BROILERS AND ROASTERS. 85 



To most poultry keepers the incomprehensible thing 

 about the methods used here is that crowding the weaned 

 chicks so densely in small houses does not result in losses 

 such as under ordinary circumstances attend crowding that 

 does not seem to be anything like as bad as that practiced 

 here. The reason is found in a very radical difference in 

 the way the houses are used. The ordinary way is to shut 

 up the houses. The method in use here is to let in plenty 

 of air. The house is never shut close. Either window 

 or door is always open, and oftener both are open. With 

 plenty of air the chickens, though crowded for room, get 

 along quite comfortably, even when a storm keeps them in 

 the house for several days. The system of feeding makes 

 the droppings quite dry, and, as a rule, the difficulty of 

 handling crowded fowls that have loose droppings does 

 not have to be considered. The chickens can stay in the 

 houses for a few days, or a week may pass without the 

 droppings being removed. Of course cleaning up with 

 the chickens in the house is out of the question. 



When warmer weather comes the chickens still remain 

 in the houses at night and as much as they wish through 

 the day, but are practically free to go where they please. 

 They never go far. The growers here believe in placing 

 no restraints on them outdoors, and depend on the supply 

 of food in the house to keep them from roaming far. 

 They say that the well fed chicken will not want to go far, 

 while the chicken that is not confined is contented, and so 

 keeps in better condition at less cost. 



Their system is perhaps not in every respect ideal. It 

 has defects which need not be dwelt upon here. But not- 

 withstanding these defects, the fact remains that these 



