THEREFORE ARE IN A POSITION TO GIVE SOUND ADVICE By MR. AND MRS. GEO. R. SHOUP, Puyallup, ffaihitigic EVERY owner of poultry is vitally interested in get- ting eggs at this season. It is well worth while to study the flock on hand now (early fall) first to discover its possibilities, and second to provide for its needs. Knowing that the hens can be expected to produce not more than 10 per cent during the next three months shows that the pullets (females hatched this spring) must be the money producers during this season. The skill shown in mating, hatching and raising this year's flock will now manifest itself in the well-matured, happy, industrious young pullets. The nearly full-grown pullets which have already acquired their winter feathers show, upon examination on the perch at night, full large Protection from cold winds. Ample hard-surfaced floor. Dust bath. Sanitary conditions. EGG BECOED OP A LAYING HEN WITH GOOD CYCLES The hen whose egg record is presented above laid 192 eggs in a year, and during the heavy-laying season had a cycle of three, repeated regularly with a lapse of only one day hetween. In the winter, however, her cycles were one and two, and the rhythm also was irregular. Compare this record card with the other two shown herewith, one of which shows much better cycle and rhythm, while the other is decidedly poor in both respects. Card show; actual trap-nest production. (By courtesy of the New Jersey Agricultu ' '^ crops, plump breasts and vigorous muscle development. All such pullets from "bred-to-lay" stock will use to the best advantage the material furnished them for egg mak- ing, and where housed and cared for intelligently will lay from 120 to 280 eggs each during the pullet year. By Oc- tober first, Leghorn pullets should be from five to seven months old, and heavier breeds from six to eight months, for best results. Housing The essential points in housing for winter egg pro- duction are: 1. Fresh air. 2. Light. 3. Warmth. Fresh Air, the first requisite, is supplied by an open- ing facing the direction least exposed to the severe storms,- combined with that giving maximum sunshine. This open- ing should extend the entire length of the laying house and should be at least four feet high. The southeast ex- posure gives the maximum early morning sunshine in this latitude, but east or south exposures will give satisfactory results. When the curtain is closed, top ventilators are neces- sary, as sufficient circulation of air cannot be secured through the muslin curtain. These top ventilators should be adjustable to suit weather condi- tions. Some fresh air must be admit- ted at the bottom of. the coop also, either from the windows under the- droppings boards or from some bot- tom ventilators. Light is supplied primarily from the front opening, and the coop will be sufficiently well lighted when the curtain is closed, as long as the cur- tain is clean. When the curtain has become soiled from long usage the ght should be supplemented by roof skylights in the peak-roof type of house, and by windows over the op- ening in the shed-roof type. When the days begin 'to shorten so that birds cannot see to eat, arti- ficial lights must be supplied at abuut 6 a. m. These are used to piece out the daylight both in the morning and evening. The light best adapted for coop lighting w-here electricity is not obtainable is the gasoline mantle lan- tern. These produce a very goo 1 sub- Do not abuse this lighting program; E.xperiment Statio stitute for sunshine. too much light at 'night will wear out the fowls. Warmth is supplied by the hens themselves, conse- quently the roof must be comparatively low and air-tight to retain the heat. 'The curtain also retains the heat of the fowls and is closed every night of freezing or blustery weather as well as during all stormy days. Protection From Cold Winds. A high windshield in front, even if the opening is narrowed to thirty inches as in a well-known type of house, does not afford sufficient protection from cold winds in winter. Without a curtain the fowls will bunch together under the droppings boards and will cease to exercise more than enough to find the feed ESSENTIALS FOR GETTING FALL AND WINTER EGGS 3. C .White leghorn. Oaklaiid Faxra. ^5 )^X. necessary for existence. Whenever this bunching occurs the fowls are uncomfortable and the curtain should be closed immediately. Hard-Surfaced Floor. The hard-surfaced floor of boards, concrete or asphalt is absolutely necessary to maintain good litter conditions. It has been proved on many occasions that confined fowls will not maintain a maximum egg production without the use of good clean litter, and it is impossible to keep it clean on earth floors. Dust Bath. The dust bath, which is always accessible to birds when on range, must be supplied indoors when fowls are confined. This must be placed where the di- rect rays of the sun strike it at some period of the day. The dust can be any loamy dirt which does not pack too easily, and will require frequent moistening. Confined fowls require a certain amount of real mud to eat, and will eat droppings if this is not provided. Sanitary Conditions. The problem of sanitation is too large to discuss fully in this article. It consists primarily in keeping everything scrupulously clean and free from ac- cumulated droppings, of daily scrubbing the water pails and, most important of all, of removing the litter when it becomes damp. Feeding The general principles underlying all systems of feeding are: First, as much variety as possible and an abundance of feed. Second, regular times for feeding. Third, long enough intervals be- tween meals to insure keen appetites. With Leghorn pullets there is al- most no danger of overfeeding, be- cause of their active natures, but with the heavy breeds it is quite frequently necessary to close the dry mash hop- pers by 2 p. m. to make sure that the birds will eat enough grain at the eve- ning feed. Early Morning Feed — To make the best egg record possible, pul- lets must be induced to get up early and get to work. The sprouted oats are used for the sole morning feed for the following reasons: First, sprouted oats are more pal- atable than any other form of grain, and if fed in 4 to 6 inches of dry lit- ter will insure the strenuous exercise required to dry off the sweaty plum- age caused by the birds crowding to- gether on the perches for warmth, or to bring up the circulation of those birds that happened to have been too widely separated on the perches. This exercise is the only natural preventive for many of the intestinal and respiratory diseases. Second, sprouted oats are probably the most quickly digested of any of the available poultry feeds and it is quite important that the morning meal shall have been fully digested and the nourishment assimilated before the afternoon feed of hard grain is given. The fowls are thus .certain to have keen appetites. Third, sprouted oats make a welcome variety to Mrs. Hen's bill of fare, which in too many instances consists of nothing but wheat, varied occasionally by dry oats or kafir corn. Fourth, sprouted oats are the cheapest known poultry grain in most markets. Water and Milk. The hen's egg is estimated to be from 68 per cent to 74 per cent water and it is or should be plentiful on every poultry ranch. The experienced feeder will make sure that the birds have fresh water sup- plied at least twice a day. Clabbered milk is far more palatable than skim milk. If the latter is used, feeders should be cautioned against giving sweet milk one day and sour milk or buttermilk the next. Buttermilk is preferred to the clabber by some feed- ers because it is not so palatable and there is no danger of the birds eating too much of it and becoming physiced. Six quarts of clabber to the hundred birds seems to be about the right amount, and if the allowance is limited to this amount there is no trouble from this source. All milk must be fed in clean vessels as a sanitary measure, milk being an ideal culture for the growth of disease germs. Why the Wet Mash is Not Fed in the Morning or at Noon. The wet mash when fed in the morning is highly relished because the fowls are hungry and wish to fill up with the least possible delay. Because of its consistency it has to be fed in troughs. The birds line up and eat to repletion without one particle of exercise and stand around and loaf all the rest of the day, thus retarding digestion, taking on fat, and frequently catching cold. Objections to a Square Meal at Noon. Many feeders use the noon hour as the time for feeding the wet mash, and others feed the sprouted oats with long green sprouts or green feed at this time. The principal objection to feeding at this hour is that the edge is taken off the ap- petites for the afternoon feed and it is very difficult to send the 'birds to roost with the expanded crop so essential for the eggs the next day. It is no hardship to deny the hens a noon feed, as the dry mash hoppers are before them all the time and they can easily consume enough of this balanced ration to last till the heavy grain feed. Afternoon Feed — Mixed Grain. The heavy grain is 9s Irenton JBnct. New Jersey. a.9 a. 7 4.2 4.4 ^^ W U7 jAI isl MOTat - Sept. lat. EGG RECORD OF A HEN WITH POOR CYCLES AND RHYTHM This bird was a poor winter layer and showed no uniformity either in cycle or rhythm, except for a short time during the heavy-laying period. Hens with poor cycles and poor rhythm are rarely, if ever, good layers. Card shows official production. (By courtesy of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.) fed in the middle of the afternoon, always in clean, dry litter and early enough so that the fowls will have ample time to exercise and eat all the grain, shell and water which may be required to satisfy their appetites. In win- ter the amount of cracked corn fed to the laying pullets is increased to about two parts wheat and one of corn, and decreased to the old hens to about one-fourth part cracked corn so that the latter will not take on too much fat. Neither dry oats nor kafir corn is palatable to heavy layers and both are largely wasted in the litter, so even at the increased cost now prevailing, wheat and corn are the cheapest hard grain feeds for egg production. Early Evening Feed — Wet Mash. Feeding the ex- tremely palatable wet mash, containing a liberal amount of fresh animal food, after the grain feed and just as the birds are going to roost is, we believe, the logical time. By feeding it after the grain there is no danger of the sour or packed crop, as the mash is worked into the hol- lows between the kernels of grain, and the crop although expanded to the limit is easily flexed by the muscles and the feed is passed on as the various organs require it. The wet mash affords the best medium for distributing and feed- ing an equal amount of the animal protein to each bird. iLights for the Poultry House. The cost of artificial lighting varies considerably. Electricity, of course, is the most convenient. At 20 cents a gallon for gasoline, the USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION gasoline mantle lights cost about 3 cents a day to oper- ate, or less than one additional egg. These lanterns will throw a sufficiently strong light so that birds can see to eat the grain in the litter 15 feet each side of the lantern, so space lights IS feet from the end of the coop and 30 feet apart; 40-watt electric lights should be spaced about 20 feet apart to give good results. Night Feed— Why the Kale is Fed by Artificial Light Immediately after the wet mash is fed, or before, if the afternoon is very dark, the lights are turned on and biddy is left to her own devices until about half past seven o'clock, when the kale is brought in and fed in racks or suspended from the ceiling. It will be noticed that many of the birds have gone to roost at this time in spite of the brilliant artificial light. The green feed has been kept away from the fowls purposely since about twelve o'clock. If any was left from the night before, at this time it is taken out of the coop. Thus the one thing lacking to complete the full ration