138 'Farm Poultry 



square rods. If fifty fowls are kept confined in the 

 house and yard throughout the year, as described 

 above, it will be necessary to have a considerable 

 part of the yard thoroughly cultivated in order to 

 keep it clean. 



The expense of constructing and maintaining 

 poultry fences is considerable, and the plan to 

 be preferred is the one that will give the greatest 

 satisfaction with the least amount of fence. 



If the" yards are to be cultivated, it will be found 

 advantageous to have them long and compara- 

 tively narrow. A yard two rods wide and eight 

 rods long is convenient to cultivate, and is very 

 satisfactory for other reasons. As it is found most 

 convenient to have several pens in one house, it 

 is therefore convenient to have several poultry 

 yards side by side, one fence forming the boundary 

 of two yards. (See Fig. 28.) Provision should be 

 made for two-horse cultivation, for sometimes 

 yards will need to be plowed. Whether the fences 

 be entirely wood or of wire netting, they should not 

 be less than seven feet high, if egg breeds are to be 

 confined. In either case, it is well to have a wide 

 board placed at the bottom. Sometimes it is desirable 

 to confine comparatively small chickens in these 

 yards. Boards at least a foot wide at the bottom 

 will be very satisfactory, if the remainder of the 

 fence is constructed of the ordinary two-inch mesh 

 poultry netting. Should the boards be omitted, 



