POULTRY HOUSES. 175 



the floor is laid in cement Cement is much to be preferred to brick, 

 being dryer, more close, and therefore less liable to be infected by 

 vermin. 



The general dimensions of the building are twenty-four feet long, 

 thirteen feet wide, eight feet posts, and the roof is something more 

 than half pitch. 



The windows of the roof slide upon rollers. The two centre win- 

 dows, in the front, slide right and left from the center, on rollers, and 

 these two form the entrance, or door into the house. The two outside 

 sashes are stationary. It will be seen that in each gable there are 

 two small windows on hinges, swinging inward, to give additional 

 ventilation when required. 



The inside is divided, as shown in the ground plan, with a walk, 

 or range, four feet wide, and extends the whole length of the building. 



A little more width would be preferable. The remaining part is 

 divided into four compartments or coops. The front of the coops is 

 formed of slats, extending from the roof to within two feet of the 

 floor, and these two feet finished with slats also, laid in diamonds. 

 The doors are also made in the same style, and slide up with balance 

 weights. The coops are divided with slats in the same manner. These 

 slats are but one inch and a half wide. 



The laying nests consist of three ranges nine nests in each range 

 and commence two feet from the floor. There are twenty -seven nests 

 on the left hand side, and twelve on the other side. They are one 

 foot square in the clear. Behind the nests is an alley, or walk, 

 extending the whole length, from which the hens enter the nests. 

 The floors of the nests, and the walks, are made of slats, three-fourths 

 of an inch apart, to allow air to circulate, and to prevent the collec- 

 tion of dirt 



One of the great troubles in constructing laying nests, is to prevent 

 the accumulation of vermin and other filth. If common American 

 tobacco, wrapped in coarse brown paper, in a compact form, is placed 

 in the nests, allowing two papers to each nest ; it will be found a 

 cheap and a sure way of preventing the propagation of vermin. 



Great attention should be paid to the cleanliness of nests, and 

 fresh hay should be placed in them every two weeks, and during the 

 hot weather, oftener. These nests open in front, the door or lid, of 

 which there is one for every two nests, hung upon hinges, falling 

 downwards, with a brass catch spring to fasten, when closed. 



Three of the coops have eah four roosts, made of sassafras poles, 

 and each coop is capable of comfortably containing forty fowls the 

 back one four feet from the floor, and the front one two feet The 

 other coop, on the left hand side, is appropriated to the nests, and 

 room for the fowls to get access to and from them. 



The small cut represents a profile view of the laying room, showing 

 the three ranges of nest ; to the first and second of which the hens 

 mount by small fixed ladders, eight inches wide, with octagon slats 

 three inches apart From the shelf, which extends to the top of the 

 ladder, the hens may readily jump to the third range. 



