366 FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



range, and far enough apart so that there is no min- 

 gling of the flocks. The advantages of the colony sys- 

 tem are: 



1. There is less danger from outbreaks of disease. 



2. No fencing is required. 



3. Fowls get more exercise than in yards. 



4. By moving the houses once in a while, clean 

 ground may be provided. 



5. Less feed is required to be furnished during the 

 summer months. 



6. Many injurious insects are eaten up. 



7. Fowls may be put on harvested fields and fit into 

 crop rotations. 



The chief disadvantages of the colony system are: 



1. It is difficult to care for and feed fowls in colony 

 houses during the winter or severe weather. 



2. More land is required; under this system it is 

 only possible to allow 100 birds per acre, while in the 

 apartment system, with properly constructed yards, 

 400 to 500 birds may be kept per acre. 



3. The cost of colony houses is greater than the 

 continuous house of equal capacity, because this latter 

 house only requires wooden partitions at the ends, and 

 the interior partitions may be made of wire netting. 



The colony houses are usually built to accommodate 

 ten to thirty birds. 



The apartment or continuous house consists of a 

 series of separate pens in one building, generally with a 

 passage way through the entire building which has 

 openings into every pen. 



Where to Build and Why. In building a poultry 

 house a suitable location should be selected. A well- 

 drained sandy loam soil is preferable to a clay or 

 sandy soil. The soil should be rich enough to grow 

 the necessary green crops desired for summer feeding. 

 If possible the location should be such as to afford pro- 

 tection from winds and storms. Such a spot is offered 

 behind farm buildings or on a slope of a hill. 



The buildings should have a southern or southeast- 