is brought on several hours after the crops had once been filled to the limit. All of the roosting fowls are induced to come down and fill up on the succulent green feed. The kale is not a balanced ration in itself, so the birds will also eat a considerable amount" of hard grain and dry mash to balance the kale. Why the Birds Are Shut In The birds must be confined all the time to the laying house. Do not let them out on nice days, because then they are continually trying to get out on stormy ones and are discontented. After they have once been shut in for four consecutive days they cease to worry about the bug outdoors, and after several weeks of confinement more of them will stay in the house than go out when given the opportunity. October and November 1916. Maintenance of Eg^ Production During Winter IN THIS ARTICLE THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE AT CONSIDERABLE LENGTH THE PITFALLS THAT ARE IN WAIT FOR OVERZEALOUS OR CARELESS POULTRY KEEPERS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO USE "LIGHTS" AND THOSE WHO DO NOT-NATURALLY IT IS NOT ALL SMOOTH SAILING, OTHERWISE BOOKS OF THIS KIND WOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED AND ALL POULTRY KEEPERS WOULD BE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, WITH THE RESULT THAT EGGS FOR TABLE USE AND POULTRY AS HUMAN FOOD WOULD BOTH BE A DRUG ON THE MARKET-INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE COUNT IN THE POULTRY FIELD, JUST AS THEY DO IN ALL OTHER WALKS OF LIFE BylMR. ANDIMRS. GEORGE'R. SHOUP. Puyallup, Pf^ashingtou PRIDE goeth before a fall. Just as soon as you take time to congratulate yourself on the exceptionally fine fall egg production you are having, prepare to have the conceit taken out of you by some unexpected condition. causing a slump. Even a false molt may over- take you. In anticipation of the natural difficulties aug- mented by special local conditions, we will review the fac- tors which make high egg production possible in Octo- ber and November, and then show what to do to keep it up in December, January and February. Those birds over a year old, of high vigor and good type, with egg records of 150 or more for their first year's laying, are not considered when we speak of fall and winter production, it being assumed that they are go- ing through the molt and resting prior to producing hatch- ing eggs from which next season's laying flock is to come. Do not mix them with your pullet flock of fall and win- ter cash-income birds. Review of Method of Getting Fall Production (1) Use matured pullets, preferably March or April hatched, taken off range and kept constantly in the house until spring breaks. (2) A house flooded with daylight, well ventilated, having a good dust bath, and an unbleached muslin cur- tain for the open front; artificial lights to give spring length of day; and ample hard-surfaced floor space cov- ered from four to six inches deep with clean litter. (3) A laying ration in which hard grains, mill feeds, succulent green feed and animal protein are rightly pro- portioned. (4) Maintenance of the health of the flock, by san- itation and judgment in feeding and regularity in caring for the birds. And bear in mind that to get 50 to 70 per cent egg yields from October to December — to bring egg production completely under the control of the caretaker at this time, requires the combination of ALL these factors. Pitfalls The first and hardest problem to combat is the dan- ger of a too-high early production. It is only natural, when eggs are soaring and the poultryman has a clear demonstration of the effect of artificial daylight and the lOFUCUI sc Thii ANOTHER HIGH EGG PRODUCTION WHITE ROOK photograph shows a good quality, standard-^bred VHiite th Rock that laid 304 marketable eggs in 365 consecutive days at the Missouri National Egg Laying Contest for the year ending October 31, 1917. as reported by C. T. Patterson, in charge of the contest. This bird, without being put in show con- dition, scored 92 % points. Note her remarkable production, month by month, for the year, as follows: December, 23 eggs; January, 24; February, 23; March, 26; April, 24; May, 24; June, 27; July, 28; August, 30; September, 28; October, 24; November, 23. No "lights" - . - - iternational mg MAINTENANCE OF EGG PRODUCTION DURING WINTER 99 rich animal protein mash, that he will overdo it and crowd the birds past their powers of assimilation. The first danger signs of this condition are: 1. Birds dying from ovary trouble, usually a broken ■egg in the oviduct, for which there is no cure. 2. Birds becoming lame or totally paralyzed. This ail- TOient is often falsely called rheumatism. It is easily cured by placing birds in a box by a hot stove and allowing their backs to get thoroughly warmed. A J^-grain calo- mel tablet for a physic is also used in conjunction with this heat treatment. The afflicted birds should be kept out of the lighted laying house, and all rich animal feeds restricted for a week or ten days, so that they may re- cuperate. Kale or mangels and sprouted oats are the best diet during this period. The cause of this ailment is thought to be a gas pressure in the intestinal tract due to indigestion, which produces a condition not unlike cramps in humans. This trouble will be more prevalent in cold weather. Both of these troubles can be largely controlled by reducing the hours of lighting, thus reducing the feed consumption and as- similation; by reducing the amount of animal protein foods and increas- ing the bulky feeds — short-sprouted oats, and kale or mangels; by the addition of more bran in the mash and a reduction of the corn and wheat proportionately. The black-tipped comb is a sign of indigestion, usually caused by an unbalanced ration of too much wheat without enough fibrous feed such as germinated oats to carry it through. Too much starch, as in potatoes, shows the same black flag. Usually a couple of J4-grain calomel tablets will relieve this condition, but the cure is a change of ration. The white or pale comb is harder to combat. It is a sure sign that the bird is working past her power of recuperation. Too much blood and vitality are demanded by the intesti- nal tract. A good physic and few days' rest in a quiet place, with non- stimulating feed, is the best treat- ment. The birds must maintain a fair amount of flesh on their breastbones to keep up the pace. If the point of the breastbone registers what Mr. Hogan would call "two out of condi- tion," with perhaps one-half or three-eighths of an inch of the bone and skin protruding past the flesh, this is a sure sign that the bird is drawing on its stored-up energy and will have to stop laying so heavily or die. Another sign of an overtaxed digestive system is the false molt. This will occur more often when an unusually cold January is draining the vitality to such an extent that the digestive organs refuse to work for a period, causing a partial starving of the fowl, which in turn causes a molt. It is a mistake to try for an abnormal production in very cold weather. It is best at such a time to cut down the animal food and the high vegetable proteins such as soy bean meal and oil meal, and to increase the bulky feeds at the expense of the concentrates. Cleanliness is a matter of first importance in keeping the fowls healthy and productive. This means clean air, secured by good ventilation. It also means clean litter on either cement, asphalt, or wood floors, and a good dust bath, which reduces the labor of keeping the birds free from lice. The house also must be kept clean by daily gathering the droopings from the droppings boards, scrub- bing the water buckets, and frequent renewal of litter. Wet, dirty litter, accumulated droppings left day after- day, dirty water and milk dishes, and a hen house infested with mites will make money losers of the best flock of pullets ever raised. Damp litter is perhaps the greatest menace to contin- ued egg production. Damp, moldy and frozen grain al- ways causes acute indigestion, and such a condition pre- disposes to the deadly roup, canker and chicken pox. Roup, canker and chicken pox often start from a cold, and the use of a tablespoonful of the following germicide to each gallon of drinking water is urged for this reason: Pour one-half ounce of oil of sassafras into one-half HOW CYCLES AND RHYTHM ARE PRODUCED This illustration shows the egg organs of six hens also their ovaries removed. At the bottom are given sixty-day trap-nest records made by these pens. This illustration is pre- sented to show how cycles are governed by yolk development. Hen No. 1, having several yolks rapidly developing at the same time, was able to produce cycles of good length. Along •with good cycles this hen also had fairly good rhythm. Hen No. 6, having neither good cycle nor rhythm was naturally an extremely poor layer. Her inferior performance is easily under- stood when the condition of yolk development in her ovary is noted. Hen No. 3 also was rregular in cycle and rhythm, but her cycles averaged longer than those of No. 6. Nos. 4 and ' ' 1 but short cycles. No. 2 was quite irregular in both cycle and for the sixty-day period was good and her ovary highly active, ould hardly be more than fair at best. 5 had generally uniform rhy rhythm. While her production her total record for the year gallon of water and shake hard; add very slowly one-half ounce of sulphuric acid. Make this germicide in a glass or stone vessel and keep on hand, using it to keep the birds from getting the infection in the drinking water. Care should be taken that the solution is not strong enough to make the water distasteful, as a lack of water consumption reduces both size and number of the eggs. Be always on the lookout for colds, which are best detected at night on the roosts. Listen for the sneeze or cough, then identify the bird by the labored and unusual motion of the diaphragm. NOTE: Above article is reprinted from The .Monthly Bulletin Successful Use of Artificial Light in California PROFESSOR J. E. DOUGHERTY OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, TELLS OF THE USE OF LIGHTS AT THE UNIVERSITY FARM, DAVIS, CALI- FORNIA-LATER ON WILL ISSUE A BULLETIN ON THE SUBJECT-REPORT ALSO OF W. T. HADLEY, PROPRIETOR OF OLD IRON SPOON POULTRY RANCH, ONTARIO, CALIFOR- NIA-IS A STRONG ADVOCATE OF THE USE OF LIGHTS ON THE BASIS OF PROFITABLE RESULTS OBTAINED - FINDS THAT HIS HENS SING, "LET THERE BE LIGHT" UNDER date of June 14, 1919, J. E. Dougherty, head of the Poultry Division of the California College of Agriculture, replying to a letter from editor of R. P. J., asking for facts about the use of "lights" at this institution, replied as follows: "It is true that we have been conducting very care- ful investigations with the use of electric lighting to in- crease the length of the working day of the laying hen in winter, during the past three years, and this work will be conducted as long as is necessary. "Among the interesting things which we have learned "First, that the use of electric lighting in the morn- ing only seems to give just as good results as the use of such lighting in the evening only, or both morning and evening. The great advantage of using them only in the morning is that no dimming arrangement needs to be pro- vided, as is necessary with night lighting. "Up to the present time those fowls on which lights ■were used at night only, or both morning and night, molted during early spring. Those fowls which were lighted in the morning only have-not molted in the spring. We have used the lights as late as 9 o'clock at night and as early as 4:30 a. m. It requires approximately one watt per hen to furnish the necessary illumination, provided the lights are well distributed and supplied with metal re- flector shades. This is all that we are prepared to say concerning electric lighting tests at this time, but you will find a very complete report of our work to date in the annual re- port when it is published. There are certain phases of the work which are yet to be cleared up before we will pub- lish any bulletin, and it will probably take us a year or more to clear