134 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



fowl should be allowed about ten inches linear perch room, and 

 all the perches must be of the same height, or the birds will 

 fight and struggle for the highest ones. Running the perches 

 the long way of the house, that is, parallel with the rear wall, is 

 generally the most economical, convenient arrangement, and 

 their height from the floor is determined by the breed of poultry 

 kept, and whether dropping-board platforms and nests are in- 

 tended to be installed under the roosts. 

 When dropping-boards are used, which are advisable, the roosts 



{Cornell Experiment Station) 



Fig. 93- — Cross-section of laying house 20 feet deep, built on continuous plan, 

 any length desired. 



should be located high enough to make the'ir removal unneces- 

 sary when cleaning the boards, and yet not so high but that the 

 fowls can fly to thern without difficulty. When fowls jump to a 

 hard floor from a considerable height, especially to a concrete 

 floor which is scantily covered with litter, they are in danger of 

 bruising their feet, causing a very painful condition which later 

 develops into bumblefoot. On this point the dirt floor is de- 

 sirable; it is so resilient that cases of bumblefoot or corns are 

 virtually unknown. 



Height of Boards. — As a general rule the dropping-boards for 



