The Hen's Habitation. 89 



In regard to extreme cold at night, I cannot conceive the bene- 

 fit to be derived from glass, whether it be east, west, north or 

 south side. The air is equally cold in all directions during the 

 night. The same exposure in either direction, must admit the 

 same amount of frost." 



Henry Hales says : " I have a number of houses of various 

 designs two with west windows ; but these west windows let 

 in more cold or rather let out more warmth than windows on 

 the other sides. A very cold northwest wind penetrates these 

 west windows badly and I never have them in houses in which 

 I can as well dispense with them. The warmest houses in 

 winter are those with glass on the east and south sides only, 

 with no opening on the west and north." 



A MOVABLE CHICKEN-COOP. 



When the chickens are large enough to leave the brooder 

 and run outdoors, a coop or house is needed where they may 

 be safe from rats and other vermin, eat their food undis- 

 turbed and be warmly sheltered i '; night. Fred Grundy thus 

 describes a coop that he has found very successful : 



This coop is 24 inches wide by 30 inches long, and 12 inches 

 high at the sides. It has a drop-door in front which in the 

 sketch (Fig. go) is shown fastened up with a leather loop. 

 There is a three-inch hole near the roof at each end, for venti- 

 lation. Cover them with wire-cloth to keep ojt rats and ver- 

 min, and in cold weather close one of them with the sliding- 

 cover shown in the sketch. One side of the roof is hung on 

 hinges so that it can be raised when the coop is to be cleaned 

 out. The apex of the roof is covered with a strip of water- 

 proof cloth to shed rain. The rear end is supported on wheels 

 six inches in diameter, cut from two-inch oak stuff. The 

 wheels, with their connecting axle, raise the floor of the coop 

 four inches above the ground, keeping it dry and preventing 

 the drowning of the chicks in very heavy showers when water 

 stands two or three inches deep on level ground, and also mak- 

 ing it easy to transfer from place to place. The protecting 



