570 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



into pens holding from twenty to seventy-five pairs, and to have 

 a narrow passageway or alley in the rear of the building con- 

 necting with the pens, feed-house and other conveniences. Two 

 to three square feet of floor space per pair is sufficient room if a 

 number of pairs are kept in the pen. When pigeons are confined, 

 which is customary on the large squab plants, outdoor flyways 

 or covered yards are necessary. These are generally located on 

 the south side of the building, and are made eight or ten feet 

 high, twenty to thirty feet deep, and extend across the widths of 

 the pens. They should be covered on top and sides with inch 

 mesh netting to keep out the sparrows, which will otherwise 

 come in swarms and eat much of the food. 



Alighting Boards. — ^A six-inch board or shelf should be placed 

 along the two ends and possibly one side of the flyway, for the 

 pigeons to alight upon, but it is not considered advisable to erect 

 roosts across the center of the flyway. The pigeons are apt to 

 strike against them and be injured. A few holes are cut in the 

 front of the house at a convenient height, say, about five feet 

 from the ground, for the pigeons to enter and leave the building. 

 These need only be about four inches high and three inches 

 wide, and three or four to a pen are sufficient. Lighting boards, 

 six inches wide, similar to the perches in the flyways, should be 

 placed in convenient relation to these holes, on the inside and 

 outside of the house. 



The other interior fixtures are very simple, and they should 

 be made as easy to clean as possible. Two nest boxes are pro- 

 vided for each pair, in recognition of the fact that they often 

 run two families at one time. They frequently start to lay eggs 

 in the second nest, while ministering to the needs of a pair of 

 squabs in the first nest. It is a good plan to have a few extra 

 nests. 



Each nest should be not less than twelve inches square. They 

 may be built in tiers, but not made to extend above the level 

 of the eye, else it will be difficult to clean and inspect them. 

 Undersized nests oiler cramped quarters and are a source of 

 trouble to birds and attendant alike. 