up these points." Lighting'Hen^Houses in Soutliern||California By W. T. Hadley, Proprietor, Old Iron Spoon Poultry Ranch, and President, Ontario (Calif.) Poul- try Association A LTHOUGH the egg farmer of southern California has -^*- had to fight, in many locations, severe eastern winds from the mountain passes, yet for the last nine years he has done so, even at the cost of getting up in the night to lower curtains or windbrakes, and for the last five years the wise ones, when keeping chickens in fruit groves, have placed their houses on the far eastern side of their groves. If you ask them why they do so, they will tell you: "No more southern exposure for us. You get more eggs from an eastern exposure." The still more knowing ones will say: "The eastern exposure puts the rising sunlight right in the faces of your hens and they get off the roosts earlier!" Some of us learned, years and years ago, that a white- washed interior that reflected the morning light from wall to wall was far ahead of a black, crude-oil splashed house WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING MORE EGGS. Then there was also the supposedly "poor chicken nut" who ar- ranged numerous bits of broken mirrors and bright strips- of tin to reflect the light towards the roosts. And yet we SEE IT NOW — there was method in his madness. He was just about thirty years ahead of the rest of us! The electric, or white light, has proved itself beyond a peradventure of a doubt. It has come to stay. Of course there are lots of folks that cannot see it yet, evert as you will find poultrymen today that will tell you that green food is unnecessary. But the day is soon coming: when the breeders and hatcheries will be strong for light- ed houses for breeders as well as for layers. Did you ever get up real early in the morning before ■^^^¥ SCENE ON A COMMERCIAL EGG FARM IN PETALUMA DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA important local industry in different parts of California. Lights are extensively SUCCESSFUL USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN CALIFORNIA 101 WATER STAND r^^^ Umh 1^1 \- 1 li J J ', L_t sunrise and see your fowls leave their roosts? If you did do so, did you notice anything? Ever see them stumbling around in the semidarkness, hunting for that miracle worker — the early first drink of wa- ter? Ever see them stumbling around mating filth, be- cause they could not distinguish the .grain from the filth? Early morning rising in the winter means a healthy hen. She has had her morning drink and breakfast, and is on the way to depositing a "ten- o'clock egg" long SANITARY WATEE STAND before the hen in This practical holder for water pail is the dark hniic;?'? convenient and easy to make. It keeps the X n e aarK nouses ^^^^^ j^^^ ^^^^ jjj^^^ ^^^ contents are read- knows that a new 'ly accessible. Plenty of pure drinking water , , , , must be provided for the heavy-laying flocks, day has dawned. After several years of "lights" I would have them if for no other reason than this: because I am quite sure that they mean hen-health. Work Best on Poorer Grade Stock As a Rule Some of us who are advocates of the lights are afraid that people who quote figures on increase of egg yield do the cause more harm than good. There is no doubt in our minds that lights are a success and that they pay, but there are so many things that enter into an egg yield that folks should be careful how they quote figures. If we accepted the statement of every enthusiast who guaran- teed us a ten per cent increase for one reason or another, getting 365 eggs a year would be a common occurrence for the owner of a single hen. This may seem like talking nonsense, but it means a good deal, nevertheless, because it explains many of the discrepancies in the accounts and figures of the different users of lights. It works out this way: generally th , best poultryman will report the smallest increase in egg yield by the use of lights because on account of his knowl- edge of poultry he would get more winter eggs than the other fellow anyway. If he increases his egg yield under lights eight or nine per cent he is going some. Of course, rememter that this is being written in sunny southern California. There are numbers of our local poultrymen who have sold hatching eggs, all July, August and September. These eggs were laid ty hens, some of them having been under the light system for four years. Now, the surprising thing is not the sale of the eggs, but the fact that they were fertile and a paying proposition. Not only has there not yet been proof or a scintilla of evidence that the eggs un- der light systems were not in every way AI hatching eggs, but a careful observer will now note the wind blowing from the other direction. For example, our own hatching eggs are sold until next June 1st, 1920. This is only men- tioned to show that the writer's customers, knowing that all his breeders have been raised from the rustler stage on to four-year-olds under lights are glad to get his eggs at his prices. I ought to say right here that I do not use the lights evenings at all, and in that way am somewhat of an out- law on the light question. All of our hens go to bed at nightfall. They are not kept up to graze in the night air. Our lights go on at 3:30 a. m. (old sun time). Any old- t.imer will notice that when he starts lights his feed bills will go up. His hens will eat more. When that happens it is distinctly up to him and cannot be charged against the lights if he does not have better hen-health and more eggs. So far as we have been able to ascertain, the men out here who are conservative, hen-wise husbandmen speak well of the lights whenever they have tried them. But conservative men are always slow to try a new thing! They prefer letting the poultry gamblers blaze the trail while they stand pat. Now the time when lights in the hands of a genuine poultryman were a gamble is past. There are many strange notes in the music of the dear lit- tle hen. I think, with others, that she also sings: "Let There Be Light." Later Interesting and Instructive Report From William T. Hadley Writing editor of R. P. J. under date O'ctober 17, 1919, Mr. Hadley said: "In regard to 'lights,' you notice that I said in the article I sent you earlier in the month that I do not think it best to put the chickens under lights at night, meaning not too late in the night. Now I do not have this pre- judice 'just because,' but for, to my mind, good and suf- ficient reasons. It is an axiom that the vitality of every living thing starts to leave its apex and decrease from midday to sunset. Post-mortems on humans prove this every day, everywhere! From noon on, living things be- gin to exist more and more on their nerve force, until retirement. In the stomach of humans and animals that died in the early morning is found the undigested food of the heavy meal eaten the night before. "When a crea- ture sleeps or hi- bernates it is as near dead as it can be without death. The lungs just work enough to keep the heart going. The heart works just enough to keep u p circulation. Pretty nearly all the rest of the body ■ is at rest. With our fowls the early morn- ing drink and the early morning hunt for food give the exercise to start things going. It is the early morning ex- ercise that brings hen-health! "It will yet have to be proved to me that it pays even- tually to overwork anything when its vitality is low, ex- cept the human brain, and I even have my doubts about that. My experience has taught me that it certainly will not pay with hens, not where maximum egg yield is desired during the annual period of highest prices for market eggs." FAMOUS OREGON HEN This hen had just completed a proud record of depositing 303 eggs in trap nests during twelve consecutive months. Was called an Oregonian and consisted of seven-eighths Leg- horn and one-eighth Barred Plymouth Rock. Reports on Tests of the "Lighting System" in Canada INTERESTING AND PROGRESSIVE EXPERIMENTS MADE TO DATE IN THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AT THE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA, CAN., AS PART OF THE DEPART- MENT OF AGRICULTURE, DOMINION OF CANADA-COVER THE USE OF LIGHTS ON BARRED PLY- MOUTH ROCKS AND WHITE LEGHORNS, ALSO THE BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON SEPTEM- BER-HATCHED CHICKS-EGG PRODUCTION RESULTS WERE PROFITABLE IN EVERY CASE AND BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE LIGHTS ON LATE-HATCHED CHICKS WERE TRULY SURPRISING By F. C. ELFORD, Ottaiua, Canada, Dom TN collecting down-to-date material from reliable sources ■*• for this book, editor of Reliable Poultry Journal wrote W. R. Graham, Professor of Poultry Husbandry at the Ontario Agricultural college, Guelph, Canada, and Presi- dent of the American Association of Instructors and In- vestigators in Poultry Husbandry. Under date, July 30, 1919, Professor Graham replied as follows: "The electric lights have been under test at the Ot- tawa Experiment Farm for two or three years. Yotl could get a copy of the report by writing Mr. Elford of the Experimental Farm, Ottawa. The test we made be- gan last fall and of course would not be complete until about the 1st of November of this year. "We attacked the problem perhaps a little differently, yet at the same time in a manner similar to what the other workers have done and I am not at all sure that we have the final answer yet; that is to say, the work so far would indicate that lights are of considerable value to the majority of laying fowls. I am not positive of their value to birds from high-laying strains, or birds that are hatched in time to be ready to lay when the win- ter comes along. They are, as I believe, of great value for later-hatched birds and perhaps for old hens." Acting on the suggestion of Prof. Graham, we wrots Prof. Elford and in due course received the two reports which follow, including the tables that accompany them, for which we thank Professor Elford in behalf of the student-readers of this book. FOR some time it has been a question whether artificial light in the poultry house was a benefit or not, and to help solve the problem, the Poultry Division of the Experimental Farm made a test during the winter of 1916-17 with two pens of Barred Rock pullets. Another test was made during last winter with two pens of Rock pullets and two pens of Leghorn pullets. 