POULTRY HOUSES 23 



jumping out when the lid is raised. A canvas curtain 

 can also be fastened over the ventilating space along 

 the end of the roof at the middle of the building during 

 the cold weather. The manner of fastening this cover- 

 ing and attaching the hinges is shown in (d). In order 

 to further protect the chicks from cold, an inside ceiling 

 of burlap or canvas may be constructed as shown at (?). 

 Grooves h are cut in the framework where the 

 doors come together, as shown in (c) and (d), for the 

 purpose of carrying off the water and preventing it 

 from reaching the interior of the building. In warm 

 weather, the coop may be ventilated by raising the 

 top as shown at / in (6), and when the weather is very 

 warm or the chicks are grown to maturity in the coop 

 without liberty, it may be further raised and a wire 

 screen g set in as shown. The screen is made to fold 

 flat on the roof of the coop. 



A number of these coops may be set close together 

 or they may be placed farther apart on a range.. If the 

 coops are kept in constant use, they should be sepa- 

 rated and moved frequently to give the chicks fresh 

 soil. Chicks confined entirely to such close quarters 

 as in this coop do not develop as well as those that 

 have free or partial range. Fowls raised in this way 

 are not as suitable for breeders as those having more 

 range for exercise. 



When fireless brooders are used, the coop should have 

 a board floor extending half way to the front, and the 

 rest of the space should be filled in with dry earth up 

 to the level of the board floor. Chicks are kept warm 

 in fireless brooders by the heat of their own bodies, 

 which is retained by the hover. When the chicks are 

 placed in the brooders, a T-shaped board partition is 

 placed in front of and between the brooders to con- 

 fine each brood close to its own brooder until the chicks 

 have learned to go outside for food and inside for 

 warmth. \Vhen the chicks have grown a coat of 

 feathers, the brooder boxes are removed and roosts 

 installed as shown in Fig. 13 (&). 



