226 Profitable Poultry Keeping. 



of wood, and the front half of the floors of the same 

 material ; but the hack half is formed of wire rods, so that 

 the droppings can fall into sliding trays, full of earth, provided 

 below each row of pens for this purpose. The -fronts are 

 formed either of wire rods or of wood, with an oblong hole 

 just sufficiently large to allow the bird's head to come 

 through for feeding purposes, as is shown in fig. 13, 

 which is an appliance for fattening twenty - four birds 

 introduced by Messrs. Christie and Co. If there is only 

 one row of pens, then the tops are made to open, for the put-, 

 ting in and taking out of the birds ; but when two or more 

 rows are placed one above another, then the fronts are made 

 removable. The rooms in which the pens are kept are always 

 warm and well ventilated, but dark, as the chicks are 

 found to be much more contented than when kept in the 

 light. Thorough cleanliness is observed, both in the pens 

 and the feeding-troughs, which are placed in front of the 

 cages, and the birds are fed four or five times a day. Such 

 a house as this is easily fitted up, as both wood and wire are 

 cheap, or the small fattening pens can be made in sets of 

 three, six, or twelve, by any handy joiner. The compart- 

 ments should be fifteen inches from back to front, twelve 

 inches wide, and eighteen inches high, which will be large 

 enough for all ordinary sized fowls. The trays must not be 

 omitted, and whenever the pens are made more than one tier 

 high, each row had better be made separate, as this will greatly 

 facilitate cleaning. 



The period in which fowls may be fattened varies very con- 

 siderably, but about three weeks, if properly managed, should 

 bring them into capital condition. Some of the dead fowls 

 shown at the French shows, are fattened for a much longer 

 period, and we have heard that a prize pair of birds had 

 been in preparation no less than nine weeks, but for ordinary 

 purposes the period we have named is quite sufficient. The 



