Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-07-31

| inches, and the top part of It, to q
depth or three feet six inches from the
plate, Is not boarded up. but Il left
open to be covered by a cloth curtain
when necessary. This leaves tight
wall three feet, 10 Inches high, ex-
tending from the bottom Of the open
Ing down to the floor. which prevents
the wind from blowing on the birds
when they are on the floor. A door,
two feet. 10 inches wide, for entrance
to the yard. is made In tho front wall.
The lower half is boarded, the upper
covered by the curtain. Another door
lbx16 inches, Is placed six inches
from the floor under one of the win.
dows for the birds to pass through tho
'front.' yard. A similar door in the GEN.
ter OF back wall admits them to the
rear yard. A light frame, made Of ono
by three inch strips and ono by ok
inch cross tees, Is covered with ten
ounce white duck or unbleached sheet
Ing, and hinged at the top Of the front
opening. which It covers when closed
down. This curtain IL easily turned up
into the room and held in place BY
hooks in the ceiling.
The roost platform should be made
tight. 1t extends the full length of tho
room against the back wall, and 10
four feet 10 inches wide. and three feet
above the floor. 1t Is then high enough
for person to get under when nee
essary to handle tho birds or clean
out the house. There are three roosts,
framed together in two 10 foot Sec
lions. The top IL one foot above the
MI M III a. -
wall, so they may be turned up out
Of the way when the platform IL be-
ing cleaned. The back roost IL II
inches from the wall. and the spaces
between the next two are 18 inches.
They are made Of two by three inch
lumber placed on edge, with the upper
corners rounded off. The roosting
closet Is shut off from the rest Of the
room by curtains similar to the one
described for the front Of the house.
For convenience In handling there are
two of these curtains each nine feet.
eight inches long, and three feet wide.
hinged at the top so as to be turned
out and hooked up. This leaves a
space of two feet, six inches between
the curtain and the roof. This space
Is ceiled, and in 1t are two openings,
each three feet long and six inches
wide. provided with slide door for
ventilating the roosting closet when
necessary. The nests are placed on
framework under the roosting board.
ThN frame should extend at least
three inches beyond the back. of the
nests and should be so arranged that
they may be easily removed for clean
ing.
II several Of these houses are Joined
together to make one long laying
house, door should be placed in ev-
cry compartment Ave inches out from
the edge Of the roosting platform.
These doors are three feet wide and
seven feet high. divided in the mid
die lengthwise, and: each half is hung
with double acting spring hinges, al
lowing 1t to swing both ways and to
be kept closed without attention.
Extending across the building and
through the center Of the doorways,
a track of wood or iron may be placed
for the ready movement Of a suspend
ed car. The platform of this car
SHOULD be two by eight feet and ele-
waited about one foot above tho floor
Attached to each end Of the platform
is an iron guard which projects ono
foot beyond. As the car passes
through the building this guard strikes
the doors and pushes them open cas-