Evening star., 1916-12-10
FIELD, FARM AND FLOCK.
Gardeners Stock Raisers Orchards and
FarmersInformation of Experts
POULTRY YARD NOTES.

Experienced poultrymen appreciate the
Importance of having nests easy of ac-
cess and in convenient position. They
should frequently be cleaned and sprayed
and the nesting material replenished.
otherwise it will be impossible to Secure
clean eggs, or to keep the birds free of
vermin, lice and mites. Furthermore. the
nests should be built so that it is con-
venient for the attendant to remove any
sitting hens, for unless broodiness is
promptly broken up there will be seri-
Gus falling off in the egg yield.
The hens views must be considered,
too. She is vitality concerned in the mat
ter, and her comfort is no less important
than that of the egg gatherer. If al
lowed to pursue her own impulses. biddy
will select an inconspicuous place, usual
ly where it is dark. and where there is
I little risk of being molested. She does
to the view of the rest of the flock, or
where she is likely to be frightened or
interrupted by the attendant or by an
other quarrelsome hen: she wants seclu-
sion. privacy, and those who give their
poultry intelligent care will see that
these accommodations are provided.
The difficulty is that many poultry
raiSers try to economiZe in the matter of
nests Instead of building them to or
der, with due respect to space ease in
cleaning and comfort to the hen and to
the egg gatherer, they use makeshifts-
store boxes orange crates and other de-
vices. and nail them to the building as
they are needed and wherever there is a
vacant space -s-rui
Built-in nests. those which are not
portable. are difficult and tedious to
clean and replenish with nesting ma
terial, even when they are installed
along practical lines, whereas mixed"
collection of soap boxes, cereal cartons.
broken egg cases. cracker tins and the
like should never be tolerated on the
well managed farm. Their use is de-
Tended by some poultrymen under the
preteXt of eccnomy-in that they can
be removed and burned as soon as they
become badly soiled. A better way is
to build nests that will not become un-
duly defiled.
A good location for the nests is under
the dropping boards. and have the nests
suspended from the boards in light.
portable sections or batteries. foot
or more from the floor, where they are
the least obtrusive, and yet very con-
venient for the fowls. The nests may
be built in units of six or more. which,
ever is the most convenient size. and
arranged SO that the hens enter from
the side toward the rear wall. A
platform or narrow shelf is installed
for the bird to alight upon before en-
tering a particular compartment. Each
nest should be about fourteen inches
square. with a partition between. to
give the structure its rigidity. for 1t
should be built of very light material
preferably half-inch white pine siding
or similar lumber. The side from which
the hens enter is left open, except for
strip about three inches high. to
keep the nesting material in its proper
place. The side exposed to the interior
of the house. and from which the at
tendant gathers the eggs, consists of
hinged lid, arranged to operate with
the greatest facility. Proody hens are
also removed through the front
The advantages of this method are
numerous. There are no supports to
obstruct the floor area and nothing to
interfere with the distribution of the
litter; the nests are located in the
darkest part of the house and where
there is the least traffic or disturbance.
To clean them, the easiest way is to re-
move the nests outdoors, dump out
. their contents. wash or spray them,
place them in the sun to dry, refill with
straw, excelsior or other nesting ma
terial and return them to their proper
places 1t is impossible for the fowls
to perch upon the top OF the nests, and
if it is found they show an inclination
70 roost inside lids similar to the fronts
Another satisfactory arrangement
consists of a row of nests, with low di-
visions, supported by a shelf under the
dropping boards, or elsewhere if de-
sired one or two feet from the floor.
The nests are set on movable plat
form, instead of on stationary shelf,
which is constructed of light. wooden
legs, with their ends slightly rounded
so that they will slide freely, and
braced by four-inch cleats. The plat
form reaches back to the wall, thus
affording passageway for the nest
seeking hens, and should stop about
two feet short of each end wall to al
low access to the passage.
The platforms are built IN sections
about ten feet long. as are the rows of
nests and in the fronts are fitted high
boards which are hinged at the bottom
strip nailed to the under side of the
beam that supports the dropping
boards These drop doors-one or two
to each section-darken the nests, and
by securing them with light wooden
button they are easily operated at egg
collecting times.
The nests proper, that portion above
the platform, is little more than a
skeleton framework, and is not nailed
to the platform. The platform consul
tutes the floor of the nests, hence the
nests are made without bottoms. and
have only partitions and a front and
rear piece to secure them. AT cleaning
|tjme instead of removing each indt-
vidual nest which is the customary
practice, the entire section, which Is
nesting swept to the floor for litter. or
gathered into basket, the platform
brushed off, the skeleton framework re-
placed, and the entire section cleaned
in about the same time required for
emptying a single nest by the old
method.
1t is needless to say. when nests are
cleaned so easily that one is scarcely