Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-08
POULTRY CULTURE
ARTICLE XIII.

Brood Coops.-We must not forget
to provide suitable quarters for the
hen with her brood of chicks. Various
and curious is the collection of con
( trivance for enclosing the mother hen.
Empty barrels laid on their sides with
Stats in front; half-barrel- set upright
with alternate slaves on one side cut
to allow chicks TO run out and back !;
boxes OF numerous kinds; "A" shaped
coops with Slated fronts; patent
brooding coops. and other devices are
in use. Sometimes the hen is left to
find any shelter that she can.
Comfortable Coop for Hen with
Chick.-A coop two feet square, two
feet high, in front. one and one-half
feet high at the back with a single
pitch roof provides a safe home for
the mother hen and her little flock.
The front of the coop has a Slated
door or a frame doo- covered with one
inch mesh wire netting. A shutter
hinged at the top may be provided for
protecting the front of the coop at
night and during bad weather. This
may be fastened up for shading the
front of the coop when the sunshine
is too hot.
Covered Runs.-If cats or hawks are
likely TO disturb the chicks a connect
ing yard at one or both sides of the
coop. one foot high. two feet wide and
three or six feet in length enclosed
and covered with wire netting with
keep in the chicks and exclude their
enemies. Both coop and yard frame
should be made of light lumber so as
to be readily movable to fresh ground.
These must be placed where the chicks
can keep dry under foot. An excel
lent plan is to place several coops for
hens near together, letting the chicks
from the first
Chicken Colony Houses.-Whatever
the method of early management. after
the chicks are past the brooding age,
suitable shelter should be furnished
to keep them safe and comfortable. es-
pecially at night. while allowing them
as much freedom of range as possible
in pleasant weather. \ good and safe
roosting place Is about all that is nee
essary
The poultryman who keeps only a
few hens generally builds for them
only one house and desires that IL
shall be a good one. He should make
a thorough study of the matter, espe-
cially as related to the particular con-
ditions of his location and the scope
Of his plans The effect of each sea-
son and of all kinds of weather must
be kept I'm mind If the house is in
tended TO provide a comfortable home |
for the hens throughout the year.
Scratching Shed. - An exercising 4
room or place where the fowls can I
have their grain scattered in an abun-
dance OF litter. such as straw, hay or
leaves and dry dirt is sometimes pro-
vided apart from the main house or
room This is often left open to the
south or may have a curtain of burlap |
DIT doors 10 be closed in bad weather.
Combined House and Scratching
Winter and summer quarters
md a scratching shed may be COM
Dined in n house of one room suited,
Inder favorable conditions. for a flock
IL 30 adult fowls. IL may be built or
stone, brick. or concrete. but In most
sections Il Is best to construct the
rouse OF lumber and build on runners
% that IL can be readily moved IL II
.ver becomes desirable TO change 10
resh ground or a new location.-lili-
DIS Farmers Institute Bulletin. /