1916-17 Test During the six winter months of 1916-17 forty Rocks were divided into two pens, twenty of which were given light in the afternoon and evening during the short days. Two tungsten 40-watt lamps were turned on before dusk in the afternoon and turned off at nine o'clock at night. In neither case was the yield heavy, but the lighted pens gave considerably the better results. The summary of the two pens for the winter of 1916- 17 is as follows: No. of Total Cost Eggs Value Feed Light 1106 $54.93 $22.33 Dark 636 29.46 21.09 Cost Light $2.40 Cost feed Balance Cost and Light perDz. $24.73 $30.20 26.8c 21.09 8,37 39.8c 1917-18 Test During the winter of 1917-18 forty pullets each of Barred Rocks and White Leghorns were selected and di- vided into pens of twenty. One pen each of Rocks and Leghorns was given light and the same number kept as checks. The light was turned on the middle of Novem- ber when the days grew short, a week or two after the pullets were put into their laying quarters. The light was continued until the middle of March when the longer days made the light unnecessary. The light consisted of two 40-watt lamps for each pen of 20 birds. It was turned on at 6 a. m. and left till daylight, turned on again in the afternoon before dusk and left till 9 p. m. They were just ordinary tungsten burners and were turned on and off by hand. CONVENIENT TROUGH FOR FEEDING MOIST MASH A daily moist mash is generally fed to hens under lights. Trough shown above, with removable board partition having a sharp upper edge, is easily cleaned, and fowls cannot get into it or perch upon it. The- yields were not high in either case, and the to- tal difference in egg yield in the six months of the 1917- 18 test was not large, but the forty birds with light gave a balance over cost of feed and light of $77.64, while the forty without light gave a balance of only $55.95 over cost of feed. This difference was made up on the time the eggs were received. Those with the light gave their heaviest yields in December and January, while by far the heav- iest months for the Leghorns without light were March and April and the Rocks January and February. For early winter eggs during the short days, the light does increase the egg yield, but later in the season the yield is not as heavy as with birds that have not had the light. The advisability of using light, therefore, will de- pend upon what is wanted. If early winter and high-priced eating eggs are the object, the lights are an advantage;, if hatching eggs, the lights are a disadvantage. The question of degree of fertility also comes in, and though there was practically no difference in this re- spect in one pen, during the hatching season, we are not satisfied that the light has no injurious effect and shall give it further trial. The summary of the egg yields, the value and the cost for the various months during the experiment are given in the accompanying tables. The last part of March and the month of April are also included in the tables- for the purpose of comparison. TABLE I— EXPERIMENTS IN THE USE OF "LIGHTS" AT POULTRY DIVISION, CENTRAL EXPERIMENT FARMS. OTTAWA. CANADA 20 White Leghorns With Lights Month No. Total Cost of Cost Feed Balance Cost of Eggs Value Peed Light and Light IDoz. $ 3.55 $ 4.76 $ ^.20 $ 4.96 —$1.41 83.8c^ Dec. 311 18.14 4.76 5.16 12.98 19.9c Jan. 276 17.25 5.57 .40 5.97 11.28 25.9c Feb. 154 9.62 3.72 .40 4.12 5.50 82. le Mar. 222 11.10 5.30 .20 5.50 5.60 29.7c Apr. 215 8.06 3.80 3.80 4.26 21.2c $67.72 $27.91 $ l.( REPORTS ON TESTS OF THE "LIGHTING SYSTEM" IN CANADA 103 TABLE II— EXPERIMENTS IN THE USE OF "LIGHTS" POULTRY DIVISION, CENTBAL EXPERIMENT FARMS, OTTAWA, CANADA 20 Baxred Eocks With Lights Cost of Cost Feed Balance Cost o£ Eggs Value Feed Light and Light IDoz. Nov. 78 $ 4.93 $ .20 $ 5.13 Dec. 349 20.36 4.93. .40 5.33 15.03 18.3c 19.81 4.86 .40 5.26 14.55 19.9c 12.06 5.26 6.40 36.2c 3.35 3.95 Apr: 138 5.17 4.44 4.44 .73 38.6c Tot. 1221 $68.60 $27.57 $ 1.60 $29.17 $39.43 28.6c TABLE III— EXPERIMENTS IN THE USE OF "LIGHTS" AT POULTRY DIVISION, CENTBAL EXPERIMENT FARMS, OTTAWA, CANADA 20 Leghorns Without Lights Month No. Eggs Total Value Cost of Feed Balance Cost of 1 Dz. Nov. 16 $ .80 $ 4.65 — $3.85 348.7c Dec. 123 7.17 4.65 2.52 45.3o Jan. 157 9.81 4.21 5.60 32.2c Feb. 165 10.31 5.07 5.24 36.8c Mar. 312 15.60 5.56 10.04 21.4c Apr. 322 12.07 4.37 7.70 16. 3o Totals 1095 $55.76 $28.51 $27.25 31.2c AT TABLE IV— EXPERIMENTS IN THE USE OF "LIGHTS' POULTRY DIVISION, CENTBAL EXPERIMENT FARMS, OTTAWA, CANADA 20 Eocks Without Lights Total Value Cost of Peed Balance Cost of 1 Dz $ 3.30 $ 5.59 —$2.29 101.6c 10.73 5.59 5.14 36.4c 17.56 4.58 12.98 19.5c 16.06 6.32 9.74 29.5c 8.30 5.46 2.84 39.4c 7.24 3.96 3.28 24.6c Month Not. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Eggs Totals 1147 $63.19 $31.50 $31.69 32.! September-Hatched Chicks and Electric Light Electric light probably shows its usefulness as much as anywhere in the growing of late-hatched chicks. The influence of light on a bunch of September-hatched White Leghorns is here given and, though there was no check, the growth was good and compared very favorably with spring-hatched stock. A number of chicks were being hatched in September for an exhibit at the Ottawa Fall Exhibition and, though chicks at this time of the year are not recom.mended, it was thought worth while to rear the cockerels to broiler age and the pullets to maturity. The chickens were hatched from September 7th to 14th under adverse circumstances owing to the exigencies of the Central Canada Autumn Fair at Ottawa. The eggs were started at the Farm in a Buckeye incubator. They were set so as to hatch each day during the Fair. About 60 per cent of them hatched in the original machine and the chicks were put in a hover at the Fair. The remain- der were carried in a grip to the Fair and placed in a Cy- phers machine to finish. A number of the eggs again removed, as they "pipped" into an observation in cubator so that the visitors to the Fair could see the completion of the process of hatching. When the chicks dried off, they were placed in a Buck- eye coal-burning colony hover which had been fitted up for heating by an electric lamp, as coal could not be used in the building. The chickens spent the week of the Fair in an open run eight feet square in the exhibition hall. On September 14th, they were taken from the Fair to the Farm dur- ing very wet weather and on arrival were weighed (21 lbs. 14 oz.) and put under a colony hover, electrically heat- ed, as at the Fair. During the week of the Fair, the chicks were fed five times a day on a mixture of toasted bread (ground to a powder), chick-size grit, ground charcoal and hard-boiled eggs. In addition to this they received all the buttermilk they wanted, and a dry mash of bran and ground beef scrap was before them all the time. During this week it was noticed that there were always some of the chicks feeding at all hours of the night, the light from the lamp used in heating the brooder enabling them to see the feed. When the chicks were taken to the Farm they were fed the first two weeks, in addition to the above, a good heavy meal of scratch feed each night at ten o'clock. This night feed was appreciated so much that it was made a permanent affair. From the third to the sixth week the ration was chick feed in litter, and a mash con- sisting of equal parts of bran, sifted oats, and beef scrap was before them all the time. Buttermilk was given ad lib., and grit, shell, charcoal and beef scrap was always in an available hopper. No water was given. From the seventh to the tenth week, the feed consisted of ordinary scratch feed four times a day, with a dry mash of equal parts of bran, sifted oats, cornmeal and half-part linseed meal, before them all the time. Hatched Week Ending Sept. 14 at the Autumn Fair Weight Sept. 14, 215 chickens 21 lbs. 14 oz. Weight of 108 pullets Nov. 5 123 lbs. Weight of 100 cockerels Nov. 5 130 lbs. Weight of 100 cockerels Dec. 6 228 lbs. 4 oz. Total .'. 444 lbs. 4 oz. On Nov. 5th the pullets and cockerels were separated, and on Nov. 16th the latter were placed on a fattening ration which was continued until Dec. 6th, when they were sold. Gains made by the cockerels during this pe- riod were as follows: Gained 59 lbs. DEBIT CREDIT Feed Sale of 100 ckls. Scratch feed, 1131 lbs., $72 ton $40.72 205 lbs. (Live Bran, 125 lbs., $40 ton 2.50 weight, 228 Linseed meal, 12 lbs., 5 cents per lb..... .60 lbs.) $102.50 Beef scrap, 128% lbs., 5 cents per lb. 6.44 101 pullets on Sifted oats 94% lbs. $1.10 per 34 lbs. 3.06 hand (216 Crushed oats, 50 lbs., $3.25 per cwt 1.63 Cornmeal, 134 lbs., $3.25 per cwt 4.36 Oatmeal, 134 lbs., $5.00 per cwt 6.70 Ground screenings, 134 lbs., $2 per cwt. 2.68 1943 lbs. 4 oz. Milk, 2205 lbs. at 50 cents per cwt Grit, shell, charcoal, 36 lbs. 3c per lb. $68.69 11.08 1.08 VIEW OF PORTION OF POULTRY PLANT ON CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARMS, OTTAWA, CANADA of the Dominion Department of Agriculture. It lights" referred to in this article were conducted. Use of Artificial Light in European Countries EVIDENTLY TO DATE ( LATE IN 1919 ) EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE DONE PRACTICAL- LY NOTHING IN THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT [N POULTRY HOUSES TO INCREASE EGG PRODUCTION DURING THE SHORT-DAY PERIOD OF EACH SEASON-HEREVi^ITH IS INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT AS COLLECTED FOR PUBLICATION IN THIS BOOK By MR. EDf^ARD BROWN, F. L. S., London, England. UNDER date of April 23, 1919, Mr. Edward Brown, London, England, Europe's leading authority on poultry subjects of a practical nature, replying to a question asked by editor of R. P. J., wrote as follows: "So far as use of 'Artificial Illumination to Increase Winter Egg Production' is concerned, I am unaware of any experience in that direction (over here) up to the present, but anticipate that the system will be given a trial. Forthat reason I have paid a good deal of attention to it during my last two visits to America, in 1917 and 191S. The evidence obtained was remarkable, and I saw it both east and west. Also I have followed very care- fully the articles on the subject appearing in R. P. J. There are several factors in connection with it which de- serve careful observation and experimentation, more es- pecially as to the breeding value of birds so treated. I was somewhat surprised to learn that in one or two cases there had been no harmful influence in that direc- tion, as the weight of evidence appeared to be the other way. How far it must be reserved for layers and only layers is the point." ADDRESS BY MR. BROWN BEFORE INTERNA^ TIONAL POULTRY CONFERENCE London, England, March 11-15, 1919 March 11-15 in London, England, was held an Inter- national Poultry Conference, under the auspices of the In- ternational Association of Poultry Instructors and Investi- gators, at which conference Mr. Brown read a paper or made a report, as follows, on the use of artificial light in poultry houses in the United States t o increase egg production: "Then another point which trou- bles us here, just as much as every- where else, is that hens, in spite of all we do, taking them in the main, will lay more eggs in spring than winter. If would only when eggs and dearest in WORLD EGG RECORD n the hens ■ lay were price, o u 1 d To the best of our knowledge, t honor belongs to this Black Orpington hen 11- „,,-_„„„? lustrated herewith. She laid 335 eggs in 365 everyone days at the Australian Government Egg Lay- make more money, ing Contest. Her eggs averaged 26% o^. doz. ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ago, Mr. Shoup, whom I met in the State of Washington, discovered that when poultry houses were lighted morning and evening he got many more eggs. From that fact there has been developed a system which has had the most mar- velous results. 104 "I cannot now go into the details, but found east and west — more in the west than in the east, but it is increas- ing there — that the commercial poultry farmers in their large houses are lighting them either by electric light, acetylene gas, or ordinary lanterns and the results are re- markable. "One man, who has carried this out at East Aurora, in the State of New York, for four years, told me that when he first thought of testing it he had something like 2.100 pullets, and he did not want to risk his best birds, so he selected the inferior specimens. At the time — the test commenced on December 2— these were laying twenty per cent, that is, he was getting twenty eggs per day per hundred hens. They then were subjected to the elec- tric light, that is, 500 of them were. I may say that 1,600 hens, the best hens at the time of the beginning of the test, were laying thirty-five to forty eggs per day per hundred hens. There came a sudden spell of winter weather — and you do get winter weather over there; I experienced twenty degrees below zero last February — and they had a severe spell. In spite of that, the egg pro- duction of the 500 hens that had light rose in three weeks from twenty per cent to sixty-five per cent; that is to say, he was getting sixty-five eggs for every hundred birds. On the other hand, the egg production of the 1.600 hens which had not the light fell to twenty per cent, a little more than half. So convinced was he by these facts that he applied the system of lighting all around. "Another man told me at Alfred, in New York state, that he was getting from 200 hens early in December only sixteen eggs per day. After ten days of artificial light the number had risen to thirty-three, and after twenty-three days to one hundred and sixty-six eggs per day, as the result of an application of light. I could give you a large number of examples of that kind. In the state of Wash- ington it is said there is not a farm that has more than