LOFTS AND AVIARIES. 



exactly on Mr. Woods' plan, utilising the roof, 

 which, I may say, had laths, raised a few inches 

 from the tiles, about two inches broad, and 

 placed about eighteen inches apart. But when I 

 came to Moseley, and built new lofts, I dispensed 

 with the accommodation on the roof, the reason 

 being that I did not wish to alarm my neighbours 

 with too lofty a structure. Another reason was 

 that I did not think, in the case of Oriental 

 Frills, it was absolutely necessary, so long as 

 the aviaries were fairly roomy in order that the 

 birds could get plenty of exercise. My present 

 lofts, including aviaries, are 40 feet long by 

 18 feet deep, and are divided into five compart- 

 ments. This gives one area to each loft of 8 

 feet by 6 feet, with an aviary of 12 feet by 8 feet. 

 The height of the lofts to apex of roof is 10 feet, 

 and the height of the aviaries is about 7 feet. 



LOFTS AND AVIARIES. 



The floors of the lofts are double boarded 

 and the floors of the aviaries are covered to a 

 depth of twelve inches with hard, burnt red 

 ashes, which I obtained from a colliery. I first 

 tried our local sand, which is reddish in colour, 

 but this proved useless, as apart from its clogging 

 nature in wet weather, it coloured the tails and 

 foot feather of the birds. I think ordinary hard, 

 burnt engine ashes would answer quite well. 

 But riddle them, first putting the big clinkers at 

 the bottom and thus making a good foundation. 



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