130 POULTRY CULTURE 



be higher. After they are feathered, no young birds need shelter 

 during the summer and fall except for protection from enemies. 

 Ducks and geese will remain outside at night by choice even in 

 severe winter weather, except when it is snowing or raining heavily. 

 Duck growers hatching early ducklings usually confine the ducks 

 indoors at night in winter and until all have laid in the morning. 1 

 This is done to prevent eggs being chilled and also because it is 

 believed 2 that egg production is better than when the ducks are 

 allowed to follow their natural inclination and remain much out 

 on snow and ice. 



Turkeys prefer to roost in the open the year round, either in 

 trees or in sheltered places, as beside a barn where they are not 

 fully exposed to winds from cold quarters. The roosting habit of 

 peafowl is the same as that of turkeys. Guineas also remain out 

 unless very severe weather drives them to cover, when they take 

 refuge with hens or in any convenient place. 



Pheasants prefer to roost in low trees or shrubbery, but even 

 the wild birds will come to farm poultry houses when storms 

 are very severe and shut off their food supplies. When coops or 

 buildings are required to confine any of these, such a building as 

 is used for fowls will answer. 



NOTE. The photographs and diagrams on the preceding pages of this chapter 

 were selected with reference to the accompanying text. Those which follow, 

 supplementing them, show more fully the applications of principles, the details 

 of construction, and the adaptability of the simplest designs and most desirable 

 features to varied climates. 



1 As a rule, waterfowl lay their eggs about daybreak, not more than a few hours 

 earlier or later. 



2 The author's personal experience in duck growing is not sufficient to enable 

 him to say positively that allowing ducks to get their feet cold is not necessarily 

 detrimental to laying. A great many poultry keepers consider that allowing hens 

 to run on snow and eat snow hinders egg production, though in the case of hens 

 the view is plainly a fallacy, as any one may discover who will allow hens comfort- 

 ably housed in fresh-air houses with littered floors to follow their inclination about 

 going on snow and ice and walking about in icy water. It will be found that even 

 the feather-legged breeds with heavy foot feathering suffer no discomfort when 

 they can go at will from snow or a sloppy yard to a floor of dry litter which quickly 

 dries their feet. On a bare or damp floor the feathers and feet would dry slowly. 

 On a bare earth floor they would become very dirty before drying. In either case 

 the effects would be bad. Ducks and geese sitting (rather lying) out on snow or 

 ice do not keep their feet on the ground but raise them and work them into the 

 feathers at the side of the body, where they are well protected. 



