Nests, and Drinking Fountains 119 



excelsior answers the purpose admirably. Sea- 

 grass, so extensively used in packing china and 

 crockery, is an excellent material. Whatever ma- 

 terial is used, it should be such as will not easily 

 stain the eggs. An egg when first laid is moist, and 

 if the nest material staijis or gives up its coloring 

 matter readily, the egg is likely to be more or less 

 stained, particularly if it has a white shell. If 

 the nests are placed side by side, the partitions 

 should extend two inches or more above the nest 

 material to prevent the fowls from attempting to 

 draw the eggs from one nest to another, and, in 

 so doing, cause the eggs to roll back and be 

 broken. 



Drinking fountains. It is of tne utmost im- 

 portance that fowls be supplied with pure water. 

 This is one of the somewhat difficult problems 

 that every poultry man has to meet. It 

 is difficult to keep the water dishes 

 clean, particularly when the fowls are 

 confined in the houses, as they are dur- 

 ing the severe winter months. Scratch- 

 ing in the litter will cause more 

 or less dirt to enter the drink- 

 ing dishes, and usually such 



, c , , , Fig. 41. A simple drinking 



lowls are ted sort rood once a fountain; a bottle or jug 

 day at least, and this food will used as a reservoir - 

 also enter the drinking dishes to some extent when 

 the fowls drink after eating. There are a number 



