Poultry-Houses 



199 



to pass riglU through the entire range of 

 them without interruption, for the purposes 

 both of cleaning and feeding. In such cases, 

 also, the moveable tressle-shaped perches 

 should be used. 



In smaller establishments a sheltered situa- 

 tion is often looked for, and the house leans 

 against some good wall. Here the perches 

 may be fixed, and within one outer door, 

 under lock and key, may be formed several 

 separate apartments, entering from the main 

 passage running parallel with the supporting 

 Avail, each containing one cock and from four 

 to six hens. Before this term we had a house 

 answering this description, 1 6 feet long by 8 

 feet wide, including the main passage. The 

 four inner apartments were fitted up with 

 open spars to admit light from the door and 

 windows, which latter should be in the sides 

 of the house, as if placed in the roof there 

 will be considerable inconvenience during a 

 snow-storm. To adapt the house to the 

 ground, one nui entered at the end, and, look- 

 ing northwards, had a broad fence opposite the 

 gable of the house as a shelter from cold winds. 

 The sub-divisions were necessarily small, yet 

 with good airy runs and abundant ventilation 

 through this wooden fabric, a stock of from 

 sixteen to twenty hens and four cocks have 

 thriven and maintained an honourable position 

 in the show-yard. Removing to a new house, 

 we find only a garden border, 71^ feet wide, 

 but of great length, whereon to erect the future 

 dwelling for our pets. Well, what is to be 

 done ? WTiy, against a wall 6 feet high we 

 are placing a house, entering from the garden- 

 walk, the passage inside being at right 

 angles to the wall, the ridge of the roof 

 being exactly in the middle of this passage 



overhead, and two inner doors enter a sepa- 

 rate apartment on either side. The door 

 of each is in the middle, as being most 

 convenient for cleaning, and in this case, to 

 avoid contact with the outer door, which, in 

 its turn, yielding to the principle of con- 

 venience, opens inwards. Runs of the same 

 width as the house communicate with both 

 apartments, having each a door from the 

 garden walk close at the comer of the house, 

 and the trap-door or slip for the fowls is at 

 the same corner. One perch in each, 3 feet 

 high, runs from end to end of each division, 

 and two roofed-in nests are placed over 

 against the door and the middle of the perch. 

 A large pane of glass is placed in the side of 

 each division for light. Except the garden 

 wall gable the whole is of overlapping boards. 

 The roof does not overlap, as it is covered 

 with tarpauhn. The inmates are to number 

 twelve hens and two cocks ; and if further 

 subdivision be rendered necessary, the house 

 is so halved that it can with almost no change 

 have three apartments, or even four at a 

 push. 



Every morning this house will be tlioroughly 

 cleaned, and the floor sprinkled with ashes 

 (wood-ashes if possible) twice a-week. The 

 inside of the roosting-divisions will be washed 

 with lime every six months, or sometimes 

 oftener, and the outer door will be kept open 

 all day, unless in stormy weather. Of course 

 this latter precaution cannot be taken in cases 

 where the eggs are stolen, and then more 

 ventilation wall be required from other parts 

 of the house. We have never, for nearly 

 twenty years, had a single fowl stolen, nor per- 

 haps even one egg, although the latter sort 

 of theft has once or twice been attempted. 



