BANTAMS 279 



should be flat, with the corners smoothed off, rather than 

 round, and should be small enough in diameter to allow 

 the birds to grasp them firmly. All should be on the same 

 level, thus avoiding constant quarreling for room on the 

 topmost. It is also best to make them easily removable for 

 cleaning. 



If the temperature is very low in winter, it is best to pro- 

 vide a curtain which may be dropped in front of the perches 

 at night, making allowance for ventilation. They are thus 

 made snug for the night and will be well protected in spite 

 of the cloth-covered window. Moreover, the coop will be 

 free from the dampness which is almost invariably present 

 when glass is used. 



Sand, well covered with clean, dry straw, makes an excel- 

 lent material for the floor, keeping the birds busily scratch- 

 ing. A dust box filled with road dust or fine ashes should 

 be placed inside in winter and in the run during the summer 

 months. 



An outdoor run in which the birds may run during the 

 summer should be provided if possible. Its extent will 

 depend on conditions, but whether large or small, the 

 bantams, if not overcrowded, will be quite content. The 

 feather-legged breeds are poor fliers, and are easily con- 

 fined by a fence four or five feet high. On the other hand, 

 Games, Sebrights, Rose-combs, etc., fly like pheasants, and 

 must be kept in bounds by clipping their wings or covering 

 the run with wire. 



Adult bantams are fed on sound grain of the usual sort — 

 wheat, buckwheat, kaflir corn, barley, etc. Some breeders 

 still add cracked corn, but its extensive use for bantams is 

 no more desirable than for pheasants. Grain should always 

 be thrown among the litter, and only what the birds will eat 

 should be given at once. Over- feeding is certain to result in 

 enlarged livers and disturbance of the digestive tract, 



