68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Under the heading of methods I shall discuss only two 

 lessons that have been taught me by a decade's experience 

 in poultry keeping; they refer to the methods of housing 

 and the influence of free range. 



During the past ten years our ideas regarding the housing 

 of poultry have turned completely " up side down." We 

 have passed through a series of evolutions, from the tightly 

 built close house to the other extreme of those of the present 

 time that are largely open, with all grades of construction 

 between the two extremes. One of the earlier plans called 

 for a maximum amount of glass ; a later, for a minimum 

 amount. We have tried the scratching-shed i)lan, only to 

 become convinced that it was not economical or efficient. We 

 have tried both single and double sloped roofs, high in 

 front and low in the rear, and the reverse, with and without 

 walks, with solid partitions and with partitions of netting, 

 and the end is not yet. 



It is not my purpose to discuss in detail the advantages 

 and disadvantages of the great variety of j^oultry houses that 

 one sees, or that are described at length in our numerous 

 poultry publications, but to speak of what I believe I have 

 learned is the fundamental principle in this matter. 



Two important essentials for the preservation of the health 

 of poultry in this climate are dry air and sunlight; and 

 the construction of our poultry houses so as to provide these 

 in the largest amounts should be our chief aim. Nature 

 provides fowls with a sufficient covering to protect the sur- 

 face of the body from the effects of extreme cold by prevent- 

 ing excessive radiation of heat, generated internally by the 

 oxidation of food. Dry air retards radiation of surface heat; 

 moist air favors its escape from the body. It is an easy 

 matter to convince one's self of the correctness of this state- 

 ment. Its application to the housing of poultry simply 

 means that when the feathers, naturally non-conductors, are 

 enveloped in moist air there is rapid radiation of heat taking 

 place. This has a tendency to lower the surface temperature 

 and produce a chill. On the other hand, dry air circulating 

 through the fluffy feathers carries away but little surface 

 heat. Draughts of cold air* have the same effect as moist 



