11 Aug., 1919.] Poultry Rearing. 465 



Plans should be made for the following sheds: — Feed store and mixing, 

 egg room, incubator shed, brooder shed, movable chicken colony houses, 

 breeding pens, single test, and laying sheds. 



The feed store should be made rat and mouse proof, and rather on 

 the large side, so that when opportunities' occur stocks may be purchased 

 on a bigger scale than just " hand-to-mouth,' 



The egg room should be as airy and cool as possible and well pro- 

 tected from the north. Plenty of shelving should be provided. 



The incubator shed. — This should really take the form of a cellar. 

 The small style of incubator has now virtually had its day, and the 

 inammutli type of machine iS' bscoming more and more popular; in fact, 

 a big incubator represents a very sound investment for those in a 

 position to purchase one. Coke is the only fuel required, and 20s. 

 worth of coke would run a 15,0UU egg machine for three weeks. The 

 recognised charge is <£l for 150 eggs, so that the 15,000 machine would 

 earn £100 every three weeks; accordingly, a very good living could be 

 made by only running the machine for five months in the year. The 

 cost of installing such an incubator would not be greater than the 

 capital required for a 1,000-bird farm. 



Tilt brooder shed should lacb nor oh, whilst the other sheds for the 

 birds face east. Chickens occupy the brooder shed only at such times 

 of year as all available sunlight is required. For the poultry farmer 

 on a decent scale, the colony brooders are an undoubted advantage, and, 

 in addition, are economical on fuel. At the same time, the small 

 poultry keeper, hatching out only a 100-egg machine per week, will be 

 able to manage with the smaller brooders, the heating of which may be 

 supplied by hot-water pipes, gas, electricity, or even feather pillows. 



Portable colony houses for the growing chicks are really a necessity, 

 as it is a terrible mistake to imagine that fowls can be reared year after 

 year in small back yards, as is at present, unfortunately, an all too 

 prevalent belief. Sooner or later this practice will result in a marked 

 depreciation in the constitutional vigour of the birds. 



I'he breeding j)ens should allow more than the regulation 4| to 5 

 square feet of floor space per layer, and should be fitted with outside 

 runs, so that during the breeding season the stud stock may be placed 

 in the open for a time, at any rate, each day. 



Single test pens may be built 5 feet deep by 3 feet frontage, the 

 door forming the entire front. These sheds are useful for more reasons 

 than merely determiniiii^ the exact number of eggs a bird lays in a given 

 period. The shape and size of e^g may also be ascertained ; the penn 

 used for small special matings, &c., &c. Pens 5 feet by 3 feet will, at 

 a pinch, hold four birds temporarily, although three are preferable. 

 Birds of similar pedigree which are not to be single-mated can be run 

 in these pens, if required, for trios, &c., during the breeding season. 



Laying Sheds. — These are to accommodate the bulk of the flock, con- 

 sequently all labour-saving device.^? should be carefully considered. 

 Whilst the practice of running; large flecks together tends to reduce the 

 labour, it is an undoubted fact that better returns are more readily 

 obtained from smaller irobs. The birds seem to lav Setter and can 

 undoubtedly be more easily super\ased in small number'=s. In every 

 flock there are a proportion of both greedy, and also shy, feeders, and it 

 is an advantage to try to pen birds of similar habits together. These 

 sheds should face east, and be covered up for about 3 feet from the 

 ground in front. 