one hundred hens which does not apply light in winter. IT IS A TRANSFERENCE OF PRODUCTION FROM THE SPRING TO THE WINTER. "This system, so far as now is known, should not be used for birds that are intended for breeding. As one man said: 'It knocks molting into a cocked hat.' It is purely artificial, and I should not advise anyone, from the ob- servations made, to select any of those lighted birds for breeding; treat them as layers, and when they have com- pleted their tale of eggs they will have done their work. "The system usually adopted is this: Where elec- tric light can be used they fix a switchboard, on which there are alarm clocks. This is set during the day, and as soon as it becomes dusk the light comes into action, and immediately the whole shed is illuminated; it remains illuminated until eight o'clock, when there is just enough light left to show the birds where the roosts are, and ten minutes later another clock operates and entirely puts out the light, which is turned on automatically the next morning at 5:30. Thus the period of work during the winter is extended to something like sixteen hours a USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 105 day, and the result is, as stated, that there is an enor- mously increased production of eggs in winter. "I hope that some of our colleges or other leading places in this country will give that system a test, because if we could transfer some hundreds of millions of our eggs from the spring to the winter it would be better for the .industry all 'round. It apparently is not a question of in- creased numbers, but of transference and equalization of production." An Honorable Member: "I "should like to ask, with regard to these experiments in artificial lighting, whether it has been proved in the States that by inducing these birds to lay in the winter to a greater extent, it does in- crease the annual production of the fowl?" Mr. Brown: "So far as my observations go, it does not increase the annual production. There does not seem to be any evidence in that direction; it is mainly a ques- tion of transference from one season to another." Mrs. Fawkes: "Perhaps Mr. Brown would tell us whether in America they apply the light to houses with- out glass in the front. When I built a iiouse for 140 birds I was able to put on electric light, but owing to the war we could not get it, so I fitted the front of the house with glass, and the result has been that our best hens have laid twenty- 5ix eggs each per month during Novem- ber, December and January, and we find the glass has had the same effect practi- cally as the electric light. Probably in America the houses are without glass." Mr. Brown: "In America they do not use much glass in the houses; most of them are open-fronted houses, and they use curtains and not much glass, if any. I was in only one or two places where they had glass, and it was not for that purpose." A Delegate: "I take it that really the reason this artificial light is applied, and the reason they secure a greater out- put of eggs, is that the fowls have longer hours and consume more food — that is, during the short winter days the fowls do not have much time for this?" Mr ANOTHER FOREIGNER ticular experiment there was a total of over 266 eggs in the two pens in favor of the artificial light." Mr. Robinson: "How did it work out economically?" Captain Clarke: "The eggs were laid at a time when the price was high. With light the balance was $1.41 in November and $12.89 in December. Without light it was $3.85 in November and $2.52 in December. I have a com- plete set of figures here, if any person is interested." . Mr. Brown: "In that respect, one practical farmer in New York State told me: 'I have been a poultry keeper for fifteen years and had never been atle to show a bal- ance of profit over my food costs in the months of No- vember, December and January' — that is, by his ordinary work. 'But,' he said, 'these last three years in which I have used this lighting system every one of those three months has shown a handsome profit over the feed cost. There is no month in the year now that I cannot show a profit over the expenditure for feed.' " Mr. Prain: "With regard to the question of elec- tricity, we carried out experiments at our place last year in electro-culture. We obtained a small generator, and were able to get along very well as regards light and to carry out experiments. I would like to rec- ommend that as a cheap source of elec- trical supply." ENGLISH POULTRYMAN ADOPTS ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING In this connection we are pleased to present the following extracts from a letter of date, June 22, 1919, addressed to editor of R. P. J. by Mr. John Hart, Proprietor of Kenmore Egg Farm, Char- ing, Kent, England: "My calculations are based on the many articles published in your valuable columns. At first I doubted, but R. P. J. made me go into it. During the war it has been impossible to get a lighting plant. MIy installation will be a 4 kw. direct-coupled set running on paraffin and a full battery to take about been g systematically iduction from do: ying contest held _ , . , . New Zealand, „. .„„ effect that m the wmter months, when auspices of the New Zealand utility Durine- wnrkino- hr ^u u- J . . . ^ A ■,r^ ■ , Club, the S. C. White Leghorn shown -^""^'"s "n oriang nc the birds went to roost at 4:30— m those ^bove laid 317 eggs in trap nests in 365 be hand controlled Brown: "Some observations high egg production from domestic fowl In an egg laying contest hel Christchurch, New Zealand', 4:30 birds, no matter how you fed them, their '^'"'secutiTe days, crops were empty at midnight. They then had to go for seven or eight hours before further food could be obtained, and by continuing the hours of working to 8 p. m., and putting artificial light on at 5:30 a. m. they obtained suf- ficient food." Mr. Robinson: "I should like to know whether Mr. Brown has had any experience in America of the use of colored glass or colored light?" Mr. Brown: "No." Captain Clarke: "We have had a few experiments at the Central Experimental Station at Ottawa (Canada) in connection with artificial lighting. The houses were cur- tained and had glass. I have the figures in front of me, A pen of twenty White iLeghorns, with light, starting with 71 eggs in November, in December they gave 311 eggs, whereas a pen of twenty Leghorns, without light, gave 15 eggs in November and 123 in December. In this par- Por ten to fifteen years, in England Australia, . and New Zealand t^ey^^have 25 amps, more than the full estimated The light will be turned on at by automatic time switch, hours the switches will trap nests in 365 be hand controlled. At 8 p. m. the au- tomatic time switch will turn on a small blue lamp and extinguish the 200-candlepower lamp and after about twenty minutes will extinguish the blue lamp. This I find is better than using a dimmer. "Mr. Edward Brown, who endeavored to assist me obtain a plant during the war, is somewhat doubtful of the effect on the genetic power of the hens during their sec- ond season when used for breeding. Experience only can solve that problem. "On this farm we have three testing houses, each holding 250 birds, trap-nested for four months. I purpose cutting off the illumination from one of the three in order to prove the claims of the power of light over darkness. My manager, who will select the 750 pullets from range in order to make the next season's breeding pens, will not be aware which house I expect to cut out, as this last is more for my own use than for others. The details will however be supplied you in due course." Several Private Users of "Lights" in New York State ERIE COUNTY WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE WITH ONE HUNDRED BIRDS-LIGHTS "SAVED THE DAY" FOR HER FLOCK-REPORT FROM FIRST MAN TO USE LIGHTS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY-MANY HAVE FOLLOWED HIS LEAD-SUCCESS OF MAN IN ORLEANS COUNTY- THESE MEN USED ORDINARY LANTERNS AND OBTAINED GOOD RESULTS, ST ARTTO FIN- ISH-HOW LANTERNS WERE USED-CONCLUSIONS BASED ON SEVERAL YEARS EXPERIENCE FOLLOWING are sample letters received by Relia- ble Poultry Journal from poultrymen living in New- York State who have used "lights" successfully in obtaining largely increased egg production during the short-day period of the year, usually from middle or late fall to the following early spring: Letter of Rosa A. Mesner, Hamburg, (Erie County) New York Hamburg, New York, Aug. 10, 1919. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: Your kind favor of. July 29th came to me and I wish to thank you for asking my advice on the use of artificial light to increase egg production. I do not try to handle more than one hundred laying hens, for the reason that I am crowded for room. Prof. Rice is a wonder and I wish we had more men like him in the poultry industry. I credit much of my success to his help. When I joined the Cornell Poultry Project in this county two years ago, I knew nothing about the keeping of poultry, but acting on Mt. R. S. Moseley's very kind advice, I purchased a good strain of S. C. White Leghorns and followed directions as to feeding. When November caxne I got so few eggs that it was hardly worth bother- ing with chickens, but the work kept me outdoors and my health began to improve, so I weathered through the win- ter. The next fall Mr. Moseley advised the use of electric lights. I could not get a man to put them in for me, but the next spring I had the lights put in for use the coming fall. Now for the excellent results: Prom October 1st to November 1st, 1917, I got 63 eggs; from November 1st to December 1st, 248 eggs, doing this without "lights"; then I put on the "lights" and dur- ing December I got 558 eggs; during January, 904; during February, 1020; during March, 1258; in April, 1507; in May, 1398; in June, 1143; in July, 1153; in August, 841; and in September, 286. October 22, 1918 — early that year — ^I put on the "lights" and from practically the same number of birds -I got 689 eggs in November, 1149 in December, 1272 in January, 1139 in February, 1622 in March, 1279 in April, 1385 in May, 1291 in June, and 856 in July. You can see for yourself, therefore, what the "lights" have done for me with my small flock of one hundred birds. Let me say one thing: 1 only put my lights on at 4:30 a. m. and again in the evening up to 8:00 p. m. For this season I have not yet begun using them, but I shall start again October 22nd of this year. Respectfully yours, (Signed) ROSA A. MESNER. Letter of C. H. Palmer, Proprietor, College Vievir Farm, Alfred, New York Alfred, New York, August 19, 1919. