HOUSING OF POULTRY 165 



though they had originally been equally divided between 

 the two houses. They preferred the fresh air house. If 

 there had been a tree in the yard they probably would 

 have preferred that to either of the houses. 



On still another occasion the writer watched a flock of 

 1,500 Leghorns go to roost. Their houses were in a cherry 

 orchard, but when dusk came on the cherry trees were 

 covered with white fowls while the poultry houses were 



AN UNSATISFACTORY POULTRY HOUSE 



A house 800 feet long being torn down because it proved unsatisfactory. It 

 had two bad points: (1) It was built on an incline, with no tight partitions, and 

 there was a strong draught from one end to the other. (2) It was too closely 

 built up in front. 



practically deserted. The tree was the first but not the 

 worst poultry house that was ever built. 



There are times, of course, in severe storms when chick- 

 ens prefer the shelter of a roof to roosting in a tree ; but 

 the lesson is, that fowls prefer the outdoor life, or the 

 " simple life," and when put in close houses and com- 

 pelled to live there under the mistaken notion that this 

 is being good to them it is imposing conditions that will 

 result in decreased vitality. Housing is really an arti- 

 ficial condition for chickens and it is a serious mistake 

 in poultry-keeping to follow too closely artificial lines. 



