CHICKS WITH HENS. 37 



shed. They should always be set on a dry, slightly 

 elevated location, so that they cannot be flooded by a 

 sudden rainfall. Where the soil is at all wet they 

 should be set on a platform made by nailing boards 

 on two pieces of scantling. This platform should be 

 of such a size that the sides of the coop will just fit 

 over it. If allowed to extend outside of the walls the 

 rain from the roof will keep the floor damp. 



While the styles of coops are as numerous as their 

 makers, the one here illustrated, having roof with 

 double pitch and triangular ends, is as 

 cheap and serviceable as any. To make 

 it, take four pieces of 2 x 3 scantling, cut 

 exactly 33 inches long and halved together 

 at the top at such an angle as to make the base line of 

 the front extend three feet. The coop is made two 

 feet deep, thus giving a floor space of 2 x 3 feet. The 

 roof may be covered by regular siding, or by fillis- 

 tered barn boards cut into lengths of 2 feet 2 inches. 

 The rear wall is boarded up solid, the front half way 

 down, and the lower half is slatted. A loosely fitting 

 door of boards may be hinged to the upper half to 

 cover the slats and keep the brood in the coop when 

 desirable. For summer weather, ventilation should 

 be provided for by raising slightly the lower edges of 

 the two uppermost roof boards, one on each side. 



Here is shown a folding coop. The sides are 

 hinged by iron pins seen at the dots on the upper front 

 board in the cut. The solid rear end and slatted front 

 are both hinged to the side and fold 

 inward, which permits the sides to 

 come together. When " knocked 



