igc6.] 



Poultry-yard Fittings. 



277 



it is seldom that there is any space to be spared inside the 

 house ; but the hens always have access to the outside nests 

 through the opening in the end of the house, against which the 

 box rests, and the attendant can always remove the eggs from 

 outside without entering the house or disturbing the fowls. 



Feeding Troughs. — Troughs should be used whenever fowls 

 are fed on mashes, and even when dry foods only are given very 

 many poultry keepers use some style of trough, box, or hoppen 

 At one time it was customary not to bother with troughs even 

 for feeding mashes, and the practice prevailed of throwing down 

 the mash in the yards and allowing the fowls to eat it or 



Fig. 3. — Nest Boxes, to be Hung on Inside \\ ai,l of House. 



trample it into the ground, but this practice is fortunately no 

 longer continued except by the most careless of poultry 

 keepers. 



The evils of careless feeding, which is another name for 

 throwing soft food about in all directions, are : — (i) The hens 

 are liable to be overfed ; (2) considerable quantities of food are 

 wasted by being thrown in dirty places and mixed with the 

 filth of the yard or trampled into the earth ; (3) there is con- 

 siderable danger of contracting such diseases as cholera, which 

 arise from filthy conditions of feeding. Throwing food on the 

 ground is often responsible for the spread of roup, diphtheria, 

 gapes, and other complaints. 



Cleanliness in feeding is essential to success, and it follows 

 that the troughs must be of such a shape that they can quite 



