MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS 75 



of it. On most soils this would require a yard containing from 

 750 to 1000 sq. ft. in sod before being used for poultry. 



When fowls are confined to their houses, or to the houses and 

 small yards, the droppings must be removed at frequent, regular 

 intervals. To facilitate this it is customary to have a wide board, 

 called the droppings board, under the roost at a distance of eight 

 or ten inches. All the droppings made while the birds are on the 

 roost fall on this board and are easily collected and removed. 



FIG. 71. Coop and shade for flock of Bantams 1 



It is a good plan to keep a supply of dry earth in a convenient 

 place, and strew a little of this over the droppings board after 

 each cleaning. Sifted coal ashes, land plaster, and dry sawdust 

 are sometimes used instead of earth on the droppings boards. 

 The droppings of fowls, when not mixed with other matter, 

 are often salable for use in tanning leather, but in most cases 

 the difference in their value for this purpose and for use as 



1 The coop is an old dry-goods box ; the shade is a burlap bag. Makeshift arrange- 

 ments are not always nice looking, but some of the finest chickens are kept in very 

 poor quarters. 



