No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 29? 



than we otherwise could because we use our brooding system the year 

 round, brooding chickens in the spring and keeping laying hens all 

 the winter. 



Fig. 18 shows a closer view of the house. This is a later pattern. 



Fig. 19 shows filling a tank with gasoline with a 5 gallon can. The 

 burner under the house burns with a blue tlanie, and the heater box 

 is made of galvanized iron and is tire proof. The heat pours down on 

 the chickens and the fresh air comes in and spreads out over the 

 chickens. 



In Fig. 20 we see several thousand chickens on the range where 

 they are reared. Last year with 4,000 chickens one man did all the 

 work of brooding and handling these chickens. The only time he had 

 help was occasionally for cleaning, once a week when the chickens 

 were young. After that he did not have any help, and the latter part 

 of the year he had time to do other things besides. This is because 

 much of the work is done by horse power and because the chickens are 

 kept in large tlocks. The houses are 100 to -50 feet apart, and iJie 

 chickens running together and not fenced to separate except where 

 they are of difterent ages. The illustration shows how these houses 

 are scattered over 5 to 10 acres of land. 



A simple device for connecting up several of the houses for winter 

 use is shown in Fig. 21. You may notice that little galvanized collar 

 at this point. It connects up three houses. The houses in this di- 

 vision have been removed to get photographs. The house in the centre 

 of the group is where all the chickens roost, 45 of them; and this house 

 to the right is where they go to eat, 45 of them ; and the house to the 

 left is the house where they go to lay, 45 of them ; and then all run back 

 and forward and go visiting when they please. Instead of having to 

 take care of each house with 15 chickens, we take care of and clean 

 only one house, gather the eggs in one and feed in one, a saving of 66 

 and two-thirds per cent, of the work in caring for the colony of 45 

 chickens as compared to keeping 15 in each house. 



A corn field in which the chickens are running in the rape where the 

 houses are so that the chickens will not destroy the corn as it comes up 

 is shown in Fig. 22. The surplus chickens are removed when about 8 

 to 10 weeks old. We have about 200 or more chickens in each house 

 when they get old enough to separate the sexes, which makes it de- 

 sirable to prev^ent overcrowding. 



Four ditrerent types of feeding troughs are shown in Fig. 23; one 

 by which the ver^' young chickens are fed; later a higher one; then a 

 higher one still ; and then later they are fed in this large one only once 

 a day, and after eight weeks old they are fed in these out door hoppers 

 j'ou see here. After eight weeks old they are all fed by the hoppers by 

 the umn driving around and filling them once a week. It becomes an 

 economical method. 



Here is a sanitary water fountain (Fig. 24) by which chickens can- 

 not soil their water. It is turned down side up to take the water out 

 and wash it. 



Fig. 25 is a catching box that ought to be on every chicken farm. 

 You can drive the chickens in from this end and shut it up ; and one 

 man on each side of the box can carry a lot of chickens without danger 

 of their sniotheiiug or having frightened them. It is a great labor 

 saver to do this instead of frightening and running the chickens. 



