33 



ready to put the fowls in, the surface of the ground in it was dry, but a 

 mere scratching of it would show damp earth. By spring there was 

 about two inches of dry earth on top, and the soil damp below that. 

 The walls in the house were dry, — never a bit of moisture on them 

 except as a driving rain might wet through the joints and cracks. This 

 would dry out quickly, and I never noticed any ill effects from it. 



The house was cold, — the temperature in it was but little higher at 

 any time than that out doors ; yet going into it I noticed that it always 

 felt comfortable, with a feeling like what you get in a warm, sheltered 

 spot out doors, — not at all like the warmth of a heated building. 



The hens always seemed as comfortable in it as I ever saw hens any- 

 where. There were some fifty to sixty in it that winter, and only two 

 slight cases of colds, which recovered immediately with no treatment 



House in which Light Brahma Pullets were kept. 



but a single application of vaseline to the head. The egg yield was 

 fair, comparing favorably with average good reports. The hens in this 

 house were Light Brahmas. I published a report of experience with 

 this house, and on the strength of my experience with it began to urge 

 correspondents who had much trouble with damp houses or unhealthy 

 fowls to open up their houses, and keep them open at all seasons. 



The next year I continued to use this house the same way, but put in 

 a part of it a pen of Silver Dorkings, a breed reputed to be rather deli- 

 cate and susceptible to cold, and having combs which would be more 

 quickly affected by the frost. I also built another smaller house, on the 

 same principle, and put in it a brood of late-hatched Brahma chickens. 

 The Dorking male had his comb very badly frozen, but the hens' combs 

 were scarcely nipped at all. They were put into the house December 1, 

 began to lay in about three weeks, and laid well all winter. 



The brood of chickens hatched June 27 that I put in the small house 



