The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
For a few every day common hens, or birds of the heavier breeds, perches made from wooden poles such as 
those used to roll linoleum on, about 6 feet in length (which can be olnained from any furnishing house or 
drapers), sawn in halves lengthways, and used round side uppermost, will be found the most inexpensive and 
convenient form of perch procurable : or saplings, three to four inches in diameter, cut in the same manner, will 
do equally as well. For the heavy breeds the perches should not be i)laceti higher than from 12 to 18 inches 
from the ground ; but for the lighter varieties - such as Hamburgs, Andalusians, or Leghorns — the height 
may be increased tf) three or four feet, and the perches made thinner than those used for the larger breeds. C.reat 
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Fig. 
-Lean-to House, showing small Shelter Shed at side. 
care must be exercised in keeping the roosts or perches free from parasites, and an occasional application of 
kero-sene oil, or a teaspoonful of Calvert's No. 5 Carbolic Acid, diluted with twenty times its bulk \n 
water, applied to the roosts, will act as a certain preventive of these trouljlesome pests ; and if the floor 
and nests are sprinkled now and again with the latter mixture, the effect will be highly beneficial. 
In arranging nests for the hens to lay in, a good plan is to make them on the floor of the house ; the 
earth for the bottom, which should be scooped out a litde, a strip of wood, four or five inches in height, 
nailed along the front at the bottom to the two or more upright divisions, the latter about 18 inches in height 
Fig 2 — Portable Nest Boxes, without bottoms or backs. 
at the front, and 24 inches at the back. This, with boards nailed along the top forming a rocf to project 
three or four inches over the front, will be found to make a complete set of nest boxes — the side, front, or 
back of the house forming the back. This can be placed inside or outside the domicile, under the 
shelter shed, or even against the fence in the most convenient position in the yard. Fig. 2 will give an idea 
of this portable foim of nest boxes, which have the advantage of being easily and effectively cleaned, having 
no backs to them. It is without exception advisable to provide the nests with earthenware nest eggs, and to 
remove the eggs laid as soon as convenient, as frequently a breakage occurs, and nothing induces fowls to 
