No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 211 



SUMMER REQUIREMENTS FOR GROWING STOCK 



After making these two careful selections the poultryman will 

 have a flock of strong, vigorous pullets, ten to twelve weeks old, 

 and the problem from tliis time on is to mature them to good laying 

 conditions at the right time in the fall. 



There are four requirements which are essential for the most 

 economical and certain development. They are: 



1. An abundance of range for growing stock. 



2. Natural shade if possible, otherwise artificial shade should be 

 supplied. 



3. Natural green food in abundance. 



4. The feeding of dry mash constantly in large self-feeding hoppers. 



(See Plates 3 and 4.) 



THEIR ENVIRONMENT 



If the best performance is to be expected from layers during the 

 winter, they must be given the most congenial surroundings possi- 

 ble. This means, first of all, that they must be kept in a house 

 which is suitably located and which furnishes the desired conditions 

 at a minimum cost. The location of the plant itself should receive 

 careful consideration, either in the case of prospective poultrymen 

 just starting, or of old plants in which changes are being made. 



Given any desirable location, the following conditions should be 

 present in the poultry house : 



The essential features of a good house are: 



1. An economical but efficient construction. 



2. Handy arrangements to make labor easy. 



3. An abundance of sunlight directly on the floor of the house. 



4. Plenty of ventilation without drafts. 



5. Freedom from moisture. 



6. Sufficient room for the number of birds kept. 



7. Protection against rats and other vermin. 



The principles outlined above can be most economically worked 

 out to suit New Jersey conditions in a house conforming very closely 

 to the following type. Of the six different types of roof which 

 are used for poultry houses, the shed roof is the best, as it covers a 

 given floor space efficient and at a smaller cost than any other type. 

 The following plan of a shed roof house 20x40 feet is especially 

 suited to New Jersey poultry farms. Where it is desirable to keep 

 larger units than a forty foot house will accomodate, it is recom- 

 mended that the length be doubled, making it 20x80 feet with three 

 cross partitions, (one every 20 feet), instead of only one as in the 

 forty-foot house. 



(See Plate 5). 



The following description of the above plan shows the important 

 features: 



Specifications for the Double Unit House: The outside dimen- 

 sions are 40x20 feet, sills to be 4xG, and to be bolted to a concrete 

 foundation wall eight inches wide and twenty inches deep, which is 



