EQUIPMENT AND LOFT NECESSITIES 245 



economy in the long run. A three compartment hopper is the 

 best arrangement for grit, charcoal and oyster shell. 



First: Saw out two pieces for ends and two pieces for parti- 

 tions just alike out of one inch thick lumber as per the cut 

 shown here with a strip 3 inches wide nailed across the bottom; 

 nail a one-half inch strip 3 inches wide across the bottom of the 

 front, a 10 inch board 18 inches long across the slanting por- 

 tion at the lower part of the back to cause the grit to slide down 

 to the front of the hopper so the birds can reach same. Then 

 nail a front board on 12 inches wide and 18 inches long, put on 

 a slanting cover 12 inches wide and 18 inches long hinged at the 

 bottom of the cover so it will let down making it easier to refill 

 the hopper without holding the cover up or moving the hopper 

 away from the wall where the hopper should stand out of the 

 way when in use. The slanting cover will prevent the birds 

 from perching on the hopper. (See cut on page 244.) 



THE EGGLESTON NEST MATERIAL RACK 



Nesting material such as tobacco stems, alfalfa, hay, prairie • 

 hay, straw, etc., should be kept within easy reach of the birds 

 and the best place to keep it is in the nest room, but unless it 

 is protected from the birds, they will foul it by roosting on the 

 same, and if it gets trampled down under their feet- and gets 

 dirty, they will not and should not use it to make nests of. 



The simplest, most convenient and practical and easiest to 

 construct rack, is a V-shaped rack. This rack can be placed on 

 the floor against any wall, or if the nest room is equipped with 

 Eggleston double nest boxes or nest boxes that are up off the 

 floor, it is best to place the material rack underneath the row 

 of nests, which will prevent the birds from climbing on top of 

 same. If this cannot be done, a cover is necessary to keep the 

 birds from perching on the nesting material. 



By having the slats run up and down and the crate large at 

 the top and small at the bottom, material will by its own weight 

 feed to the bottom of the crate, where it can be easily reached 

 by the birds. The slats should not be over three inches apart, 

 which will enable the birds to pull only one stem at a time and 

 prevent the material from getting out in quantities where it 

 would be strewn over the floor, soiled and wasted. 



