234 COMMON OK BAEN-DOOE FOWL, 
When the rearing of Poultry is entered upon, on a 
moderate scale, care should he taken to select a warm 
well sheltered apartment, for their lodging in during 
the night, and for placing the nests for laying their 
eggs in. 
The nests, for the purpose of laying in, may he 
arranged in tiers, one above another, in chequers, and 
may he constructed of wood, tilled with straw or hay, 
once a-week — cleanliness in this and every particular 
being very essential. They should have a foot-hoard 
in front, for the purpose of the birds perching easily 
into them, and a fillet in front, to hold in the straw ; 
and the situation in the apartment ought to he darkish 
rather than light, on account that Hens do not like to 
he disturbed in this operation. They should also he 
supplied with a ladder or stick, to assist them in perch- 
ing up, as care should he taken not to injure the bird 
in its passage to the nest, when about to deposit her 
egg- 
Nests prepared for the business of incubation, should 
have moveable gratings to place before them, to pre- 
vent the intrusion of other Hens while the mother 
is sitting. This grating must be taken off in the 
morning, when the other Fowls in the yard are being 
fed, the noise of which operation will, in general, excite 
the mother to rise and feed also ; but should she delay 
to get off her eggs, she may be removed carefully, and 
placed near to the feeding board, when, after having 
