PROVISION FOR DUST BATH 143 



noying, so that in a few days they are disgusted with the whole 

 maternal idea and are only too glad to rejoin their comrades in 

 the laying pens. It is understood, of course, that food and water 

 must be kept before the hens while they occupy their place of 

 incarceration. In long laying houses, where a great number of 

 sitting hens may have to be discouraged at one time, it is ad- 

 visable to set aside a section of the roosting compartments at 

 one end of the building for this special purpose, and to build it 

 with a removable slatted floor, and with a wire netting front, so 

 that the section may be converted into a brood coop as desired. 

 At other times it may be used for an ordinary roosting space. 



To return to the subject of nests, if it is impracticable to erect 

 the nests under the dropping-boards, as in the case of houses in- 

 tended for the heavy breeds, they may be built in transverse 

 tiers at the ends of the building, and in several sections in the 

 interior of the house. But, as far as possible they should be 

 built upon posts, with inclined runways leading to the nests, 

 to obviate obstructing the floor space. In the monitor type of 

 laying house they may be conveniently located along the line of 

 columns supporting the roof, and where the front roof plane 

 joins the main structure. 



Some poultrymen are opposed to locating the nests under -the 

 dropping-boards because of their proximity to the danger of 

 lice and mites. This argument does not seem to be well taken, 

 however, inasmuch as if the dropping-boards are infested with 

 vermin to that extent, the conditions are as bad for sleeping as 

 they are for laying and should be remedied at once. 



A dust bath is as essential to the well-being of poultry as is 

 the soap and water variety to the human. Consequently, unless 

 the poultry houses have dirt floors, which will answer the purpose 

 nicely, provision must be made for a space devoted to dusting, 

 preferably where there is sunlight, for the fowls seem to relish the 

 combination. They like to dust themselves and then recline lux- 

 uriously and bask in the sun. Any sort of a board partition about 

 twelve inches high will answer the purpose, and about twenty- 

 five square feet should be allowed for every hundred birds. 



