ESSENTIALS OF A POULTRY HOUSE 163 



extremes of temperature. The building should be rat-proof, 

 and easy to clean. All fixtures should be simple in design. 

 Dryness of the Poultry House. Moisture breeds disease, 

 and germs of several undesirable types thrive and multiply 

 hi dark, damp places, hence a damp poultry house is un- 

 suitable and unhealthful for the birds. Moisture in the 

 poultry house may be from several causes. First, there is 

 moisture from the air, which is usually due to imperfect 

 ventilation. Second, the moisture exhaled by the birds, 



Fia. 89. A closed, poorly ventilated, old type of poultry house. 



which unless carried off and replaced by fresh, pure air, 

 may be seen as beads of water on the rafters and walls. 

 The third type of moisture comes from the soil, especially 

 if this be heavy and damp. When the house is located 

 on such a spot the dampness must be counteracted. Soil 

 water should never be allowed to work up and dampen the 

 litter, and this can be prevented by a good concrete floor 

 placed on ten inches of cinders. Sometimes dampness is 

 due to surface water, especially in the spring of the year 

 when the ground is frozen; on this account a house should 