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: I received your letter some time ago and will now en- "lights" December 13, 1917, being the first man in Alle- gany County to give the "lights" a fair trial, though two others in this neighborhood tried them a short time. That year I had two hundred S. C. White Leghorn pullets, early-hatched birds, from which I hoped to get a lot of winter eggs. They began laying in November (very few in October) and during that month got as high as forty eggs a day, but as the days grew shorter they re- duced the num'ber of eggs until I got only fifteen one day and nineteen the next — on December Uth and 12th. December 13th I put on the lights and following is the record of their egg production the next twenty-three days: 15, 13, 16, 17, 15, 13, 19, 17, 29, 27, 33, 36, 42, 54, 71, 80, 96, 112, 122, 132, 141, 144, 148. Another hundred pullets, later-hatched birds, that were laying no eggs at all, were put "under lights" December 20th of that year and following is what they did: 21st 2 eggs, 22nd 3 eggs, 23rd 2 eggs, 24th S eggs, 25th 3 eggs, 26th 9 eggs, 27th 7 eggs, 28th 5 eggs, 29th 10 eggs, 30th 12 eggs, 31st 15 eggs, Jan. 1st 21 eggs, Jan. 2nd 27 eggs, Jan. 3rd 28 eggs, Jan. 4th 29 eggs, Jan. 5th 31 eggs, etc. January 24, 1918, I tested the use of "lights" on 180 old hens. Here are the results: Jan. 20th 9 eggs, Jan. 21st IS eggs, Jan. 22nd 18 eggs, Jan. 23rd 15 eggs, Jan. 24th 16 eggs, Jan. 2Sth 17 eggs, Jan. 26th 23 eggs, Jan. 27th 25 eggs, Jan. 28th 23 eggs, Jan. 29th 32 eggs, Jan. 30th 34 eggs, Jan. 31st 47 eggs, Feb. 1st 40 eggs, Feb. 2nd 72 eggs, Feb. 3rd 66 eggs, Feb. 4th 77 eggs, Feb. Sth 85 eggs. At that time two of my neighbors caught the idea, and one got two eggs from 20O hens and pullets the day "lights" were put on, and on the 24th day he collected 124 eggs from these hens and pullets. The other neighbor got 24 eggs the first day at the time of putting on the "lights", from 220 hens and pullets, and on the 20th day "under lights" he gathered 146 eggs. All five of these tests were made with oil lanterns that were lighted at 6:00 a. m. and kept going until daylight and were again lighted before dark and kept going until 8:00 p. m. The hens were fed very sparingly with grain in litter until 6:45 a. m., when a warm moist mash was fed, then they were given all the grain they would eat. Each evening they were fed again at 7:00 p. m. I began this work before Cornell took it up and have been very much interested in Prof. Rice's late tests. I "lighted" last winter 668 average-quality hens and pullets. Began using the "lights" October 1st and from this num- ber of birds gathered 992 eggs in October, 5295 in No- vember, 6986 in December, 5883 in January, 4727 in Feb- ruary, 6048 in March, 3982 in April, 5333 in May, and 7767 in June. A comparison of the same months for the years 1916-1917 when I did not use "lights" will show the differ- ence in number of eggs. Allowance of course is to be made in the difference in the number of hens. Those two years the average num- ber of hens was 371 and here is a report of the actual num- ber of eggs gathered: October 601 eggs, November 388, SEVERAL PRIVATE USERS OF "LIGHTS" IN NEW YORK STATE December 885, January 1302, February 1933, March 64S6, April 8366, May 8775, June 7180. Here is a comparison of the financial results: 1917_One Year 1918— One Year Without Lights With Lights $1.43 Profit per hen .-.$3.70 3.41 Cost of feed per hen : 4.48 117 Number of eggs per hen 152 These profits in both cases credit the hen with all eggs (less incubator eggs) at average prices, also fowls sold, fowls eaten, and value of manure, and charges her in each case with all feed, litter, etc., also interest on in- vestment, and a labor charge of $1.00 per hen. Now as to conclusions regarding the use of "lights": First, it pays a big profit to "light" all pullets. Second, it increases the profit to "light" hens. Third, it increases the number of eggs produced. Fourth, it gives more eggs at the season of high prices. Fifth, it costs somewhat more to feed the layers. Sixth, there is more work to care for them "under lights." Seventh, it does not increase the winter molt of pul- lets. Eighth, it does make hens and pullets molt earlier in summer. Ninth, it decreases the number of eggs per hen at in- cubation time, but it increases fertility and hatchability, also "livability" of the chicks. Tenth, it molted fifty per cent of the flock at a time when market eggs were cheapest. Eleventh, it divides the profits more evenly across the year, which is an advantage. Twelfth, it made the July and August molters pay a bigger profit than the November and December molters. In conclusion, I would say that I am a convert to "lights" and will begin October 1st, 1919, again, in the case of all of my flock. At present in this neighborhood there are fifteen local egg producers that are using lights as a result of our success and I can say that last winter all found it profitable. Yours very truly, (Signed) C. H. PALMER. Letter of Lloyd J. Blackmore, Breeder of S. C. White Leghorns, Akron, Nevy York Akron, New York, August 25, 1919. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: Yours of the 29th at hand and I will say that I have used acetylene lights on ray fowls to very good advantage. Did so the past winter and here are the percentages of egg yield from about 200 birds "under lights." I turned on the lights October I5th, 1918. Percentages of egg yield: November, 17 per cent; December, 24 per cent; January, 28 per cent; February, 42^ per cent; March, 40 per cent. One hundred of these birds were pullets and the rest were yearling hens. The yearlings began laying about February 1st. I have read the articles on artificial lights in your Journal with great interest. Yours truly, (Signed) LLOYD J. BLACKMORE. Letter and Report of William A. Crandall, Kendall, New York Kendall, New York, August 27, 1919. Editor Reliable Poultry Journal: In reply to your letter of July 29th, relative to arti- ficial lighting for poultry, I enclose a copy of the Orleans County (New York) "Farm Bureau News" (published monthly by the Orleans County Farm Bureau Associa- tion) of date March 1919, on pages two and three of which you will find an article by me on "lights" which will an- swer some of your questions. The gas lantern first used by us was the "Coleman", match lighting, two mantle. Later we used the "Air-O-Lite" alcohol generator, having one mantle. Lights with us were gradually discontinued January 1st, shortening the time five minutes a day. The flock of pullets mentioned in the "Farm Bureau News" compared with my flock of the winter before — same number of birds, hatched April 2nd — produced over 200 per cent more eggs during the winter months. In the use of "lights" I was very careful to make all changes gradually and at no time to force for extreme pro- duction, consequently their highest one-day record was 105 eggs, or 70 per cent plus. This was much lower than some others obtained, but my birds did not drop below 40 per cent production any time during the spring and I know of "lighted" flocks in this vicinity that went as low as 20 per cent. We expect to "light" again this year, using gas lan- terns on 400 pullets and a few August and September molting hens. Yours truly, (Signed) WM. A. CRANDALL. Following is the article by Mr. Crandall, as same was published in the March, 1919, issue of the "Farm Bureau News", Albion, New York: Poultry House Lighting Produces Results in Orleans County By W. A. Crandall, Kendall. Egg record of 148 S. C. W. Leghorn pullets, Novem- ber 1st to February 1st. Month No. Hens No. Eggs November 148 533 December 148 2441 January 148 2734 Total 5708 Average net price per doz., 69 cents. Value, $332.65. These pullets were hatched May 1st, 1918, and were placed in winter quarters October 18th. Previous to this time they had laid from one to two eggs per day for about a week. One hundred and fifty-one pullets were raised but three were culled out when placed in winter quarters. Lighting was commenced November 10th, about three weeks after they were shut up. On. this date they laid seven eggs. We began lighting with one 300 c. p. gasoline lantern for a pen 24 feet by 24 feet, about two weeks later adding another 300 c. p. lantern as one did not light that size space suitably. A decided improvement in egg production and also in appearance of birds was noted in about ten days. The flock increased production steadily each day from then on, reaching a production of over 90 eggs December 18th and to this date, February 1st, have averaged better than 90 eggs, or over 60 per cent for ev- ery day since, and at present are averaging over 95 eggs per day. It is thought that had lighting been commenced October 18th instead of November 10th full production would have been reached by December 1st instead of De- cember 18th. Eggs are shipped to New York city where white eggs command a premium over brown or mixed. The small eggs were not sorted out. Eggs sold from this pen dur- ing December and January amounted to over $2.00 per bird. As should be noted, it is difficult to say how much credit may be given the lighting and how much to a mild winter, feeding and care, and to a good strain of layers. A good-laying strain is considered of utmost importance. These pullets were reared from heavy-egg-strain cock- erels mated to a flock of over 200 hens that for weeks and weeks last- summer averaged to lay better than 65 per cent production. From this flock have been saved ICW late molters, all molting after October 1st. They were selected by Prof. Hurd of Cornell Agricultural College 108 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT TO INCREASE WINTER EGG PRODUCTION and according to his advice these breeders will within a few days have their working day lengthened by lighting. It is expected by the use of lights to have them laying well before March 15th, thus furnishing hatching eggs in sufficient amount to commence incubating extensively by that date. Eggs from the pullets will not be used for hatching. Of course it is understood that as far as market eggs are concerned the use of artificial lights is not primarily to get more eggs per hen per year but to produce more during the winter months when many flocks are not pay- ing their board, and eggs sell for relatively high prices. Details of Time, Operating Expenses, Extra Feed, Etc. Lights are started at dusk and continued until 8:30 p. m. This hour was arrived at by gradually extending the time for about a month. Lights are not used in the morn- ing. With two lanterns in use during December one quart of gasoline costing 7c per day was burned. For the longer days of January the cost was 6c per day. A rather heavy item of expense was for broken mantles. These cost for the three-month period $2.75. Extra work on account of using lights amounts to 15 minutes per day. Extra feed consumed is in direct proportion to the extra hours the hens work. It appears that all extra feed consumed is turned into extra eggs. However, feeding costs should be figured on a basis of pounds feed consumed per dozen eggs produced. Geo. Newell of Con- gress Park, Chicago, III., who claims to be the originator of the lighting idea, found that during the year 1913 when no lights were used his hens ate 13.39 lbs. of feed per dozen eggs produced, and during 1914 when lights were used his hens ate 10.92 lbs. of feed per dozen eggs, or 2.47 lbs. less feed per dozen eggs when lights were used. The night feed is given at 7 p. m. Then fowls are in- duced to go to roost by removing the high candlepower lights and dimly lighting the pen by hanging up a single kerosene lantern for a few minutes while the litter is be- ing forked over. The gasoline lantern is considered safer than the or- dinary wick-burning kerosene lantern. General health of the flock is as good or even better than when artificial lights were not used. Eggs laid are large size for pullets and are very hard shelled. Testing the Use of "Light" in State of Montana REPORTS FROM W. F. SCHOPPE, PROFESSOR OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY, DEPARTMENT OF POULTRY, AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA- EXPERIMENTS IN AN EARLY STAGE, BUT ARE SATISFACTORY AS REGARDS PRODUC- TION AND INCREASED PROFIT-NO DOUBT ABOUT THE HATCHABILITY OF EGGS WRITING under date June 21, 1919, in reply to a request from editor of R. P. J. for information on the subject. Professor Schoppe gave the fol- lowing information: "Your letter asking for information on use of artifi- cial illumination to increase egg production, and other questions has been on my desk for some time, while I have been studying our records with the purpose of giv- ing you some information. "Concerning the use of artificial light, we started a project last October which was to continue for a year. I can give you a summary only of the winter months. The test involved 120 Leghorn hens of equal breeding, which were carefully selected. These were housed in the same house, under identical conditions, and the birds in the lighted and unlighted pens were fed the same and given the same treatment. "During the winter months the birds in the lighted pens consumed 5277.8 pounds of feed, which included grain, mash, milk, meat scrap, green cut bone and green food. Cost of feed was $135.77. Light consumed, 162 kw., cost $15.75. They produced 6554 eggs valued at $343.91, leaving a profit, not including labor and investment, of $192.39. "The birds in the unlighted pen consumed 4851.77 pounds of feed which cost $124.78. They produced 3805 eggs valued