ON A TOWN LOT. 55 



shipping quite so far. I ship the chicks just as soon as they have 

 become dry and their down has become fluffy. 



The second hatch, which I set for myself, was ready to come 

 from the incubator. The brooder was put in readiness and they 

 were transferred to same. It is remariiable to see how they thrive. 

 The weather was cold and I had to keep them confined to the 

 exercising room for the first week. They were anxious to get out. 

 The robins had returned, and with them Spring. When the fine days 

 come I let them out, as described in a preceding page, into their 

 sunflower and rape parks. 



A Colony House from a Piano Box 



May days had come and the chicks had been growing fine. They 

 were now large enough to separate the sexes. A colony house made 

 from a piano box such as will be found illustrated on page 24 will 

 make a comfortable and economical quarters for growing stock. I 

 removed the bottom of the box, then placed two pieces of 2x6 under 

 the box, sawed off the corners next to the ground, whicTi will make 

 it easy to move. These pieces are placed about twelve inches from 

 the outer edge of the box and the floor nailed to them. I placed a 

 few bricks under them so that the box can be raised high enough 

 to afford the chickens splendid shelter on rainy days. I placed the 

 box on a high spot so that the ground was dry under it, as the 

 chicks prefer to go under the box rather than go inside during the 

 daytime in case of any rough weather. After I had the runners 

 secured I next divided the front, which was the bottom of the box 

 and is now open, by nailing a 2x4 between the bottom and the top 

 at the front edge. Next I nailed a 2x4 of the same length against 

 each side, on the inside flush with the front. This served to hang 

 the doors on. I made the doors out of 1x2 and covered with one-inch 

 mesh. If you are likely to be trouWled with weasles it would be a 

 good idea to tack wire cloth on the frames instead of one-inch poultry 

 netting. This wire cloth can be secured any width and as fine as you 

 wish. The half-inch hardware cloth is sufficiently fine. These doors 

 answered the purpose very nicely until the weather became a little 

 cool in the fall, when I tacked muslin over the wire. After the doors 

 were on I covered the top of the box with roofing paper, stopped all 

 the cracks so that there was no draft, and next put in the roosts. 

 These I placed about ten inches apart, and there was room for three 

 or four of them. These boxes make splendid quarters for the growing 

 stock and will be a good place for them until the weather gets cold in 

 the Pall or until they are ready to be taken to their Winter quarters. 



The colony houses can be placed in the parks or in an open field. 



