THE BOOK OF POULTRY 



" The nest-boxes, thirty-eight in number, 

 are just below the windows, and the size of 

 each is 14 in. each way. The tops of the 

 nests slope sharply from the wall to the front, 

 which keeps the birds from using these as 

 perches. 



" On the opposite side of the house is a 

 dropping-board, running the whole length of 

 the building, 5 ft. wide and 2h ft. from the 

 floor. The perches, i ft. above this board, 

 and themselves 3 in. deep, are arranged along 

 the entire length, but transversely, not length- 

 wise, being 18 in. from centre to centre. I 

 find very long perches incline the birds to 

 crowd together, and after getting overheated 



these being 3 ft. by 2 ft., also in the gable 

 ends and close to the floor, under the dropping- 

 board in the north wall, by fourteen windows 

 20 in. square, so that the birds can easily see 

 to scratch out their food from the litter, in 

 which the grain is always thrown. The litter 

 is always 2 in. to 3 in. deep. 



" The water is contained in two large piggins, 

 which are mounted on platforms to keep out 

 the scratching litter, and these are entirely 

 emptied, scrubbed out, and refilled daily. The 

 mash, given towards evening, is fed in the 

 troughs standing directly on the floor, but the 

 green feed of mangolds, turnips, and cabbage 

 for winter-time is put into specially made 



^^'^^ 





■.'^'•4''t*f^*^t 



Exterior of Mr. Tom Barron's Large Semi-intensive House with Fowls at Liberty. 



they get chilled. Being split up, as they are, 

 into forty short perches, across the dropping- 

 board, distributes the birds more, and the 

 ample space between the perches keeps them 

 from fighting, and being all one level has the 

 same satisfactory result. 



"Every 12 ft. this dropping-board, with its 

 perches above, is divided up by partitions 

 from the floor to the square of the house, and 

 the space above being lathed over and covered 

 with straw, stops side down draughts to the 

 birds on winter nights when perching. 



"At each end of the building is a large 

 door, running on overhead pulleys, 8 ft. wide, 

 which allows of a horse and cart passing 

 through from end to end, for cleaning and 

 other purposes. The building and floor is well 

 lighted from the roof with twelve windows let 

 into the wood and corrugated iron above it. 



troughs, trestle formed, with a standing board 

 on eitlier side of its length a few inches from 

 the floor. In addition to the dry and mash 

 feeds, the birds always have before them grit 

 and shell. 



"The floor of this building is raised about 

 6 in. above the ground le\-el outside, and is 

 covered with asphalt. It would perhaps in- 

 terest readers to know how this floor was made. 

 About 20 tons of cinders were put down. 

 These were rolled and rammed until the whole 

 was hard and level. When in perfect condi- 

 tion, about 4 tons of asphalt w-ere laid over 

 to about the depth of i in., and hardened, 

 and a fine layer of cement gave a finish to the 

 surface. This is one of the best floors I have 

 had on the farm. 



"The runs are on both sides of the build- 

 ing, and are reached by the birds through the 



