3l4 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 



partition, is closed, making it so tight that 

 many might thinli the fowls would smother; 

 but we lind by experiment, that, althougli 25 

 fowls arc roosting in this little apartment, 

 only about 3 feet wide and U feet long, they 

 are quite comfortable, and the air is not by 

 any means close so long as the temperature 

 is below zero. A thermometer at such times 

 will show this sleeping-apartment to be al- 

 ways above the freezing-point, with 2r) large 

 fowls. It must be ventilated promptly, 

 however, as soon as the weather changes 

 sufficiently. 



Occupying each corner of the room above, 

 and up against the partition spoken of, you 

 will see a couple of feeders. These are 

 made of inch boards, and screwed fast into 

 the corner. The top is made sloping enaugli 

 so that fowls can not stand on them, nor can 

 their droppings iind a lodging-place. Each 

 feeder holds a two-bushel bag of grain. You 

 will notice that the grain all runs down into 

 the little trough at the bottom. The fowls 

 have access to these troughs by means of 

 four auger-holes. The auger-holes should 

 be just large enough to let a hen get her 

 head in. If too large, they will get to scat- 

 tering the grain. AVhile feeding, they stand 

 on a perch, as shown, about a foot from the 

 ground. Neither rats nor mice have ever 

 found access to these feeders. Between 

 these feeders you will notice a pair of nest- 

 boxes. The roaf of these is also sloping, 

 for the reason given above. These nest- 

 boxes are made large enough to admit a 

 Brahma hen and let her turn around. The 

 strip in front is to prevent eggs from being 

 rolled out by accident. We prefer to have 

 them in pairs, because, if the occupant of 

 one nest is sitting, any hen that wishes to 

 get in with her can get accommodations so 

 near by as to avoid discussion yi regard to 

 who has the best right, etc. These nest- 

 boxes are so they can be hooked against the 

 wall wherever convenient ; and if for any 

 good reason the sitting hen is to be moved, 

 unhook the box and 

 carry it where you wish; 

 or if it be desirable, the 

 box can be dipped in 

 whitewash or coal oil, 

 to circumvent insects. 

 Over the ridge of the main buikling is a 

 sort of cupola. This hinged ventilators, has 



POULTRY FAUCET. 



fectly water-tight. 



MOVABLE he: 



always kept open, except in extremely cold 

 weather. In front of the lower sash, on the 

 south side, is a large box kept full of ashes 

 for the biddies to wallow and dust them- 

 selves in. Provision for water I would have 

 located in one of the sheds, in moderate 

 weather. In cold weather it may be put in 

 the central apartment, to keep it from freez- 

 ing. Perhaps a barrel is the cheapest ar- 

 rangement ordinarily at command. To let 

 the water out about as fast as the poultry 

 drink it, and no faster, a faucet made espe- 

 cially, like the one in the cut adjoining, is 

 very convenient. It is 

 made of brass, to pre- 

 vent rusting, and ta- 

 pering so it will screw 

 into a round hole per- 

 A liole is drilled length- 

 wise and tlien tapped with a thread, so that 

 the brass screw turns in loosely. This 

 screw is bent at right angles, as shown, to 

 make it convenient to turn it in or out. If 

 you turn it so the water drips from the point 

 of the wire as fast as the fowls drink it, it is 

 all right. 



Coarse bone meal, for the use of the laying 

 hens, we put into one of the feeders with the 

 grain. Gravel, whichis found by experiment 

 to be just what the chickens want, may also 

 be put in the feeder, to come out with the 

 grain. The above arrangement is for fowls 

 in confinement ; but I think it an excellent 

 plan to have similar quarters, even where 

 they have the range of the farm. At any time 

 when the weather is unfavorable for outdoor 

 wandering, they can then find a comfort- 

 able retreat and plenty of good feed. You 

 will notice that my arrangements are for 

 giving feed, all they want, whenever they 

 are hungry enough to hop on to the perches 

 before the feeders. This may not be the 

 best way for others to do, but it suits me 

 best. Whenever I undertake to cut short 

 the rations, I find my fowls begin to cut 

 short the number of eggs, and I have tested 

 it pretty faithfully with Pekin ducks. When 

 they had all the grain they could eat every 

 day, they laid regularly. When I shortened 

 their rations, occasionally one or more days 

 passed without any eggs ; but they took just 

 as much exercise, and seemed to enjoy play- 

 ing in the puddles all the same, whether they 

 had the grain ad libitum or not. 



To he continual May 15, 18SG. 



