46 



CHOOSING A POULTRY FARM 



sandy loam with an open, gravelly subsoil. Such a soil formation 

 is dry and warm, owing to the fact that surface moisture leaches 

 quickly, and in the spring such a soil proves to be remarkably 

 warm and early. Furthermore, a well-drained soil of this kind 

 cleans itself quickly by carrying the filth below through a process 

 of leaching. Probably one of the most ideal soils for poultry 

 raising in the United States is in central southern New Jersey. 

 Heavy shale or clay soils should be avoided, as they are wet and 

 cold. They are usually late soils in the spring, are slow to dry 

 up after rains, and they hold and accumulate filth from the poultry 

 droppings. Such soils need much cultivation and the growing 

 of green crops in order to insure sanitary conditions. The pres- 

 ence of a water table close to the surface, due to heavy subsoil, 



FIG. 32. Large community house, holding five hundred birds. 



is undesirable. The advantages are all with an open, porous 

 gravelly under-layer. The soil should not be so sandy as to be 

 unproductive. When inspecting a given location the prospective 

 owner should take samples of soil from different depths and send 

 them to his experiment station for advice in regard to nature of 

 same. He should also make it a plan to see the land in spring, if 

 possible, so that he may study the condition at its worst. Some 

 locations which may be dry in summer present a very wet and 

 springy surface soil during the fall and early spring. 



Land Contour. A rolling country (Fig. 35) is best for poultry 

 farming. At least, it is well to avoid level country or extreme 

 mountainous country: the former is apt to be bleak and windy, 

 and the latter too steep and rough for the economic handling of 

 the birds. The sloping rolling country offers protection from 

 severe winds, and makes it possible to locate the plant in sheltered 



