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Rural School Leaflet 



retained they may be sold alive for high prices. After they become 

 large enough for market, most cockerels do not make enough growth 

 to pay for the food that they eat. They also injure themselves or others 

 by fighting. The room that they occupy, the food that they eat, and the 

 labor that they require, might better be bestowed on early hatched pullets. 

 Immature cockerels should seldom be allowed to go into winter quarters. 

 They usually fail to grow well in cold weather, and occupy valuable space 

 that should be used by better stock. They are unable to compete with 

 larger individuals and generally remain undersized. 



IV. WINTER QUARTERS FOR PULLETS 



C. A. Rogers 



As the fall advances the season's flock of pullets should be housed 

 in cozy, warm quarters where they can spend the winter in comfort. 

 This is a time when the chickens should be given careful attention, for 

 the cold nights and the occasional snow flurries soon put a stop to their 

 growth and development if they are exposed. 



The pen. — Choose a comer of the bam or the shed that can be par- 

 titioned off into a pen of the desired size; or, better still, build a small 

 house for the pullets. If you have fifteen fowls, build the house eight 

 feet wide and ten feet long. If there are twenty-five fowls, make the 

 house twelve feet wide and ten feet long. Be sure to build it on a dry 

 place that is protected from the cold winds as much as possible. Have 



the front face the south in 



order to get all the warmth 

 of the sun's rays. 



Fresh air and sitnligJit. — 

 Fresh air and sujilight are two 

 very important factors. Both 

 should be provided through 



f_^i^_^jj,^^-j^^^_ *- windows on the front (south) 



v^KlM^MliBa i *^ ' ^^^® °^ ^^^^ house. A small 



window may be made near the 

 top, into which is fitted a cloth 

 curtain frame. During the 

 daytime in pleasant weather, 

 this curtain should be re- 

 moved, or, if the frame is 

 s\\amg on hinges, it should 

 be fastened out of the way, 

 thus letting in the sunshine and the fresh air. On cold stormy nights 

 the muslin curtain keeps the house warmer than it would be wnth an 



A 



Before putting the pullets into winter quarters, the 

 houses should be thoroughly cleaned and disin- 

 fected. Ne^v litter should be put in and all signs 

 of disease destroyed 



