WITH 4200 HENS 89 



lying close together in the straw, (such as are not on 

 the roosts), or if those that climbed up have dropped off, 

 the upper slide may remain closed. 



If they are uncomfortably warm they will lie far apart, 

 some with open mouths. It seldom happens that the 

 upper slide must be left open all night (at this stage) 

 with early hatches ; the March hatche.s may require it. 

 We have even found it necessary during a very hot spell 

 to put in a screen door at their bedtime, leaving the main 

 door wide open, until our own bedtime. In this case 

 the front windows are also left open. The chicks being 

 against the back wall they are in no danger from drafts. 



As soon as the chicks have become accustomed to the 

 roosts being left down, usually in two or three days, the 

 use of the wire is discontinued and the muslin on the back 

 wall is removed. 



Use of the Yards 



The age when the chicks may be permitted outdoors 

 is dependent entirely on the weather. January hatches 

 are seldom turned out before they are 10 days old and 

 then only on clear, warm days. We leave them out but 

 a short time at first, herding them back into the house 

 until they grow accustomed to running in and out. W r e 

 use a sloping runway, made of boards, as wide as the 

 doorway, to make it easy for them to go back and forth. 

 Care is used to keep the space between the runway and 

 the fence filled with dirt so the chicks cannot pack up 

 in this space; and we also bank the corners of the yard 

 with dirt to prevent crowding. 



If the yard is in growing green stuff we cut it with a 

 lawn mower before the chicks are turned out. The out- 



