414 HANDT-BOOK OF HUSBANDRY.'' 



or May. Probably it would be most profitable to sell out all but 

 the breeding stock of old fowls every fall, and to retain from our 

 own early broods, or to purchase from our neighbors, well-grown 

 pullets that were hatched not later than the middle of April. 

 Under the proper treatment, these birds will commence to lay 

 plentifully about Christmas, and will give many eggs before com- 

 mon flocks commence laying at all. 



As the best means for explaining my idea of what a poultry- 

 house should be, I add the following description of the house 

 that I have recently built at Ogden Farm. 



Its north wall is a well-laid stone fence, five feet high, well- 

 pointed with cement on both sides. The rear plate of the roof is 

 laid in cement on the top of this wall, and the openings between 

 the sides and the wall are closed with cement. The height of 

 the plate in front is eight feet ; the batter, or slope of the front, 

 two feet. The length of the house is twenty-five feet. The. 

 door is in one end. The sashes are made like those used in 

 greenhouses, with only longitudinal bars, the glass being lapped 

 one pane over another, with no putty at the lap. The width 

 between the bars is ten inches. The sashes are let in at the 

 outside of the upright joists supporting the roof; the joists pro- 

 ject about four inches inside of the inner face of the sashes ; 

 and, stretched along these at a distance of about five inches from 

 the glass, is a netting, (made of very light galvanized wire,) which 

 cost less than $io, — the entire cost of the house being about 

 $75. The nests are placed (in a row running the whole length 

 of the house) immediately under the windows. The perches 

 (four in number) are raised only two feet from the ground, and 

 run the entire length of the building, occupying the rear half of 

 the house. 



Both ends and the roof of the house are lined with lathing, the 

 space between which and the outer wall is filled with straw 

 for cold weather. The ventilator at the top of the house can be 

 opened or closed as the temperature may require. The nests 

 are " secret," but so arranged that they may be entirely opened 

 and swept out at pleasure. The perches are placed near the 



