LOCATION OF THE HOUSES AND YARDS 155 



for permanent sod. If there is an orchard on the farm, it 

 makes an ideal spot for the poultry house, and the same piece 

 of ground serves a double purpose, and is made to yield a 

 double revenue (Fig. 83). 



Ideal Location for the House. Siimmarizing, the follow- 

 ing describes an ideal location for a poultry house; the 

 poultry house and yards should be located in undulating 

 country and on a southerly slope which is not too steep. 

 The soil should be a dry, porous, sandy loam with a sub- 

 soil of gravel, and covered with sod. Plenty of natural 

 shade should be at hand. Surface water should drain away 

 from the poultry house by means of natural water courses. 

 The site should be easy of access, and near enough to the 

 dwelling for the birds to be under observation. 



The Poultry Yards. Wherever possible, the birds should 

 be allowed free range; sometimes, however, they must be 

 yarded. Often the question is whether to yard the poultry, 

 or to fence in the crop which they will damage. But in 

 ideal conditions there is unrestricted range, the two prin- 

 cipal advantages being the reduction in the cost of feed, 

 and more cleanly and sanitary conditions of the birds. 

 Sanitary runs on the farm mean healthy birds. Usually if 

 an effort be made, a place can be found for the birds which 

 permits unrestricted range. Where poultry are bred under 

 intensive conditions on small areas, for example, in villages, 

 it is absolutely necessary to yard them, but the yard should 

 be as large as possible, and double yarding and rotation of 

 crops the method (Fig. 84). 



Alternating yards are becoming more and more popular 

 as a means of keeping the birds healthy under limited range. 

 The term "alternating" simply means that each pen of 

 birds is provided with two yards, which may be designated 

 1 and 2. In some cases both yards are in front of the house, 

 in others one yard may be in front of, and the other behind, 

 the house. It is also becoming the custom to give each pen 



