34 



in October made a remarkable record for growth and early maturity. I 

 got the first egg January 15, and by February 1 all the pullets, nine in 

 number, were laying; and from that time until February 22, when I 

 took some out to put in my breeding pen, the nine pullets were giving 

 me about a tifty per cent egg yield, and still growing I weighed them 

 all on February 22, and found five of the nine weighing nine and one- 

 half pounds or over, and none of the others much below it. These 

 pullets were not fat ; they were big pullets, in good condition. Their 

 house, as shown in one of the illustrations accompanying this article, 

 was battened only on the back and half way forward on each side. The 

 door was open practically all the time, day and night ; and the windows 

 were always partly open except when a storm came against one, when 

 that one would be closed. 



-1i 



Details op Construction of House shown on p. 33. — This house is 8 feet square on the 

 ground, 4 feet high at sides, 7 feet in the middle. Cost about $12. A, sill plan, with position 

 of corner boards indicated at c c c c, d d d d; E, construction of a corner; B, side; C, front;, 

 D, method of cutting pattern for rafters. 



The next winter, still continuing to use the houses I had already biiilt, 

 I built on frozen ground late in November a house very similar to that 

 in which the Brahma pullets just mentioned had been kept. It was 

 made of old material, and was a little poorer in construction all around 

 than the other house, joints between sides and roof not as good, and 

 some very wide joints between boards in front. Into this house I put 

 my Dorking hens and pullets. This winter, 1903-4, was, as all know, a 

 record-breaker for cold and snow. Frequently after a night of driving 

 storm I would go to this house and find so much snow sifted through 

 the joints at the back that there was a light sprinkle of it all over the 

 litter on the floor, — so much that the hens would not come down from 

 the roost until the litter had been shaken up ; and the backs of the hens. 



