loo The Hen at Work 



Pieces of scantling, nailed to the end walls, ten 

 inches above the dropping boards, will support 

 them. Two roosts, twelve feet long, give ample 

 room for twenty-five hens. The first one goes ten 

 inches from the wall, and the second ten inches from 

 the first. Nail them lightly in place, so it will be 

 ■-easy to take them out. See to it that the edges 

 of the roost are rounded and smooth. When a 

 hen sits down, her claws contract, and they can't 

 let go, even if they would like to, when sharp 

 edges hurt. Pleasant dreams never hurt the egg 

 record. 



Some people nail the roosts on a frame, hinged 

 at the back, and raise the whole frame in the 

 morning, fastening it to the roof with a button or 

 hook during the day. This is said to keep hens 

 more active, and make it easier to clean the boards. 

 It is one mote thing to remember, however, morn- 

 ing and night, and there is no proof that hens do 

 not get benefit from a brief nap during the day, 

 away from the crowd. Every one who has to 

 scratch for a living is entitled to what rest he can 

 get. If hens are not properly handled they will 

 loa^ anjrway. It is the plan of feeding, not the 

 fumitiire, that counts. 



