96 Farm Poultry 



little chickens is described in the chapter on feeding. 

 Skunks may be excluded by proper fencing. 

 Wherever vermin are numerous enough to give seri- 

 ous annoyance, all possible ingenuity should be exer- 

 cised to exclude them before resorting to destruc- 

 tion by poison. While poison may sometimes be 

 safely used, the danger of poisoning the fowls and 

 other domestic animals is so great that one is not 

 warranted in using it except as a last resort. 



CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES 



In designing poultry houses, the form is neces- 

 sarily one of the first points to be determined. 

 While the design is under consideration, the essen- 

 tials of a farm poultry house should be continually 

 kept in mind. The chief essentials may be enu- 

 merated as warmth, dryness, light and cheapness. 

 In order to assure proper lighting, it is often found 

 necessary to deviate somewhat from the form that 

 would give the greatest warmth for the least cost. 

 In all poultry houses in which fowls are confined 

 during the cold winter months, some provision 

 should be made to admit sunlight on the floor, where 

 the fowls may congregate. In order to accomplish 

 this to the best advantage, it is necessary to have a 

 considerable frontage toward the south or southeast. 

 During December, January and February it is 

 most difficult, yet most essential, to have the direct 



