46 COMMON SENSE 
After the chickens were hatched we kept many’ of them in the 
old “tent” or triangular coops—a form which is, perhaps, one of 
the: oldest and one of the best where there are not many broods: 
It has several advantages; it sheds rain perfectly, keeps the hen 
confined and allows the chicks to roam, and when the chicks 
return they can get away from the trampling of the hen by retreat- 
ing under the corners. But it is a mistake to suppose-that the 
young chicks of several broods can be placed close together and 
allowed to roam about. ‘They will get into the wrong coops, and 
then wo betide them unless the hes are very old and motherly. 
At any rate, our time was sadly broken up and our tempers sorely 
tried by hens that would not allow strangers in their coops, and 
after a few weeks’ trial of this system the loss was so great that ne- 
cessity compelled the invention‘ of something different and more 
systematic. 
I saw that a hatching room and brooding house would be a 
necessity, and I set out to plan and construct them. By the time 
I had fully realized the necessity for’ all this, however, and was 
prepared to go to work, most of our chicks were'so large that they 
were past the most: dangerous period. The: dangers we have de- 
tailed are most fatal to chicks about a week old—just when they 
can run about freely and yet do not know enough to run away 
from danger. But as it was my intention to hatch considerable 
numbers of chickens in the near future, I concluded that I had 
better experiment a little and get my system into good. working. 
order, so as to be fully ready when the time of necessity came. 
First, then, for hatching. Although it was the poorest time of 
the year for bringing out chickens (the end of July), yet I had 
several hens wanting to sit, and I thought I could afford to‘risk a 
few eggs and chickens for the sake of learning by actual experi- 
ence. 
At first, I thought of building a small house specially for hatch- 
ing purposes, but after thinking the matter over I decided to ex- 
periment in a room, or rather two rooms, that were in the. barn, and 
so were ready to my hand. One of these I had already used as a 
temporary pen for a rooster_ and hens, the other opened into it, but 
