196 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



Hardware 

 6 Ibs. 8D case. 

 10 Ibs. 8D common. 



3 Ibs. 16D common. 



4 Ibs. shingle nails. 



1 pair of strap hinges. 

 6 feet of heavy wire. 



18 feet of 1 inch mesh wire for door and front. 

 8 10x10x15 oil-cans for nests. 

 2-3 of one end cut-out. 

 4 xlO anchor bolts. 



The Nests. Nests for laying hens should be somewhat 

 secluded, for fowls are less liable to acquire the egg-eating 

 habit when the nests are in a darkened place. They should 

 be from 10 x 12 to 12 x 14 inches in size and 8 to 10 inches 

 high, the larger breeds requiring the larger size. A cheap 

 and serviceable nest may be made out of a five-gallon oil 

 can by cutting the end out, leaving about 3 inches at the 

 bottom to keep the nest material in the nest. Such a nest 

 can be easily cleaned either by scalding or spraying. The 

 illustration shows top of can taken off; this makes the nest 

 more roomy. Several of these nests may be set on a plat- 

 form about 2 feet from the floor, turning the entrance of 

 the nest toward the wall and leaving a space of 8 inches 

 between the nest and the wall for the hens to walk along. 

 The nest platform should be nailed to a cleat on the side 

 of the house and braced from top of sill. Over the nests, 

 to keep the chickens from standing on them and to help 

 to darken them, is fitted a sloping top. This top should be 

 built high enough, so that the attendant can see into the 

 nests from the rear. Ten nests to fifty hens should gener- 

 ally be provided. 



Another plan for nests frequently adopted is to place 

 them under the droppings platform high enough to permit 

 the hens to have full use of the floor. If this plan is follow- 



