ROOSTING QUARTERS 145 



ported every five feet; when 2x4 inch is used every eight feet will 

 do. If dropping boards are used, the perches are usually placed 

 above them at a distance of about eight inches, or high enough 

 so that a hoe can be freely manipulated under them when cleaning. 

 A very simple and efficient method of constructing perches is 

 to make them as one unit, hinging the unit to the back wall and 

 supporting it by two or more legs at the front. Such a perch can 

 be raised when cleaning, and also it may be hooked to the ceiling 

 during winter days, thus keeping the birds off their perches and 

 on the floor where they will be working. In determining the exact 

 height of the perch, the character of the birds is to be considered. 

 The light, active birds fly 

 high with no injury to them- 

 selves, and perches for Leg- 

 horns can safely be four feet 

 above the ground; for the 

 Cochins and Langshans one 

 or two feet is usually high 

 enough. The roosts in any >5 p -^ ^B^ 



One rOOm mUSt always be ' Flo . Q^-RooItmg closets to prevent drafts 

 level With each Other. The at ni ht - Curtains may be placed in front of 

 , . , , ., , ... . these in cold climates. 



height of the perch will be 



determined in part by the character of the floor. With a soft 

 floor provided with an abundance of litter, there is less danger of 

 birds injuring their feet when jumping from the roosts. 



There are a number of patented roosts and supports on the market, 

 made of iron and other material; the general advantage claimed for 

 these is that they are proof against mites and lice, but they have 

 little if any advantage over well-constructed, portable wood roosts. 



Roosting Quarters. When the roosts are placed at the back 

 of the building, it is often the practice to build solid partitions be- 

 tween the pens. In long houses this partition may be constructed 

 every twelve or fifteen feet at right angles to the perches and back 

 wall, extending two feet beyond the front perch. This divides 

 the roosting area into separate compartments, which are often 

 called "closets" (Fig. 94). In the past it has often been the 

 practice to provide muslin drop curtains in front of the perches 

 to still further confine the birds. Such a practice, however, is 

 usually undesirable except in very narrow houses where the birds 

 perch close to the open front. The construction of the above- 

 mentioned cross partition or fin is a very necessary feature in all 

 10 



