22 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



six Brahmas, was 50 x 25 feet, the building thus serving six 

 of such runs. These stood very well, and being similar, one 

 was devoted to giving every one in turn two months rest in 

 the year. Smaller breeds would not need so much. The 

 houses, A A, were 5 feet wide, entirely closed with match- 

 board towards the grass-runs and open sheds,, but only 

 boarded up 3 feet high along both sides of the passage, and 

 the rest wired. The perches, c c, were back against the 

 closed side, and the nests, b b, next the passage, accessible by 

 hinged boards. The rest of the 25 feet width of building 

 being more than necessary for open shedding, B B, additional 

 houses, D D, with small outside runs, E E, were divided ofi 

 out of it : we had two of these in each run, or twelve in 

 all. These were very useful in those days for setting hens, 

 and also for penning birds, or single cockerels ; one we used 

 as a hospital. Our " training " pens for show birds, or for 

 examining birds on approval, also fronted the passage, a 

 board shelf, d d, 30 inches wide, being carried along at the 

 back of one of the sheds, B, at a height of the yard-high 

 boarding up of the passage. Behind the back of this shelf 

 was boarded up to keep draughts from blowing through from 

 the run, and boarded partitions divided the space into pens 

 30 inches wide, with wire fronts as usual. Everything except 

 the actual mixing of the food, and young chickens, which 

 were provided for elsewhere, was thus collected under one 

 roof ; and these also might easily be so if the scale be 

 adapted to the work to be done. 



In a large establishment many cockerels may have to be 

 provided for singly. Convenient sleeping houses and small 

 runs are obtainable for such purposes ; but we found the 

 twelve here provided sufficient ; as they ran together till 

 one or the other had to be separated, for show or otherwise. 



The open runs were all boarded up with thin boards to 

 27 inches high, with 2 feet of netting above. This, however. 



