January, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



POULTRY 





DEEARIMVffiNT 



NESTS AND PERCHES 



By E. I. FARRINCTON 



FOWLS are able to roost on a small 

 round pole, but are much less com- 

 fortable than on 2x3 scantlings, set on edge, 

 with the upper corners slightly rounder. 

 All the perches in the poultry house should 

 be the same height : otherwise the hens will 

 fight for the highest one. Also, they should 

 be higher than the nest boxes or other furn- 

 ishings on which the hens might perch, for 

 hens of the lighter breeds in particular in- 

 variably seek the highest point available 

 when they retire at night. 



It is best to have the perches detachable, 

 so that they may be taken out and disin- 

 fected frequently. Washing them with 

 kerosene will quickly clean them of vermin, 

 but this work must be done often. There 

 are preparations on the market with which 

 the perches may be painted and which will 

 keep them entirely free from mites for 

 from one to six months. In some poultry 

 houses the roots do not come in contact 

 with the wall, but are set on low horses at 

 the rear of the house. This is a sanitary 

 measure which has much to recommend it, 

 as perches and supports may be quickly re- 

 moved and cleaned and the lice cannot 

 readily find shelter in wall cracks. It is 

 well to have all perches low enough so that 

 the hens will not receive a severe jar when 

 they seek the floor in the morning. 



Many practical poultrymen are abandon- 

 ing dropping boards, thereby greatly de- 

 creasing the amount of labor which they 

 must perform. A board may be set up- 

 right to prevent the droppings being mixed 

 with the litter. When the droppings are 

 dry they are not offensive and a little earth 

 or land plaster may be thrown over them 

 occasionally, so that cleaning out the house 

 is not necessary oftener than once a month. 



The nests may be simply open boxes 

 fastened to the wall. In some houses 

 orange crates are set upright on the floor 

 and partly filled with nesting material, each 

 crate making two nests. It is better, 

 though, to have the nests attached to the 

 walls, so that the floor may be left free, 

 especially if the fowls are closely confined. 

 There should not be a platform in front of 

 the nest boxes or there will be much 

 quarreling and probably many broken eggs. 

 If there is simply a box edge to stand on, 

 the hen is obliged to enter the nest or fly 

 down. When there are several nests in a 

 row, tli- front of each should be an inch 

 or two tbove the nesting material or the 

 hens wili endeavor to pull the eggs from 

 one nest to another. I have had hens col- 

 f .-veral egg- in one nest under condi- 

 tion-- which seemed to make it almost im- 

 possible for them to do so. 



It is well to have a slanting board at the 

 top of the nest- to prevent the birds roost- 

 ing there. Many poultrymen advocate 

 dark ne-ts. but thev are not necessary, al- 

 : '"1 it is true that a hen will select a 

 dark nest in preference to a light one. 

 I the only good reason, however, for 

 of darkened nests is that they 



THE ROYAL COACH OF LOUIS XIV OF FRANCE . 



SOCIETY'S PREFERENCE for OVER SIXTY YEARS 



The character of the Rauch & Lang 

 owner-list is proof that the Rauch & Lang 

 is "The Car of Social Prestige." 



The distinctive style for which Rauch & 

 Lang cars are noted, results from the ability 



to give exactly the correct touch to every 

 detail of construction and finish. This abil- 

 ity evolves from more than sixty years' ex- 

 perience and the will to obtain and main- 

 tain the highest standards. 



The famous royal coaches handed down 

 to succeeding generations were no more 

 staunchly built. 



The care exercised in the building of 

 Rauch & Lang Electrics limits the number 

 possible to produce — makes ownership 

 exclusive. 



Every Rauch & Lang agent will gladly 

 demonstrate. 



The RAUCH & LANG CARRIAGE CO. 

 2406 West / r> 



Twenty-fifth Street \\ff\ 



Rauch & Lang Electrics will be exhibited in the 

 Turkish Room of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel during 

 the New York Automobile Show, January 11-18 



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