82 COMMON. SENSE 
covered. The 12-inch board could be lifted up so as to expose all 
the divisions. The other part of the top of the coop was covered 
with wire netting of one-inch mesh. The part under the board 
cover had a bottom or floor of light wood, and the-passage between 
the net-covered and the board-covered portions could be closed’ by 
a sliding door. For the purpose of feeding, etc., there was also a 
hinged door 8 inches wide at the opposite end from the brooding 
apartment. By raising this up food could be introduced in saucers 
or other vessels. 
This simple coop could be easily moved to any part of the 
grounds. If empty it was simply. picked’up and carried off. If 
there were broods in it they were first driven into that part which 
had both top and bottom and closed in by means of the sliding 
doors. The entire coop, hens, broods and all, might then be-car- 
ried to any place. Thus we set them down on the grass and they 
could pick to their heart’s content. When they had soiled this 
spot we moved them to another, and towards evening we washed 
the grass thoroughly with water, for which. purpose I had a simple 
watering cart made. It consisted merely of a barrel. mounted on 
wheels and furnished with a short piece of hose. 
I was surprised at the ease with which we cared for broods and 
raised them with the aid of these coops. My man said that it was 
as easy to take care of twelve broods in these coops as to care for 
one in the ordinary way. 
We kept food constantly before them, but varied it at least four 
times a day, so that they did not become disgusted with its con- 
stant presence. As they could not get out to pick up worms and 
insects, we tock good care to see that they had plenty of.meat and 
crushed bones. For drink they had chiefly buttermilk. Our cow 
was in full flow of milk and we churned twice a week. We also 
bought all the buttermilk that one of our neighbors could-spare, 
and I never saw anything make chickens grow like this feed. ' In 
the morning they had bran mixed to a stiff dough with buttermilk ; 
at ro A.M. they had chopped meat—waste scraps from the butcher ; 
at 2p.M. they had ordinary “feed,” and corn meal made into a. 
dough with water; at 6 p.m. they had cracked corn. Buttermilk 
