CHAP. in. PORTABLE POULTRY HOUSES. 



as are sold by appliance manufacturers, to see that the provision for 

 ventilation is insufficient, and fails to secure that change of atmosphere 

 which is absolutely requisite for the health of the inmates. This cam 

 scarcely be avoided when houses are built solid all round, and with only 

 a few ventilation holes or louvre boards in the apex of the gables. The 

 result of this has undoubtedly been to increase the productiveness of 

 the birds up to a given point, but with that, and enhanced by other 

 influences, such as high feeding, &c., the tendency has been to reduce 

 their natural vigour, and consequently after a period long or short in 

 accordance with the conditions there was a falling off both in stamina 

 and in egg production. Our attention has been especially called to this 

 matter by the latest investigations in reference to consumption in 

 the human subject, from which it is evident that a great amount of 

 tuberculosis ; which takes several forms, is due to impure atmosphere. 

 "We need not go into the details of observations which have led to this 



Fig, 168. Portable Poultry-house. 



conclusion, but that much may be accepted as a matter of fact, and for the 

 last few years a good deal of attention has been given to this side, with 

 a view of discovering how far such disease can be avoided by what may 

 be termed a more natural method of housing. In connection with this 

 it was necessary to be prepared for the result that with a greater amount 

 of exposure to the outside atmosphere there may be a falling off in the 

 production of eggs, but it is satisfactory to say that this has not proved 

 to be the case ; in fact, in some of the houses under observation the 

 result has shown that healthy birds will frequently lay better in the 

 open-fronted houses than they do in the smaller close buildings of the 

 older type. For farmers the best form of house is one that is portable 

 and can be easily moved from place to place in accordance with the 

 rotation of the farm work (fig. 168). These houses should be placed upon 

 wheels and, naturally, should not be too large in size, otherwise they are 

 heavy to move. The best size is either 5 ft. square or 5 ft. by 6 ft. 



