144 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



this type of farming. No doubt the district of Petaluma, 

 Cal. ; offers the best opportunity for a study of this type 

 of farming of possibly any district in the world. In this 

 district a whole county is practically given over to poultry- 

 keeping, and though it does not all come under the desig- 

 nation of exclusive farming, a large proportion of it does. 

 Different types of poultry farms are here found varying 

 from the intensely intensive to the very extensive, or in 

 area from an acre of ground to over 500 acres. "While 

 intensive poultry-keeping is practiced the industry has been 

 built up largely along extensive lines. There are also 

 poultry farms of the mixed husbandry type, and combina- 

 tions of poultry raising with dairying and with fruit grow- 

 ing are frequently seen. 



Among the large, exclusive farms, there is much simil- 

 arity in the methods or system followed. The colony house 

 and free range system is almost universal either on the 

 large or small farms. The success of the Petaluma district 

 is doubtless largely due to this system. The house is one 

 that may be easily moved by a team of horses. On some 

 farms, though the houses are easily portable, they are al- 

 lowed to remain for several years without moving. The 

 usual size of the house is about 7 x 12 or 8 x 12 feet with 

 gable roof. It is built on the box plan of construction, 

 the frame consisting of runners, to which the cross-pieces 

 are bolted at the ends, the plates and four rafters. The 

 siding is nailed on vertically and serves to support the 

 sides without studding. On some houses shingles are used, 

 on some roofing paper and on others shakes. Floors are 

 used in the houses on some of the best types of farms. 



As understood in Petaluma the colony system is this: 

 A colony of fowls on the large farms is usually 200 hens. 

 For this colony two roostmg houses and one laying house 

 are provided, a section of the latter being used on many 



