76 CHICKS 



against one side of t.his coop, and too strong for the chicks, 

 that side may be closed and the other opened; or, when the 

 weather is nice, both sides may be raised and the chicks have 

 a good shady spot in which to rest. The roof may also 

 be oh hinges and thus be a convenience in the feeding of 

 chicks or cleaning of coop. The end apartments, where 

 the hens are confined, may each have a hinged door at the 

 back for convenience in handling the hen, and the opening 

 into the main part should be slatted so that chicks may 

 pass through into the main part, but hens cannot. The 

 roofs of both main part and addition should be of the shed- 

 roof pattern. Such a coop will answer for two hens and 

 forty chicks and the chicks may be kept there until time to 

 change them to fall or winter quarters. 



A coop for a single hen and twenty chicks could be made 

 with main part one-half the size of the double coop, but the 

 latter coop will be cheaper to construct in proportion to its 

 size and will save time in the care of the chicks. By set- 

 ting four or five hens at the same time the chicks may be 

 given to two hens and in such a coop they will be 

 comfortable in all kinds of weather. In cold or stormy 

 weather it can be closed tight enough to keep the chicks 

 warm, and in warm weather can be opened so as to allow 

 plenty of ventilation and shade. 



Protection From Rats, Etc. 



It will be seen that the ordinary brood coop, one large 

 enough for hen and chicks for night use, when the chicks 

 are brooded, is not sufficient for the comfort of the chicks 

 during such times as they cannot run outside because of 

 storms or severe weather. Some shelter should be pro- 

 vided that will admit of exercise beyond that possible in 

 ordinary brood coops and whatever plan may be followed, 

 whether along the line of the coop we have mentioned or 

 some other line, it must protect from heat and cold, allow 

 of ample ventilation in warm weather, and be a protection 

 from the ravages of rats, cats, etc. If left so tliat rats can 

 get in at night, the time when they do the most damage, 

 then in some localities it would be a hard matter to hatch 

 enough cliioks from the average sized flock to keep the rats 

 busy disposing of them; an ordinary, strenuous rat will get 



