28 BIGGIE POULTRY BOOK. 



eight by thirty-two feet, but may be made any length 



desired. The front is ten feet high and the rear six 



feet. The roof, rear and end wall should be wind and 



rain-proof, but it is well to 



have a considerable portion 



of the front open, especially 



in summer. Netting with 



two-inch mesh will confine pigeons, but where the 



English sparrow abounds one-inch mesh is preferable. 



The floor of the loft may well be of earth, but should 



be dry. 



On most of the large squab farms in this country, 

 the nests are constructed of rough yellow pine boards, 

 twelve inches high, twelve inches deep, and twenty- 

 four inches wide. No strip is nailed on the front of 

 the nest, as it renders cleaning difficult. Instead of 

 regular rows of nests of one pattern, some pigeon 

 breeders prefer to use large soap-boxes, starch-boxes, 

 irregular boxes, nail kegs or anything that will give 

 individuality to the home of each pair. 



Figure I illustrates how a soap box may be trans- 

 formed into a first-class home for a pair of breeders. 

 A division board is placed in the mid- 

 dle and alighting boards at either end. 

 Figure 2 shows a smaller box contain- 

 ing but a single nest, so made that no 

 FIG. i. alighting board is needed and the roof 

 sloped to prevent perching upon it. Two of ir^^* 

 these will be needed for each pair and should DEj^jpi 

 be placed adjacent. Nail kegs may be sus- U . i. 

 pended by wire to beams or rafters and have FlG - 2 - 

 the open end a little higher than the other, or a piece 



