180 



POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



space in a house with proper ventilation are essential, and 

 that the carbonic acid gas content should not exceed nine 

 parts in 10,000 by volume. 



The capacity, however, of any particular house must not 

 be determined absolutely by a standard of air purity. It 

 must also provide sufficient space for the activity or exer- 

 cise of the hen. Where there is little or no snow, or where 

 the chickens can be out of doors every day in the year, about 

 2 square feet of floor space per fowl will be sufficient. This 



SPECIAL BREEDING YARDS, OREGON STATION 



Showing portable open-front houses, portable fencing and double yards. 



will apply to flocks of twenty hens or more. For smaller 

 flocks a more liberal allowance of space should be made. 

 "Where the climate is such that the fowls will seek shelter 

 part of the year rather than go out of doors in the yards 

 and fields, 4 to 5 square feet per fowl should be provided. 

 The house should be built high enough for a man to work 

 in without bumping his head. The height will allow suffi- 

 cient air space for the fowls. 



The Final Test of a House. The egg yield is the best 

 test of the merits of a poultry house. The completeness of 

 the egg records in different houses may well form the basis 



