CHAPTER IX. 

 YARDS AND YARDING. 



ONE of the vital questions for each poultryman to answer is: 

 Will it be necessary to provide yards for the birds or will it be 

 possible to give them free range? Yards, at their best, are a dis- 

 advantage in successful poultry keeping, as poultry do better 

 under all conditions if given an abundance of range. On small 

 intensive plants or where crops would be injured by the birds, 

 close yarding is necessary. 



On commercial plants the restriction or confinement of the 

 stock to a small enclosure should be avoided if possible. If a 

 number of breeds are kept for fancy purposes, it is necessary to 

 insure a complete separation of the flocks and fencing is essential. 



Size. When fences are required, the area enclosed should be 

 made as large as possible. The amount of yard room required 

 will vary with the breed kept, and the shape of the yard, the char- 

 acter of the soil, and whether or not the yard is to be kept perma- 

 nently in sod. The light, active breeds are more destructive, and 

 also require greater area when kept in confinement. The heavy 

 meat breeds require only a small area enclosed with a low fence. 



Fertile soils, capable of producing good crops, will provide 

 forage material in abundance. This will require a smaller area 

 than for yards on poor and unproductive soils. It is best to keep 

 a permanent yard in sod, thus providing green feed with a minimum 

 amount of labor. If the yards are small and the crops are fre- 

 quently planted, much labor and seed are required in maintaining 

 them. 



With permanent sod yards in good condition, one hundred to 

 one hundred and fifty square feet per bird will provide ample room, 

 and the sod will remain permanent except near the house. If 

 green feed is to be grown in alternate yards, from fifty to seventy- 

 five square feet or more should be allowed each bird. Enough yard 

 room should be provided to insure a constant supply of forage 

 material. If this is done, the birds will rarely attempt to fly over 

 fences in search of other feed. 



When temporary yards are used and changed occasionally, 

 much smaller areas than given above will do, if crops on them are 

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