POULTRY 



231 



They are hardy, beautiful, good layers, and fairly good 

 sitters. The meat is good for table use. 



The Wyandottes are close to the Plymouth Rocks in 

 popularity. Many think them the better fowl for gen- 

 eral purposes. They have compact bodies, are fairly 

 good sitters and are splendid layers. They lay dark 

 eggs and are good table fowls. 



Care of Fowls. Choose a place for the poultry house 

 that shall have good drainage. A southern or south- 

 eastern slope is best, so that the fowls may have plenty 

 of sunshine, and be protected from the northwest wind. 



FIG. 141. A good hen-house with shed. 



Build a snug, comfortable house for the chickens to live 

 in at night. Houses that are comfortable save much 

 grain, and encourage hens to lay in winter. Attached 

 to the hen-house should be a larger, more open scratch- 

 ing shed. Make this large enough to furnish about four 

 square feet of scratching surface for each hen. The 

 scratching shed should open toward the south, so that the 

 fowls may get the full benefit of the sunshine. In a 

 sunny corner of the shed, a box, filled with fine dust 

 scraped from the road in the summer time, should be 

 placed. Chickens delight in the dust bath, and it helps 



