THE POULTRY HOUSE AND EQUIPMENT 525 



The nests should be against the wall, and be 12 or 14 

 inches square, according to the size of fowl. Nests are some- 

 times placed below the dropping board, the hens entering 

 from the back and the eggs being removed from the front 

 by means of a hinged door. These nests have the advan- 

 tage of being rather dark, as hens under such conditions 

 rarely eat their eggs. Open nests may be fastened to the 

 side of the pen, if desired, a common method. Trap nests 

 are used in many houses to-day. The principle of this nest 

 is that, when the hen enters, she springs a trapdoor, and so 



Figure 256. A three-section trap nest, showing one section shut. Photograph 

 from United States Dept. of Agriculture. 



is confined until released by the poultryman. Thus he 

 knows just what hens lay each day, and makes a record of 

 the same. Hens laying in trap nests usually are numbered 

 with metal leg-bands. 



A dust bath in the poultry house is most important. The 

 process of dusting is the method by which the bird keeps 

 herself free from lice and similar pests. Many poultrymen 

 have a corner of the pen arranged so that road dust, sifted 

 coal ashes, or dry sand may be put there for dusting. A 

 depth of 3 or 4 inches of dust enclosed by pieces of com- 

 mon six-inch fencing boards will do. No poultry house 

 should be without a dust bath, especially during the winter. 



