310 Bulletin 2"^^. 



permanently successful. This is particularly important when chickens 

 are reared to maturity and are to be kept for breeding purposes. 



9. Provision j or shade, and use of ground 



The fact that the house here recommended stands on sills one foot 

 high gives it the double advantage of furnishing desirable shade, 

 which frequently cannot be provided without considerable extra trouble 

 and expense, and of adding 64 sq. ft. to the size of the yard area. This 

 is an important consideration when the yard area is limited. Since 

 the house is raised one foot from the ground, it does not become a har- 

 boring place for skunks, rats and other vermin, and the floor is always 

 dry. The height from the ground does not prove a serious handicap 

 to the chickens, although they are obliged to pass up and down a 

 rather steep incline when entering and leaving the colony house. 



A narrow-mesh wire fence, one and one-half or two feet high, staked 

 temporarily in front of the exit door, should be provided to confine 

 the chickens to a limited space until they are old enough to go into the 

 house of their own free will. They should be kept out from under 

 the house during this time also. After they are a few weeks old the wire 

 may be removed to other houses to be used in connection with younger 

 broods. 



Where other shade is naturally provided or can easily be secured, 

 the wire about the house may be retained and the chickens not allowed 

 to go under the house. Occasionally some trouble is experienced by 

 having the chickens run under during a rain storm because it is handier 

 to do so than to enter the house. This frequently is a decided advan- 

 tage. The high runners also make the house colder in winter because it 

 is more difficult to bank up to prevent the wind from blowing under. 



10. Economy in heating 



The cost of fuel for supplying heat to a given number of chickens 

 is about the same when the gasoline system is used as when kerosene 

 is used. The price per gallon for gasoline is several cents higher than 

 for kerosene, but a little less gasoline is used for one flock of 200 chickens 

 than kerosene for heating four brooders containing 50 chickens each. 

 In moderately cold weather it costs about seven cents per day to heat 

 a brooder-house containing 200 chickens. During warmer weather the 

 cost is much less, as low as two cents per day. The larger the number 

 of chickens, the less the cost of fuel. This is due to the heat radiated 

 from the bodies of the chickens. 



