52 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



from back to front, which will effectually prevent the birds 

 roosting on it. In this case, we should make the nests in 

 sets of two or three each, as they will then be much 

 easier to handle when cleaning. We have also seen hanging 

 boxes made, not unlike a very large sink soap tray, but with 

 wire bottoms ; and, where there is enough room in the house 

 to allow of these being hung on the walls, about eighteen to 

 twenty-four inches apart from each other, no better system 

 can be adopted. They must be a foot or more above the 

 ground, and the nest itself should be about six inches in depth, 

 so that .there may be no danger of the hen knocking out the 

 eggs when getting out herself. 



In the chapter on " Poultry Houses " we mentioned the 

 necessity for having a shed in addition to the roosting house. 

 This should, if possible, be as large, if not larger than the 

 house, but can be open or wired at the front. It must be 

 perfectly dry, with good floor, which may be the same as the 

 house floor, or be a foot in depth of fine sand. In one 

 comer a hole should be dug, or a box placed, about two feet 

 deep, and kept constantly supplied with fine dry ashes or 

 soil. This dust bath is absolutely necessary to the well 

 being of the birds, and must be given in order to keep down 

 insects. Where large numbers of birds are kept we have 

 seen a house or shed devoted to this purpose alone ; and any 

 reasonable amount of trouble is worth taking, as fowls can- 

 not possibly thrive if they are troubled with insects. 



The question as to how much space is required to keep 

 birds in perfect health i« somewhat difficult to answer, be- 

 cause there are some breeds which require more than others ; 

 and there are breeds which can live on a grass plot without 

 destroying it, whilst others would eat it bare in a month. Of 

 course, it is much better when freedom can be given, and 

 birds can then be divided without the use of netting or any- 

 thing else, thus effecting a large saving in first, cost. It is 



