98 THE CORNING EGG FARM BOOK 



because, by sitting in the Laying Houses and watch- 

 ing the birds, it was discovered that from one o'clock 

 to roosting time more water is consumed than at any 

 other hours of the day. At first it was thought that 

 Biddy, on leaving her roost, immediately sought the 

 drinking fountain, but we find the first act, generally 

 speaking, is to endeavor to fill the crop with grain, 

 and she vigorously starts to work in the litter. 



By placing the hot water in the fountains during 

 the hour after noon, we find that with the closing of 

 the house for the night, the water retains its tempera- 

 ture to a remarkable degree, and it is not at all chilling 

 to the birds in the morning of ordinary cold weather. 

 If the night has been an extremely cold one we make 

 it a practice of going through the Houses with boiling 

 water, emptying out what may be in the cups, and 

 refilling them from the hot water can, thus giving 

 any bird which may desire a large quantity, warm 

 water to drink at this time in the morning. 



The supply of water for all the stock on The Corn- 

 ing Egg Farm comes from the deep well, already de- 

 scribed in the chapter on " Building the Farm." 



