CHAPTER III. 



Sanitation as a Factor in Egg Production. 



Sanitation is one of the most important factors in egg pro- 

 duction. As blossom and fruit are the culmination of the tree's 

 activities so the egg is the culmination of the activities of the 

 hen. The hen cannot lay heavily unless she is in perfect physi- 

 cal condition. One of the ways in which disease first reveals 

 itself is in the dropping off of the egg product. The poultryman 

 who desires the largest return from his investment must make 

 a careful study of sanitation. 



A SANITARY HOUSE. 



The style of house a man builds will depend something 

 upon his means and personal preferences. There are houses 

 costing thousands of dollars, and there are houses built for less 

 than a dollar a running foot. I have known hens to do well in 

 houses made of piano boxes, costing, when completed, three 

 dollars apiece. But whether the house is cheap or dear, elab- 

 orate or simple, it should have. three characteristics: 



1. It must be dry. Dampness is fatal to fowls. Roup, rheu- 

 matism and kindred evils go with a damp house. The house 

 should always be built in ample season so that it may thor- 

 oughly be dried out before winter, and unless the ground on 

 which it stands is as dry as powder it should have a board floor. 



2. The house should be warm. Nature has provided the 

 hen with an ample covering of feathers, and she will not freeze 

 even if the temperature falls far below zero. But under such 

 conditions she will lay but few eggs. How can she? All her 

 food goes toward making caloric, and there is no surplus for 

 anything else. In a properly constructed house there is no 

 need for any artificial heat. A house should be built so that 

 in the coldest weather water will not freeze solid in it. If it 

 does a curtain should be provided to drop down behind the 

 hens and shut them in when they are on the roosts. 



3. The house should be sunny. Hens love the slin. See 

 them- stand in the path of sunlight on the morning of a clear, 

 bright winter day. The house should face the south or south- 

 east, whenever possible. There should not be too many win- 