at $194.49, leaving a profit, not including la- bor and investment, of $69.71. "This experiment was somewhat upset during the month of February, owing to the breaking of our bone ■cutter. We were unable to feed green cut bone for that month, and the egg production in the lighted pens drop- ped from 2014 eggs to 996 eggs. At the same time the egg production for the unlighted pens increased from 1214 to 1317 eggs. "We are interested in the result of this artificial lighting on the hatching quality of the eggs. In this con- nection permit me to state that our per cent of hatching due to altitude and dry climatic conditions is a great deal lower than would nominally be expected under more fa- vorable conditions. Therefore, the per cent of hatching from these birds will seem unreasonably low, but I do not believe it could be attributed to the effect of lighting. "During the spring we set 1033 eggs from the lighted pens. Of these 91 or 8.8 per cent were sterile. Six hun- dred and fifty-three, or 63.3 per cent of the eggs either failed to hatch or produced crippled chicks. We secured 289 normal chicks, or 28 per cent. "In the unlighted pens at the same time we set 2200 eggs. Of these 389, or 17.7 per cent were sterile. One thousand and forty-three, or 47.4 per cent failed to hatch. We secured 768, or 34.9 per cent normal chicks. "Regretting the delay in answering your communica- tion, and also assuring you that if we can be of further assistance will be very glad to communicate with you at any time. "Yours truly, "W. F. SCHOPPE." Later Letter From Professor Shoppe Writing again under date of July 22, 1919, Professor Shoppe added the following information: "Your communication of the Sth inst. received on my return from a trip East. Concerning the experiment with artificial light and the additional information desired, we report the following: "Sixty-watt Mazda lamps were used to light the pens, using one light to illuminate two pens. The pens were each 8x12 feet divided in the center by a wire partition. The lamp was placed in the ceiling close to the wire net- ting. This arrangement gave good distribution of light in both pens. "The lights were turned on at 6:30 and ran until day- light. They were turned on again as soon as it com- menced getting dark in the pens and were kept on until 8:30 at night, when they were gradually turned off by use of a dimmer. "Yours very truly, "W. F. SCHOPPE." Report on Use of "Lights" by a Pennsylvania Poultryman ANOTHER MAN WHO STUMBLED ONTO TIIE USE OF LIGHTS AFTER HE REALIZED THAT THE WINTER NIGHTS WERE TOO LONG A STRETCH "BETWEEN MEALS" TELLS OF HIS SUCCESS WITH WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS-THEY TOOK KINDLY TO THE LIGHTS AND THEIR OWNER FOUND IT HIGHLY PROFITABLE, BOTH WINTER AND SPRING-HE ALSO HAS PRACTICED "CULLING" FOR SEVERAL YEARS WRITING editor of R. P. J. under date of Octo- ber 13, 1919, J. N. Stroup of Middleburg, Pa., said, on the subject of the "Use of Artificial Light to Increase Egg Production": "Now, a word on 'Artificial Lighting for Winter Egg Production.' Some years ago, before ever having read a word about artificial lighting, I owned a flock of sev- eral hundred well-bred White Plymouth Rock pullets. They were of laying age and their combs looked nice, but they just would not lay worth mentioning. I fed and cared for them the best way I knew how, but to no avail. "Finally, in thinking the matter over, I decided that the nights were too long and cold; that the food they con- sumed during the short days was required to keep up their bodies, leaving no surplus for eggs. With this idea in mind I secured a large lantern and at nine o'clock in the evening I hung it in the hen house and gave them a good mess of scratch feed in deep litter. These birds were given a good feed before darlc in the evening and they then filled their crops, but at nine o'clock their crops again seemed almost empty. The first night very few came off the roost for the nine o'clock meal, but the fol- lowing nights more came down until at the end of a week every bird would get down for feed. In fact, when they saw the light coming toward the house, they would fly down from the roosts and by the time I was in the house every hen was down off the roost, waiting. "Given the grain feed, they would scratch until the house was so dusty I could scarcely see the hens, often spending an hour or more scratching and singing, before again retiring. Within two weeks the eggs began to come and it continued until my egg yield was the talk of the community. The grocer said I brought more eggs during cold weather than all his other customers combined. "My White Rock hens continued the remarkable yield until my spring work began, when I felt like going to bed in the evening instead of feeding hens, so I discontinued the lantern operation and within a week the egg yield had almost entirely ceased. I did a little thinking and decided that the egg yield under the artificial light plan was worth more to me than the work I did by getting out early in th morning, so I again tried the old lan- tern on my flock and to my surprise I soon had the birds back on the job — and I slept a little later in the morn- ing and was the gainer by so doing. "Later on I bought a good gas lantern which I found highly satis- factory, but shall soon have the laying house equipped with electric lights with a switch ready to hand in my residence. "Have been particularly interested also in 'poultry culling' and I know you are getting out a book on that subject. Have made a practice of culling my fowls on a business basis for a number of years, and other parties in this vicinity for whom I have culled have been loud in their praises of this money-saving work. I culled 120 birds for one poultry fancier and he felt that he could not bear to market the 70 birds I threw out, so he decided to give them good care and to trap nest them for a year. He did so, and at the end of the year he wrote me that the highest record made was one hen of seventy eggs, while the average was thirty-three eggs per hen for the year. "Yours very truly, "J. NEVIN STROUP." Editorial Note: — The foregoing is an interesting illus- tration of how thoughtful, practical poultry keepers in va- rious parts of the country have not only found the use of lights effective in producing better egg yields during the short days of fall and early winter, but also of how they have independently arrived at the same explanation for the good results secured — namely, that the hens in northern latitudes need a longer day at that season of the year that their digestive and egg-making organs may operate to their full normal capacity. These numerous, widely-scattered, everyday experiences uniformly con- firm the experiments made at Cornell and other institu- tions where the method has been subject to thorough scientific investigation. Clearly, the pullet of right age, in whatever part of the country she may be, is always ready to do her part if the poultry keeper will only make it possible for her to do so. RESULTS OF BREEDING FOR LARGER HENS AND EGGS In striving for greater egg production do not overlook the importance of getting EGGS OF STANDARD MARKET SIZE. Higli egg records or heavy winter production are of only limited practical value if a large proportion of the eggs are so small that they mast be sold at a discount. The White Plymouth Rock pullet illustrated above did not begin to lay until she was nearly eight months old, but when ten months old she weighed 8% pounds and pro- duced approximately 178 eggs in 229 days, which weighed about 29 pounds. The six eggs shown in the carton were the last six eggs laid consecutively before her photograph was taken. They weighed just 16 ounces, or 2 pounds to the dozen. This shows what can be accomplished by systematic breeding for increased size. Interview with Dr. E. G. Waldorf at His Home, August 6, 1919 LATEST SUGGESTIONS AND ADVICE FROM THIS PIONEER IN THE USE OF LIGHTS-IMPORTANCE OF MODERATE AND UNIFORM TEMPERATURE AND OF EASILY DIGESTED FEEDS IN SECURING MAXIMUM PRODUC- TION-VALUE OF COOKED GRAINS AND HOW TO PREPARE THEM Rifort hf EDITOR o/R. P. J. SAID Dr. Waldorf in substance near the close of an interview of some length: "There are three main conditions or factors to be considered in securing maximum egg production from do- mestic fowl, meaning hens or chickens. "First, an equatorial day. By this I mean twelve hours of light as a workday, feeding day or functioning period, and twelve hours of rest. From this equatorial day of twelve hours of light and an equal period for rest on the part of the fowl the period of daylight, natural and arti- ficial, can be increased to sixteen hours of light as com- pared with eight hours of darkness. Am not prepared to say what division will give the maximum egg yield. It may be that sixteen hours of light and eight hours of dark will do this. I really would reach that conclusion as a result of my experiments twenty-five to thirty years ago, as previously reported in the Reliable Poultry Jour- nal, also as reported at the time in the weekly newspaper of Clyde, N. Y. "Second, a moderate and uniform temperature in the poultry house or laying quarters. This important point also was covered in the article I wrote for your Journal four or five years ago and was again emphasized in our interview some months ago. There are physiological, rea- sons for this requirement, and poultrymen who make a study of the problem and wish to obtain full advantage, will find that a moderate and uniform temperature is nec- essary for best results. "Third, are easily digestible foods of the right ingre- dients, together with cooked (boiled) grains and a liberal supply of green food. Food in this case, of the definite kind, is the material from which the hen must manufac- ture the egg — the maximum number of eggs that we are seeking to obtain in any given length of time, notably in the fall and winter during the short-day period of the year when these eggs, as a rule, are scarce and, therefore, bring top prices for human consumption. A statement like this should not need or require elaboration — it is too self- evident. I gave a good deal of study to this matter of balanced rations and the preparation of poultry foods, so that my layers could make the best use of what they ate, including a constant supply of tepid water, and I at- tribute to this fact, along with the longer workday, the remarkable results obtained." Next Dr. Waldorf told of his efforts to secure copies of the "Clyde Weekly Times" of Clyde, N. Y., published back in 1893 or 1894, in which the editor reported on the "light experiments", as carried on by Dr. Waldorf in 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893 at his home in Buffalo, 496 Porter Ave., where Dr. Waldorf still resides and where this interview took place. Dr. Waldorf built this home in 1884 and has lived there ever since. He gives the names of several neighbors who knew about his poultry experi- ments, several of whom still live there. He also stated that he had recently visited the offices of the Buffalo Gas Company and found that their records showed that gas manufactured and supplied by them had been piped to his "chicken shed" in 1891. "Previous to this for two or three years I had used lanterns — kerosene lanterns — but they were not as good as the gas argand burners. There, of course, were no electric lights in those days." Continuing his discussion of proper feeding for egg production. Dr. Waldorf said in substance: "Yes, I cooked the grain, that is boiled it well — the oats, wheat, etc. These grains, all of good quality, were put in boiling water at 4:00 p. m. the day before they were to be used and were kept simmering until fed the next day as part of a crumbly dry mash, not wet or too moist. Sometime when I have the leisure, I will be glad to write an article or open letter for R. P. J. or one of your numer- ous poultry books on the subject of what to feed, how to cook, also how to feed the kind of nutritive materials that will be easiest for the hen to handle, and that will result in eggs of right specific gravity to