AMERICAN POULTRY CULTURE 



count of fighting vermin, as explained early in this 

 chapter. My personal preference is for the hori- 

 zontal droppings board rather than the slanting 

 one, because fowls that happen to fall or get 

 pushed off the perches can obtain no foothold on 

 a slanting platform, but must slide (through drop- 

 pings and all) until the horizontal base board is 

 reached. 



For the benefit of those who wish to make their 

 own fixtures, the dimensions and details of con- 

 struction are given herewith. The nests are 11x14 

 inches in size, inside measurement. The fixtures 

 illustrated are five feet in length, but may be made 

 any convenient length. Any number of perches 

 may be used on the fixture, but not more than three 

 are desirable. With very small flocks, sometimes 

 only one perch is necessary. A fixture, five feet 

 long with two perches will accommodate about fif- 

 teen medium-sized birds more of small breeds, 

 and fewer of large breeds. As a rule it is best to 

 have the fixture long and narrow; this not only 

 gives sufficient length in the fixture in which to con- 

 struct all the nests necessary for the hens, but also 

 conduces to the good health of the fowls while 

 sleeping, as it is not best for them to be bunched 

 up in too concentrated a mass. The droppings 

 boards are fourteen inches above the bottom of 

 nests, allowing the hens plenty of head room in the 

 nests. 



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