70 viBsx oura^T. 



THE FIRST OUTLAY. 



If you have an adaptable outhouse, wliioh can, with a little 

 contrivance and a little money spent on it, be turned into a fowl- 

 house, you are indeed lucky, for you will then for a few dollars, 

 say fifteen at the outside, be able to fit it with perches and nests, 

 and see to the fiooring, roofing and Tentilation. * 



Your nests, of strong wickerwork or straw, will not cost you 

 more than 25 cents each. You should have twelve at first. 

 You can easily have more if you want them for sitting purposes, 

 but you certainly will not require a nest for each hen. An old 

 saucepan for cooking the food your kitchen will probably sup- 

 ply. Your water-pans should be of common strong yellow 

 stoneware. 



If you have no run, you must inclose one with wire, and this 

 will be rather expensive; but your fowls, if they are to be kept 

 in a certain degree of confinement, must have exercise, so a run 

 or yard is an absolute neeesiity. 



You should liave a door in the run, at one of the ends adjoin-- 

 ing the house, and a door besides in the house itself with an 

 opening in it, closed by a slide, for the fowls to go in and out as 

 they like. 



In the run must be the sheltered place for the dust-batli and 

 for the birds to run imder in case of rain. {See "Houses and 



