Barred Plymouth Rock Pullet 



Note, too, that out-door fowls have good health; they seldom have colds, 

 they lay well except in severe weathers. If, then, hens are vigorous and productive 

 without houses, what is the chief function of the hen house? To provide shelter 

 rather than warmth; to protect them from storms and from cold winds, yet insur- 

 ing a supply of out-door air. 



More Fresh Air 



It is claimed that chickens require a great deal more fresh air than cattle or 

 horses in proportion to their size. An authority says that the amount of air 

 breathed by the hen is three times greater than is required by men or cows per 

 1,000 pounds of live weight. If true, this is a pointer of great value. Give the 

 poultry house perfect ventilation without draughts, plenty of oxygen, but no 

 cracks for the wind to enter. 



In some experiments at the Utah Station, a little artificial heat increased the 

 egg yield, but at the expense of vigor, for the fowls in the cold house weighed 

 heavier than those in the warm house. This does not mean that warmth is 

 injurious. Fowls are vigorous in the long California summers, and are at their 

 best in cold countries when the warm spring days come. But it does mean that 

 warmth without fresh air affects health and vigor and this should be a sufficient 

 guide in the construction of a poultry house. It must suit the conditions of the 

 climate, and it must be healthful, convenient, comfortable and as cheerful as 

 exposure in the sun and air can make it. 



Sunshine in the House 



In cities we struggle to secure sunny rooms, and corners providing the most 

 sun in the living rooms and the chambers are at a premium. Sun is not less 

 important in the poultry house. Why cut off the rays of the sun by refraction 



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