174 



HOUSING 



solution recommended in Chapter XXX. If the floor is of 

 wood or concrete, about two inches of sand should be 

 scattered over it, and this covered with six to eight inches 

 of good coarse litter; straw or a poor grade of hay is best. 

 The feed hoppers, grit boxes, and drinking fountains should 

 be attached to the wall or placed on shelves or tables. The 

 house is now ready for the birds, which should be put in 

 and kept closely confined for a week or two, until they get 

 accustomed to it. Decide on the number of birds the house 

 will accommodate, but it is not wise to have more than one 

 bird to about four square feet of floor space. 



Fia. 94. — An old tool shed remodelled into a very fine small-flock poultry house. 



Such remodelling as outlined will take but little time, 

 and can be done when other work is slack. Little skilled 

 labor is called for, and the use of waste material found about 

 the farm so reduces the cost that a far greater nimiber of 

 birds can be kept (Fig. 94). 



LABORATORY EXERCISES 



Exercise No. 34. — Remodelling a Poultry Hoitse. — If there 

 are any small buildings about the school grounds which are 

 not used for any definite purpose let the class follow the 

 instructions given in this chapter and remodel one into a 



