POULTRY HOUSE CONSTRUCTION. 9 



General farmers who keep only a few chickens, as well as 

 large poultry plant owners can use the small portable houses for 

 growing chicks. They are especially good for pullets which 

 develop much better on free range than under closely confined 

 conditions. A system of portable houses is used in many parts 

 of the country where poultry is kept extensively. With a port- 

 able house system, there is no excuse for the ground becoming 

 contaminated. The houses are moved from one field to another 

 before the ground becomes filthy and the fertilizer is saved for 

 growing crops. From the standpoint of fertility, this is by far 

 the most economical system. The general farm which keeps 

 only a few chickens should have either two small houses, one for 

 pullets and the other for hens in the fall, or else one house with 

 a division in it. In this way it is possible to make up the breed- 

 ing pens from the best hens and pullets in the spring, and then 

 later to allow all to run together, if advisable. In either case 

 it is far better to fence in the hens that are not kept for breed- 

 ing purposes giving the breeding flock free range of the farm. 

 No matter what system is used, it is always best to encourage the 

 hens to range near their house and away from the other farm 

 buildings. To do this, keep the house clean. It often pays 

 to store some feed there so that the hens expect to be fed from 

 the house and not from the barn. 



A common mistake is that of feeding the 'fowls 

 from the back porch, in this way teaching them to 

 come to the house where they are pests. All the kitchen 

 scraps that are to be utilized for poultry feed should be placed 

 in a pail, carried to the poultry house and fed in a clean place 

 or in clean troughs near the house. Another common mistake 

 is confining the hens in a small yard, when frequently a little 

 more fence could be used around the garden and house and the 

 hens kept where desired, yet allowed abundant range. At 

 times a rather closely woven field fence could be erected around 

 the orchard and thus give the hens abundant range without 

 much additional expense. A low fence will confine hens when 

 allowed a good sized range whereas a high fence is necessary 

 where the range is small. 



Poultry houses usually have one of two great faults. They 

 are constructed either with an all glass front or with practically 

 no glass. The house which contains a glass front becomes ex- 

 tremely hot during the day in winter and extremely cpjd at 



