POULTRY MANAGEMENT 313 



What Variety to Keep. It is very important to keep 

 varieties best suited to the purposes desired. For large 

 numbers of eggs poultrymen use the egg breeds, and use 

 them while young. The first year is their best egg-laying 

 year. For table use, keep the meat breeds. Within the 

 varieties there are certain strains or families which are better 

 than others because they have been selected with reference 

 to a special purpose. 



EXERCISE. Study of Varieties. Let the pupils who 

 have seen pure-bred chickens describe them to the class. 

 If some are now keeping any of the pure breeds, have them 

 weigh some of them and report weights to the class. Com- 

 pare these with the standard weights given in the United 

 States Farmers' Bulletins 806, 898, 1050 and 1221. 



Housing. Chickens should have special places made for 

 them to roost and to lay eggs. It is very bad practice to 

 allow them to use buildings and places intended for other 

 purposes. 



The poultry house may be very simple and inexpensive 

 (Figs. 195, 196, 197). It should be dry and comfortable in 

 winter, free from drafts of air, but with plenty of fresh air 

 and direct sunshine. Many poultry raisers now use light- 

 weight muslin stretched on wood frames in the south side 

 of their poultry houses. The frames are hinged in place at 

 the top and are kept open every day except when the weather 

 is stormy. In many of these houses no glass windows are 

 used. In others the south side is part glass and part muslin. 

 The curtains prevent any strong drafts of air at night and 

 in stormy weather. In houses with too little ventilation the 

 fowls will suffer more from extremely cold weather than 

 in those with muslin curtains. 



Artificial heat in a poultry house is not advisable, except 

 for brooder chicks. Winter feathers are so warm that arti- 

 ficial heat often leads to some form of sickness. The better 



