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Show against the wall, as they take too much floor space if set on the Jloor. One nest should be provided for each four or five hens. Straw or other material used in the nests should be kept clean .and not allowed to become so low that the eggs will strike the wooden bottom of the nest. This may cause the eggs to break and will start the hens to eating them a very troublesome habit and one that is very difficult to breakup break-up once it is formed. A litter of straw or leaves about three or four inches deep on the floor of the house helps to absorb the droppings, drop-pings, and by feeding the grain in this Jitter the hens are obliged to exercise by scratching for it. Wire fencing is preferable to boards as it is cheaper and the hens are less likely to fly over. If cats prove troublesome, trou-blesome, where one is raising young chickens, it may be necessary to cover the top of the yard with wire also. This is practicable 1. r small enclosures. enclos-ures. A board should not be used at the top of the wire fence as this gives the hens a visible place to alight and tends to teach them to fly over. A 5-foot 5-foot fence is high enough for most conditions, con-ditions, but if the h'.enf show a tendency ten-dency to fly over sucn a fence the flight feathers of one wing should be clipped. The larger the yavd which can be provided, the better the hens will do, as it not only gives them better bet-ter opportunity to exercise but also makes it possible to maintain a sod in the yard. In most cases not enough yard will be available so that a sod can be maintained. If the yard is fair- ly large it can be divided into two parts and green crops, such as oats, wheat, rye or dwarf essex rape, allowed allow-ed to start in one yard while the hens are confined to the other. The yard should be turned or spaded up frequently, fre-quently, if not in sod, to keep it in the best condition. This will not only tend to keep down any odors which might arise but also allow the droppings drop-pings to be absorbed into the soil more readily and therefore keep the yard in better condition for the hens. ....j Although it is necessary to keep the hens confined to their yard most of ! the time, it is sometimes possible to I let them out. where they may range I on the lawn for an hour or so during i the evening when someone can be at ' hand to watch them, or at certain seasons sea-sons of the year to allow them to run in the garden plot. The next article on back-yard poultry keeping will discuss dis-cuss the feeding of the Hock, with suggestions sug-gestions as to the use of kitchen waste and the amount of grain and other feed needed. GOOD HOUSE FOR ' BACK-YARD FLOCK Comfort, Wot Luxury, Is Important Impor-tant for Flock's Need. OLD SHED IS SATISFACTORY Made Warm and Airy, and With Ken Conveniences, Is All That Is Necessary Nec-essary Divide Yard for Growing Grow-ing Green Feed. A house for the back-yard flock need not be expensive. It should be comfortable. com-fortable. Often there is an unused shed or building on the place which can easily be converted into a chicken house. The front of the poultry house should face toward the south, if possible, possi-ble, so that the sua will shine into it. A house which provides a floor space of three or four square feet for each bird is ample in size and fowls are often successfully kept with an allowance allow-ance no greater than two and one-half to three square feet. Houses must be dry and free from draft, but must allow al-low ventilation. Very satisfactory houses can be made cheaply from piano pi-ano boxes or other packing cases. Where there is a board fence it is sometimes possible to take advantage of this by building the poultry house in the corner of the fence, making the fence itself, with the cracks covered by strips or battened, serve as the back and one side of the house. A cheap house S feet square can be made of 2 by 4-inch pieces and 12-inch 12-inch boards and covered with roofing paper. Such a house would be large enough for a flock of 20 to 25 hens, It can be built quickly and is cheap in construction. Plans for building it, which can be easily followed, with a description of all the material needed, are given in a new publication of the United States Department of Agricul-ture, Agricul-ture, Farmers' Bulletin 8S9. j If the back yard is well drained, the . ground itself should be dry enough to serve as the floor of the house. Often a slight dampness can be corrected by Ailing up the floor several inches above the outside ground with sand, cinders, gravel or dry dirt. Three or four inches of the surface of the floor, and of the run, if a very small run is used, should be removed and replaced with fresh dirt two or three times a year. " (j f THIS HOUSE FROM PIANO BOXES; FOR 12 HENS $12. A t i , A very satisfactory hen house i can be made of two piano boxes. A The boxes are placed back to 4 back 3 feet apart, the back and j top of each removed, a frame ; for roof and floor added and the $ part between the two boxes 4 built in with the boards remov-f remov-f ed from the boxes. The whole is covered with roofing paper. ,51 v A portion of the door should be ' ,;, left open or covered witli a piece 'j of muslin to allow light and ven- 'I' tilation, and windows in the rear may be cut if desired. With pi- ano boxes at $2.50 each, such a f house can be easily and quickly t built for $12. It will accommo- .f. X date 12 hens comfortably. V & As it is better to have a cold, dry poultry house than a warm, damp one, some means of ventilation should be provided. A cloth curtain over an opening has proved a very successful method of ventilation. If the poultry yards are to be on only one side of the house they should be located fin the south side in order that the fowls may have the' benefit of the first, dry ground in early soring and the warmth from the reflection of the sun on the house during the winter. win-ter. Your flock need not he objectionable objection-able to the neighbors. There will be no disagreeable odors if dropping boards are provided in the chickeu bouse anil these are cleaned daily. The noise of the male bird is as unneccs-sary unneccs-sary as the male himself in a fiock kept for eggs. Hens lay jre:t as well without the rrale. If the ground is so wet or damp that the condition cannot be corrected by . filling, it is best to provide a board floor, as this will fteep the house dry, will allow easier cleaning, and will promote pro-mote the general health and welfare of the hens. A house with a board floor should be set on posts or blocks 5 to 12 inches above the ground. Built in this way the floor will not rot so quickly and rats are not so likely To ! take refuge under it. To keep the flock in a clean and sanitary san-itary condition dropping boards should be provided and roosts above them. This makes it easy to remove the droppings drop-pings each morning, and helps greatly to keep the house free from objectionable objection-able odors. A little sand sprinkled on the dropping boards after each cleaning clean-ing will make the cleaning easier. The dropping boards and roosts should be placed against the back wall. Here they are out of the way and at the same time where they are less likely to be reached by drafts. The dropping drop-ping boards should be about 20 to 30 inches from the floor, depending on the height of the building. This gives space enough under them so that the hens have room to exercise and it is not too high for the heavier hens to fly to. The roosts should be three or four inches above the dropping boards. A piece of 2 by 4 or 2 by 3 laid on edge, and with the upper corners rounded off, makes a good roost. N'ests must be provided and may be very simple. Any box about one foot square and five or six inches deep is suitable. An ordinary orange box with a partition in the middle serves this purpose very well, each box forming two nests. With the top removed the box is laid on its side and a strip three or four inches wide nailed across the lower front. Nests can be fastened to the walls of the house or set on the floor. It is preferable to fasten them |