164 THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



Concerning the permanent house and the best type 

 of foundation, Professor Halpin says : " Where rats 

 are at all troublesome, a substantial cement foundation 

 is a good investment. This should always be brought 

 from six inches to a foot above the surface and then 



At Work on Solid Concrete Foundation, New Jersey Experiment Station. 

 Note Removable Forms and Binding Braces 



filled iii with coarse material such as gravel, etc. In 

 extremely wet locations, especially in clay soil, it often 

 pays to excavate under the entire house and replace 

 with stones or. other coarse material, and then connect 

 with tile drains to remove all the water from under 

 the house. In many localities where stones are abun- 

 dant, poultry houses are placed on stone walls, but 

 unless cement is used to fasten the stones together 

 securely, rats will often work under the house and 



