234 COMMON OR BARN-DOOR FOWL, 



When the rearing of Poultry is entered upon, on a 

 moderate scale, care should be taken to select a warm 

 well sheltered apartment, for their lodging in during 

 the night, and for placing the nests for laying their 

 eggs in. 



The nests, for the purpose of laying in, may be 

 arranged in tiers, one above another, in chequers, and 

 may be constructed of wood, filled with straw or hay, 

 once a-week cleanliness in this and every particular 

 being very essential. They should have a foot-board 

 in front, for the purpose of the birds perching easily 

 into them, and a fillet in front, to hold in the straw ; 

 and the situation in the apartment ought to be darkish 

 rather than light, on account that Hens do not like to 

 be disturbed in this operation. They should also be 

 supplied with a ladder or stick, to assist them in perch- 

 ing up, as care should be taken not to injure the bird 

 in its passage to the nest, when about to deposit her 



*gg- 



Nests prepared for the business of incubation, should 

 have moveable gratings to place before them, to pre- 

 vent the intrusion of other Hens while the mother 

 is sitting. This grating must be taken off in the 

 morning, when the other Fowls in the yard are being 

 fed, the noise of which operation will, in general, excite 

 the mother to rise and feed also ; but should she delay 

 to get off her eggs, she may be removed carefully, and 

 placed near to the feeding board, when, after having 



