THE BOOK OF POULTRY 



lien Semi-Intensive Houses on the Molassine Co.'s Experimental Farm at Twyford. 



as they are, do not suppi}- the mineral pro- 

 perties of crops grown in earth. 



The double-deckers illustrated on p. v. 

 are erected facnig south, and a sheltering belt 

 of fir trees keeps off wind. The soil is a 

 silver sand on clay, and thus, whilst below 

 there is a good deal of moisture, the surface 

 drains well, and there is an abundant supply 

 of dry, clean sand available as floor covering 

 for the houses beneath the whole straw litter. 



The two houses are each loo ft. long by 

 i6 ft. deep, and arranged in two floors, each 

 divided into ten compartments, 20 ft. wide by 

 16 ft. deep, to hold fifty birds each. The 

 front on each floor, as can be seen, is 

 partly boarded up below the wire-netting, to 

 which double canvas shutters are provided. 

 The ground floor is raised 18 in. from the soil, 

 so as to be thoroughly dry, and as a preventive 

 against vermin. The height of the lower com- 

 partments is 7 ft. throughout, and that of the 

 upper storey 7 ft. 6 in. in front, sloping to 

 4 ft. 6 in. at the back. 



Food and water-vessels are raised well off 

 the ground, as arc also the nest-boxes, so as to 

 allow the whole extent of the floor for scratch- 

 ing purposes. The perches rua longitudinally 

 above the nest-boxes, which are 15 ins. off the 

 ground, with a dropping shelf beneath them, 

 from which the manure is collected daily. 

 Whilst eggs can be taken from the nest-boxes 



from the front, the birds enter from the back, 

 so as to give greater seclusion, and also as a 

 partial preventive against egg-eating. An in- 

 genious device is gradually being fitted to all 

 the nest-boxes in the shape of a plaited concave 

 straw nest, with a centre aperture, through 

 which the egg, when laid, rolls away below on 

 to the well-littcred floor of the nest-box, out of 

 reach of a possible egg-eater. 



Trap-nesting is not adopted here, but a 

 careful watch is kept on each flock and their 

 record. The stock is a mixed one as regards 

 breeds, and as eggs are the sole object, the 

 hens are sold at the end of their second season, 

 in time for the Jewish festivals. 



In making contracts for the supply of eggs 

 a guarantee is given that no egg shall be dis- 

 patched more than twenty-four hours old, and 

 by watching the quality as well, as much as 

 3d. per dozen above the market rate of the 

 district had been secured, the price early in 

 October being is. 6d. per dozen. This is an 

 item of importance on the year's turnover. 



The manure, too, we learnt, was a con- 

 siderable source of revenue, all procurable 

 from the dropping-boards being taken at a 

 good figure by a market gardener, as were 

 also the sweepings from the floors, which 

 are relittered half-yearly, the total amount 

 realised for manure being estimated at over 

 £100 per annum. 



