I'D MOUTH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 379 



Second, that the style of shipping coop provided furnishes 

 as much protection as possible against these changes and at 

 the same time allows a sufficient supply of pure air to insure 

 the good health and condition of the occupant or occupants. 

 Because the shipping coop does not allow always for a suffi- 

 cient supply of fresh air, the danger of overheating, particu- 

 larly in express cars, is also incurred. 



Construction of Shipping Coops. The proper construction 

 of a suitable shipping coop involves all these problems, also 

 the question of how much the occupant may be confined with- 

 out injury of either health or condition. 



Large and Small Coops. Obviously when the good ap- 

 pearance of the bird counts for so much it will not do to take 

 the slightest chance of injury even if that injury merely con- 

 sists of rubbing the plumage or the breaking of a single prin- 

 ciple feather. Many claim that too large coops involve more 

 and greater injuries in this latter regard than smaller ones. 

 The idea advanced is that the bird breaks the feathers by 

 turning around in the coop and that when the coops are so 

 narrow as to prevent it, there is less liability to injuries of 

 this kind. The styles of coops vary widely. One large poultry 

 show will show scores of designs. Shipping coops are usually 

 built of wood or have a framework of wood covered with cloth. 



Cloth Covered Coops. Cloth tears so easily that express 

 companies will not receive cloth covered coops at single rates 

 unless the wooden frame over which the cloth is put is so con- 

 structed that it will hold the bird even if the cloth is not put in 

 place. Cloth covered coops, when the frame is constructed in 

 accordance with these regulations, are very satisfactory except 

 in extremely cold weather. They offer the advantage of good 

 ventilation at all times and, it must be admitted, far too much 

 when the weather is severe. 



Wooden Coops. Wooden coops are without question the 

 most often used and the safest from many points of view. They 

 are certainly stronger and less liable to be broken and it is for 

 this reason that they are most often used. Ventilation is the 

 difficult problem with wooden coops. If they are open in con- 

 struction the birds take cold when left out of doors or in a 

 draft for any length of time. If they are closed the birds some- 

 times smother when large numbers are shipped, as they often 

 are when poultry shows are being held. This, of course, re- 

 sults from stacking a number of coops together. The coops in 

 the center of the stack or against the wall receive an insuf- 



