HOUSES FOB SITTERS. 65 



The partitions at the backs of the nests are made of 

 wire netting, one-inch mesh, to keep out rats, those at 

 the sides of the same and of a two-inch wire netting, 

 alternately, for purposes described in another place. 

 In this way a circulation of air is allowed for the 

 health of the sitters. Sufficient attention is not gener- 

 ally given to this point. Fowls in a state of nature 

 being accustomed to scratch holes in the ground under 

 bushes, to form their nests and incubate where there is 

 plenty of air, pant and show distress in hot weather 

 when forced to occupy close boxes. Large doors of 

 wire netting, two-inch mesh, not shown in the illustra- 

 tion, prevent the fowls roosting at the entrance to the 

 nests at night. These doors are closed after gathering 

 the eggs towards evening, and opened again the first 

 thing in the morning, and are made in two parts, fold- 

 ing together, so that there may be room for them over- 

 head, when raised. A piece of rat-proof netting is 

 placed in front of a nest occupied by a hen engaged in 

 hatching, and fastened by buttons, to keep out laying 

 fowls by day and rats by night. To keep the fowls from 

 using the upper part of the room as a roosting place, 

 wire netting or lath work, a part of which is shown in 

 the figure, extends from the top of the upper nests to 

 the roof. Underneath the lower tier of nests is placed 

 a feed box, made like those with which the houses for 

 layers are furnished, and others of the same construction 

 should be placed on the ground at the ends of the 

 perches, and at right angles with the latter. Five 

 houses for sitters, each with its yard, will be required 

 for an establishment of the size we are describing. The 

 arrangement of the yards is shown by Fig. 23. The 

 fence, A B, is made like the buildings, (7, non-movable. 

 The fences on the remaining three sides of the yards are 

 moved yearly. Suppose that last year the yards were 

 located at E ' ; then this year they are at D, and E is 

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