Thorough Drainage Necessary 89 



LOCATION OF BUILDINGS 



In selecting a site for poultry houses and yards, 

 three important points should be constantly borne 

 in mind: (1) health of the fowls, (2) convenience 

 of the attendant, and (3) liability to vermin and 

 other poultry enemies. 



Health of the fowls. As cleanliness and freedom 

 from moisture are two highly essential conditions 

 of successful poultry-keeping, the natural sur- 

 roundings which strongly influence them should 

 receive first consideration. A dry, porous soil not 

 only insures a suitable yard or run, whenever the 

 weather is favorable for the fowls to take out-of- 

 door exercise, but also controls to some extent the 

 amount of moisture in the buildings. If the highest 

 degree of success is to be attained, cleanliness and 

 freedom from moisture must be secured. Partial 

 success or entire failure is undoubtedly more fre- 

 quently due to filthy houses and yards, together 

 with dampness, than to any other causes. Particu- 

 larly is this true with those whose chief interests 

 lie in other directions, and who, consequently, 

 more or less neglect their smaller poultry interests 

 during certain portions of the year. If it is desired 

 to keep poultry on heavy or wet soils, the land 

 should be thoroughly underdrained. The removal 

 of the surplus water from the yards or runs very 

 much lessens the labor of keeping them clean, par- 



