Messrs. Mackleys Moulting- Room. 77 



number of wires used being about S,ooo, which means pricking 15,000 holes. Each compart- 

 ment is the same size, and each front slips and unslips by a very simple arrangement of small 

 brass buttons. The doors are all framed, and swing on beads, so as to afford no hiding-place 

 for parasites between the door-frames and the cross-bars, and each fastens with a neat brass 

 button. The seed-hoppers are all made of one pattern, and fit any set of holes. The water- 

 vessels are of glass, and the egg-tins, which also have brass fronts, all draw out. 



The building is thoroughly cleaned out at the commencement of the moulting season in 

 the following manner : — The birds being first removed into another room, each front is un- 

 slipped, and every compartment is well scraped — top, sides, and bottom — removing as much 

 whitewash as possible. The fronts are then placed inside, each in its own place, and every 

 aperture being closed, the place is well "stoved" by burning a quantity of sulphur — a process 

 that is twice repeated. The cages are next washed with dilute carbolic acid from top to 

 bottom, and afterwards lime-washed twice. Then all glasses, egg-tins, and hoppers are laid 

 in soda and water, together with the fronts, the wires of which, when dried, are coated with 

 Japan black. The hoppers and outside woodwork are then re-varnished, the sides lime- 

 washed and painted black on the outer ends, egg-tins and brasswork polished, fronts fastened 

 in their places, and all is ready for the reception of the stock to be moulted. When the room 

 is in full operation there have been as many as 1,200 birds in it at one time, but we should 

 scarcely imagine they were all being fed on " KN," though we have ourselves had many 

 an energetic sneeze while inspecting stock being put through the mill in this refinery. Twenty 

 cages per diciii are cleaned out and sanded, so that the entire room is gone through once in a 

 fortnight ; cleanliness being one of the leading principles in the government of this interesting 

 establishment. 



A special department of moulting — that known as "The Cayenne Process"— is worth a 

 separate chapter. 



