138 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



Still another point concerning the dropping-boards : they should 

 be arranged with the view to scraping them into a push-cart or 

 wheelbarrow, preferably the former. No part of the poultry- 

 man's equipment is more generally useful and a greater labor 

 saver than a well-built push-cart with fairly high wheels. It 

 need not be an expensive one with springs. 



■ Sitine piled Ttench — ■ 



{Cornell Experiment Station) 



Fig. 97. — Front elevation of laying house shown in Fig. 96. View shows the 

 width of a single pen, 16 feet wide. 



Nests. — Next in importance to the roosting compartments is 

 the arrangement of nests, of which there should be one to every 

 four or five hens. Under natural conditions the hen seeks a se- 

 cluded spot in which to lay, hence it behooves the poultry house 

 designer to imitate the natural environment as much as practic- 

 able. The nests should be situated in a more or less dark place, 

 easily accessible, and in such a way that they do not obstruct 



