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FIEKT LESSONS IN POULTRY KEEPING. 



as great as would be supposed, for dirt and litter collect between the trough and the wall, and 

 -when the trough is let down a good part of the dirt is likely to drop into the trough, necessitating 

 raising it again to allow this dirt to drop out. Taking one thing with another,, more poultry 

 men prefer the loose trough, and though some hang the troughs up on pegs or large nails when 

 not in use, more leave them on the floor all the time. 

 A fixed feed trough in or next the passage is sometimes used, but this arrangement is quite 



Drinking Vessels. 



Of these there is a great variety made especially for fowls, and a still greater variety made 

 ior other or general purposes are used for drinking vessels in the poultry yard. 



Of the drinking fountains made especially for poultry, some are stone ware; some of 

 earthenware; some of metal, usually galvanized iron. Most of them are of the self-feeding 

 pattern, a receptacle for water over a shallow pan into which it feeds by pressure, keeping the 

 p:tn full as long as the water in the reservoir holds out. Some have reservoir and saucer in 

 ono piece, others in two pjeces, that they may be separated and more easily cleaned. 



While a great many such drinking fountains are in use, the greater number of poultrymen 

 eeem to prefer an open vessel, at least for adult fowls. For chicks perhaps the majority prefer 

 eelf-feeding fountains with shallow pans into which the chicks cannot get. These fountains 

 too are better for fowls having large crests and beards or combs and wattles. 



For an open drinking vessel for fowls or good sized chicks, almost anything that will hold 

 the required quantity of water will answer. I use mostly 6 qt. wooden puils, but have a gal- 

 vanized iron pan or two, and one old porcelain lined open kettle. On one of the largest plants 

 in this vicinity all the drinking vessels are porcelain lined iron kettles holding about a gallon 

 each. On another plant stone jars of about the same capacity are used. On a farm I visited 

 a few years ago, I saw shallow cast iron pans, as I remember about 2 or 3 in. deep and 8 in. 

 square, which the owner had had cast at a nearby foundry for that purpose. The cost was 

 I believe about 15 cents each, but after this lapse of time I would not say positively. 



As between closed and open drinking vessels the latter seem to be preferred by most poultry 

 keepers, except as noted above. Theoretically and in the eyes of the novice the covered 



