The Rear Door

The rear door is for the purpose of cleaning out the house. It is not expected to be used to put in chickens; this is to be done at the top door. Notice that this small door also has battens to keep it from warping.

The Front Door

The front door is a mitered frame (Chapter V., Paragraph 64) assembled with corrugated nails (Chapter II., Paragraph 23). It is covered with screen wire and trimmed with small binding strips. The ventilator holes should also be covered with screen wire. This makes the house rat proof.

The Runway

The frame of the runway is made up of strips fastened with plain butt joints (Chapter V., Paragraph 60). In cutting the material for this runway care should be exercised to cut opposite sides the same length so it will be square when completed. The door of the runway is a mitered frame construction, the same as the front door to the house; it is also fastened with corrugated nails (Chapter II., Paragraph 23). The entire runway should be covered with poultry net, 1" mesh. The door to the runway and both doors to the house should be hung with screen door hinges. This will insure their holding shut without any fastenings and will also allow them to stand open when desired.

Assembling

Assemble the bottom ends and sides with plain butt joints (Chapter V., Paragraph 60). Nail all the joints securely, testing frequently with the try-square to make sure that all angles are right angles.

Finishing

As this work is to be exposed to the weather, it should be finished with one or two coats of paint (Chapter IV., Paragraph 52). In this lesson no suggestions are offered for original designs; there are, however, a great many ideas which will no doubt occur to you in the construction of this piece of work. The size, shape of the house and the runway may be made to suit your needs.

Optional and Home Projects Employing Similar Principles.

Half-Barrel Chicken Brooder

1. An inexpensive and easily constructed chicken brooder may be made by sawing a sugar barrel into two equal parts. The hoops should be driven on very tightly and nailed securely before the sawing is begun. This will make sure that the two parts will hold their cylindrical shape. The door is provided by sawing out a notch, or by sawing off one stave a few inches shorter than the

. others.

Dog Kennel

2. By changing a few of the features of the chicken house, and making the house considerably larger, a very satisfactory dog kennel may be provided.

Suggestions For Community Research

No. 1. Examine the under side of a couch or an upholstered chair, or, if convenient, visit a place where upholstering work is done and find out how the springs are held in position. Why is leather, or some of the imitations of leather, more sanitary than the old-fashioned cloth coverings for upholstering work in the home?

No. 2. Examine the furniture in your home and see if you can tell of what kind of wood each piece is made. In making this examination do not scratch the front of the furniture, but examine hidden edges and the back parts where you can see the natural wood without destroying the finish.

No. 3. Is any of your furniture veneered? Of what kind of wood is the veneering made? To what kind of wood is it glued?

No. 4. What kind of tool case or other method of caring for the tools do you have in your home? Why should a tool case be kept perfectly dry? See if you can find out, by inquiry, where the rust comes from that gets on the metal parts of a machine or on tools which are exposed to the weather. What will be the final result if a piece of metal is continually left exposed to rust?

No. 5. What are the advantages in hitching a cow in a stanchion rather than with a halter or rope?

No. 6. Make inquiry in your community and find out what influences are most harmful to young chicks. How can these influences be overcome? Does the chicken brooder provided in this section solve any of those problems?

No. 7. What advantages can you see in painting a chicken brooder, window flower box or flower trellis?

No. 8. Is there any advantage besides appearance in keeping a house properly painted? Make inquiry from your father or other men who have had experience and find out whether they think it is really economical to neglect properly painting a house.

No. 9. Of what kind of wood are shingles made? Why is this particular kind of wood selected for the purpose? Inquire from some of the older men of the community and find out what sort of wood was used for the old-fashioned hand-split clapboards. Why did that kind of roof go out of use in your community?

No. 10. Find out how many trades or occupations are represented by patrons of your school. How many of them use some sort of hand tools in their work? Which trades are most promising for young men to enter? Why?