hatch chicks that will get out of the shell on tinie, that will live when given a reasonable chance, and that will grow rapidly to maturity under proper management." Artificial Lighting as a Means of Increasing Egg Prodnction REPORT OF FIRST EXPERIMENTS MADE IN THE USE OF LIGHTS ON BROAD ACRES POULTRY FARM, WEST CHESHIRE, CONN. -EXPERIMENTS WERE LIMITED, YET PROF. JONES ENDORSES LIGHTING AND PRONOUNCES IT "REALLY A PART OF THE FEED- ING PROBLEM"-GOOD AVERAGE PRODUCTION OF HENS AND PULLETS Bv ROY E. JONES. Poultry In . Co«n Agricultural College, Star. PRACTICALLY every up-to-date poultryman who has not tried artificial lights as a means of increasing egg production is wondering whether it will not pay him to install some kind of a lighting system. Re- sults from artificial lighting have invariably been very sat- isfactory for the time and often beyond the wildest dreams. The annual egg production has, however, remained about the same, so it seems, while in same cases it has decreased. Transferring egg production from the season of low prices in the spring to the season of high prices in the fall and winter has usually been the cause of greater cash returns rather than increased production. The old saying, "You cannot eat your cake and have it too" usually holds good but there sometimes are exceptions. Figures on egg production obtained from Broad Acres Farm of West Cheshire, Connecticut, indicate that it may be possible to nibble the cake a little and still have it. In other words, artificial lights moderately used may be a means of increasing tgg production during the season of highest prices and still not reduce production during the remainder of the year. Egg production depends primarily on the amount of surplus nourishment in the hen's body over and above that required for maintenance. When lights are used simply as a means of allowing the hens to eat a normal amount of food and make a reasonable pro- duction during the shortest days rather than forcing for abnormal production, the remainder of the year's produc- tion is not interrupted. At Broad Acres Farm the stock is all White Leghorns. The pullets were hatched the latter part of April and May ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING AS A MEANS OF INCREASING EGG PRODUCTION 111 and grown on a range where shade and green food were abundant. A few eggs were picked up on the range dur- ing September and October, but the pullets were not put in winter quarters until November 1, 1918. The pullets were divided into two flocks of 225 each, there being about three to four weeks difference in comparative maturity. The first normal' wave of production from the most ma- ture pen with ordinary care and management lasted about six weeks. It was not until the middle of December that the lights were used, at which time a few scattering feath- ers were seen in the pen, indicating that some of the ear- liest laying pullets were getting short of food and threat- ening a partial molt. The lights used were three-hundred c. p. gasoline lanterns. The time of lighting was from 5 a. m. until daylight, no lights being used at night. The application of lights in moderate amounts at this time did not give an increase in production, but rather held production over a period when there would have been a drop had the lights not been used. The fall molt was checked however, and there was no further evidence of shedding feathers. The second lot of pullets, maturing a little later, was treated the same way, the lights being used when the first e\ idence of molt indicated that they were necessary. There was also on the plant a pen of 228 yearling hens. The hens were the best, selected from a flock of 650 which av- eraged 167 eggs per hen during the previous year. They were all laying November first and less than ten per cent showed any signs of molt. Their production necessarily dropped low in December and January during the molt, but increased at once when a slight amount of light was applied in January, after a reasonable amount of time had been allowed for rest. All lights with both hens and pul- lets were discontinued after the middle of March. A careful study of the egg record shows several facts worthy of consideration. 1. While good egg production was obtained during the fall and winter, it was not phenomenal or startling. 2. That artificial lights may be used as a means of stopping a fall or winter molt, or for hurrying late-molt- ing breeding stock into laying for early hatching. 3. Where a minimum amount of artificial light is used simply as a means of keeping the hens in good phy- sical condition, a fairly even lay and a high average egg production can be obtained. The object of this article is to show that light may be used in a limited way without affecting production later in the season, and that lighting is really a part of the feeding problem and should be treated as such in order to avoid overstimulation; that after all, egg production per hen per year or total egg sales per hen per year, is the ob- jective rather than massed production during a short sea- son of highest prices. Just how much light may be used and not affect later production is still an open question, but the beginner had better err on the side of too little • artificial light rather than too much. Record of Production 228 Yearling Hens 450 Pullets Av. eggs Total Av. eggs Total per hen eggs per hen eggs per month to date per month to date Nov 7.8 7.8 5.8 5.8 Dec 2.0 9.8 11.9 17.7 Jan 2.2 12.0 12.8 30.5 Feb 12.5 24.5. 14.4 44.9 Mar 20.0 44.5 19.3 64.2 Apr 20.2 64.7 19.0 83.2 May '. 19.5 84.2 20.0 103.2 June 17.3 101.5 17.5 • 120.7 July 16.4 117.9 16.6 137.3 Aug 17.4 135.3 " 17.4 154.7 Sept. ..: 15.6 150.9 14.3 t69.0 Oct not completed (163.0) (180.0) Figures are kept on the basis of eggs per hen per month rather than per cent production— first, because it is easy to figure even with a changing number of hens in" the flock and, second, because it allows keeping a record of the average egg production per hen to date, which is a most valuable record at any time of year for judging the worth of a hen. The production for October is not com- pleted, but will not vary more than one or two eggs from the above totals. Storrs, Conn., Oct. 20, 1919. Report of Lighting Tests at Ontario Agricultural College HEREWITH ARE GIVEN RESULTS OF A ONE-YEAR EXPERIMENT IN THE USE OF LIGHTS- SEVERAL PENS OF PULLETS AND HENS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE TESTS-AS TABLE SHOWS, LIGHTS DID NOT ALWAYS RESULT IN INCREASING TOTAL EGG YIELD, BUT IN EVERY CASE GAVE GREATLY INCREASED PRODUCTION DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS ♦X>ABLE presented herewith gives the results of a one- ■■■ year experiment conducted by Prof. W. R. Graham, head of the Poultry Department at Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Canada, which experiment was concluded Octo:ber, 1919. Sixteen pens,- each consisting of twenty- five pullets, or an equal number of hens, were employed in these tests. As is clearly shown by the table, lights gave excellent results in fall and winter production in ev- €ry case. The pens of White Leghorn pullets were the only lighted pens continued throughout the summer that did not give a better average for the year than the check pens without lights. In each case, however, -the lighted pens maintained their lead throughout the high-price months. During the low-price season (March to May) the unlighted pens were ahead, and in the case of the Leghorn pullets these pens maintained their lead through the remainder of the test. The lighted pens of Leghorn hens and Barred Rock pullets, however, again took the lead in June or July when prices were on the up-grade. Prof. Graham has not furnished figures showing the exact increase in value of eggs secured as a result of the use of lights, but it is plain that the product of the lighted pens must have had a much higher market value for the year than that of the check pens without light. TABLE SHOWING RESULT OF EXPEEEVIENTS IN USE OF LIGHTS AT ONTAEIO AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE July Aug. Sept. Oct. Total Average 774 357 335 175 6905 138 313 312 7884 157.7 ?0 yearling White Leghorn hens — lights 413 460 42 SO yearling White Leghorn hens — no lights 284 170 50 May hatched Barred Rock pullets — lights.. " ~ 50 -May hatched Barred Eock pullets — ^no light: SO yearling Barred Rock 573 963 615 858 589 131 548 532 415 1009 851 .324 543 735 445 415 518 331 arling Barred Rock hens — no lights 247 294 449 211 313 764 500 547 I Pens broken up May 31 INDEX Historical Introduction 4 Colored Charts Illustrating Results of Experiments in Artificial Illumination at Cornell University Dr. and Mrs. 0. B. Kent 6-7-10-11-1:; Natural — Use of "Lights" Not a "Forcing" Process Editor S Practical — Artificial Illumination a Practical Method for Poultry Keepers Editor 12 Description of the Cornell Colored Charts Prof. Jas. E. Rice 14 Forcing Egg Yield by Use of Artificial Light W. H. Reynolds 17 Ten Eggs Per Week Per Hen and How It Was Done E. C. Waldorf, M. D 19 Successful Use of Lighting in Back-yard Plant Warren V. Clarke 21 "Lighting System" for Increasing Egg Production J. B. Roe and E. C. Waldorf, M. D 25 More Evidence of Egg-Yield Value of Lighting System M. E. Atkinson and E. E. Emerson....27 Influence of "Illumination" on Production of Winter Eggs.. ..Pro/'. Jas. E. Rice 29 Discovery of "Lighting System" in the Northwest Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Shoup 31 Practical Advice for Use of "Lighting System" Warren V. Clarke 32 Use of Artificial Lighting to Increase Winter Egg Yield — I ..Prof. Luther Banta 33 Use of Artificial Lighting to Increase Winter Egg Yield — II ..Prof. Luther Banta 36 Use of Artificial Lighting to Increase Winter Egg Yield — III ..Prof. Luther Banta 39 Influence of Length of Day on the Production of Winter Eggs Prof. Jas. E. Rice 42 Making Artificial Daylight For the Layers in Winter Geo. R. Shoup 46 Artificial Lighting of Pacific Coast Poultry Houses Mrs. Jean A. Patterson and Harry Beernink 5ft Early "Lighting System" Tests in Eastern Territory on Commercial Basis Report by Editor 53 "Works the Hens Day and Night" J. P. Jordan 5& More "Lighting" Facts From Sunny Crest Farm Report by Editor 6ft Late Interview With Dr. Waldorf on Artificial Lighting Report by Editor 64 Successful Use of "Lights" on Commercial Poultry Plant R. T. Argood 67 Private Users of "Lights" in Pacific Northwest D. P. Rager, Mrs. T. H. Ridley, and A. E. Hammond 6S Early Use of "Lighting System" in Michigan Prof. J. G. Halpin 7ft Results of the Use of "Lighting System" in New Jersey Report by Editor 71 Further Facts About Use of "Lighting System" in New Jersey Report by Editor 75 General Lecture on Great Benefit of Use of Artificial Lights ...Prof. Jas. E. Rice 78 Influence of "Illumination" on Egg Production "Characters"..Pro/'. Jas. E. Rice 85 Tables and Data on Which Eight of Colored Charts are Based Prof. Jas. E. Rice 89 How Mr. and Mrs. Shoup Discovered the Benefit of "Lights"..Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Shoup .91 Comparison of Methods of Managing Pullets for Egg Yields.. ..Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Shoup 92 Essentials for Getting Fall and Winter Eggs Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Shoup 96 Maintenance of Egg Production During Winter Mr. and Mrs. Geo. R. Shoup 9& Successful Use of Artificial Light in California Prof. J. E. Dougherty and W. T. Hadley 100 Reports on Tests of the "Lighting System" in Canada F. C. Elford 102 Use of Artificial Light in European Countries Edward Brown, F. L. S 104 Several Private Users of "Lights" in New York State Rosa A. Mesner, C. H. Palmer, Lloyd J. Blackmore, Wm. A. Crandall....lQ(> Testing the Use of "Light" in State of Montana Prof. W. F. Schoppe 108 Report on Use of "Lights" by a Pennsylvania Poultryman....J. Kevin Stroup 109 Interview With Dr. E. C. Waldorf at His Home Report by Editor lift Artificial Lighting As a Means of Increasing Egg Production. .Pro/. Roy E. Jones 110 Report of Lighting Tests at Ontario Agricultural College Prof W. R. Graham Ill