298 Farm Poultry 



crates or coops are required to be handled quickly, 

 and if they are heavy, rougher usage is given 

 them than would be given to smaller ones. These 

 coops are usually sent by express, and the em- 

 ployees of the express companies find it neces- 

 sary to work rapidly and often are prevented 

 from handling the coops carefully. 



If large coops are used, they should have 

 one or more partitions across them so that the 

 fowls will not all be thrown to one side, if for 

 any reason the coop becomes tilted. When tilted, 

 large coops without partitions cause great dis- 

 comfort to the occupants on the lower side of 

 the coop, and in many cases if the coop remains 

 tipped for any considerable time, death may re- 

 sult from suffocation. 



It is important that the fowls of a crate or 

 coop should be uniform; that is, the sexes should 

 not be shipped in the same division of a crate 

 and young fowls should not be sent with old 

 ones. It frequently happens that a commission 

 man or dealer can find ready sale for a uniform 

 lot of fowls but is unable to dispose of a mixed 

 lot. It is often inconvenient, if not impossible, 

 for him to sort and grade them, consequently 

 the fowls are sold at a sacrifice. Middlemen 

 and dealers of the great cities are busy and are 

 accustomed to do a great deal of business in 

 a short time. They do not have the time and 



