586 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



and fixtures connected with the house as simple as possible thus 

 reducing to the lowest point, the labor in caring for the fowls. 



Location. One of the first and most important questions to 

 decide in starting a poultry plant is the location. The factors deter- 

 mining the location are; the markets, soil, and climate. It is be- 

 lieved these are here named in the order of their importance. It is 

 of little use to produce a good article if one is out of reach of markets 

 that are willing to pay reasonable prices for poultry produce. People 

 living near cities and large towns will therefore have an advantage 

 over those living in remote regions. While this should be considered 

 carefully in starting it should not discourage people from keeping 

 poultry because they do not live near a large city. Many large and 

 successful poultry farms ship their produce from one to three hun- 

 dred miles. By making contracts ahead they are enabled to realize 

 a good profit on the investment. 



Soil. The soil should be a sandy loam and high enough so that 

 all surface water may drain away. When such a location is not at 

 hand and it is necessary to build upon low or level land, a foundation 

 for the house should be built of brick about two feet high and the 

 inside filled in with earth (preferably gravel or sand) to the top of 

 the foundation and graded up to the same level outside. The ground 

 should be sloping away from the building on all sides. This will 

 materially aid in keeping the house dry. Do not locate a house in 

 a bank as it is almost sure to be damp. Dampness must be guarded 

 against in all dealings with poultry or disease and failure are apt to 

 follow. 



Climate. While it is true that poultry will live and thrive in 

 nearly every clime, about 40 North latitude is best adapted to their 

 requirements. A colder climate than this rather than warmer for 

 several reasons would be preferred. The hot summers in the South 

 furnish ideal conditions for the rapid multiplication of all kinds of 

 vermin which prey upon the birds. Disease germs are more numer- 

 ous and seem to develop much faster than in a colder climate. A 

 very hot climate has a depressing influence on laying hens and will 

 greatly retard the growth of chicks, if it does not ruin them entirely. 

 Eggs laid when the weather is moderately cool are of better quality ; 

 that is they have what is called "more body" than those laid in hot 

 weather unless the latter are kept in refrigerators until used. 



Size and Dimensions of House. The size of the building re- 

 quired will depend largely on the number of fowls to be kept and on 

 the size of the flocks. From 40 to 50 seems to be about as many as 

 is safe and economical to keep together. With flocks of this size 

 about 5 square feet of floor space should be allotted to each bird, 

 which will suffice in most cases where careful attention is given to 

 cleanliness and ventilation. If the fowls are kept in smaller flocks 

 more floor space per bird will be needed. Where the climate is so 

 mild that it is unnecessary to keep the fowls confined, except for a 

 few days at a time, less space per bird will be sufficient. The smaller 

 breeds, being more active and restless, require about as much room 

 as the larger breeds. 



