82 THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



and fields, travel over the pastures, through the high- 

 ways or lanes, troop around the barn, and enjoy total 

 freedom. To the advantage of pure air, they usually 

 have that of pure water, and the opportunity of vary- 

 ing their diet by picking up insects and their larvae ; 

 and a store of pebbles, gravel, old mortar, and other 

 calcareous matter, which they require, is always at 

 their command. So far, they lead a comfortable and 

 natural life; but how are they housed at night? In 

 many instances, in a proper and well-built poultry 

 house, with perches judiciously arranged, with boxes 

 lined with straw for the laying and sitting hens ; but 

 often in places utterly unfitted for them. For instance, 

 numerous flocks of hens will be lodged under the roof 

 of some large, open shed, above the cattle, wagons, or 

 carts, which receive an abundance of their droppings ; 

 others take shelter in the barns, stables, cider mill, pig 

 pen, out-houses, &c., while not a few may be found 

 roosting on the branches of some favorite tree. This 

 want of order cannot be too strongly condemned, as 

 hens, having no proper laying places, select such situ- 

 ations as chance may offer them, not unfrequently in 

 obscure places of concealment, so that their eggs are 

 devoured by vermin or are lost. 



Those who intend to rear fowls, should have a dis- 

 tinct yard, with a warm aspect, well fenced, secure 

 from vermin and thieves, sufficiently inclined to be 

 always dry, and supplied with gravel, old mortar, (not 

 quick lime,) or chalk, soot, brick dust, and with sand or 

 ashes for the fowls to bask or roll in. If possible, a 

 stream of running water should pass through the yard; 

 but if this cannot be done, a trough filled with "fresh 

 water every morning may be substituted. A want of 

 water, of which all kinds of poultry are fond, produces 

 constipation of the bowels and inflammatory diseases. 

 A contiguous field or pasture, however, whenever it 

 can be had, would, in all cases, be preferred. 



A fowl house should be dry, well roofed, and fronting 

 the east or south ; and if practicable, in a cold climate, 

 it should be provided with a stove, or some other means 



