I04 The Illustrated Book cf Poultry. 



find their way back, each family keeping in the main to its own locality. On this principle, 

 therefore, a model egg-farm is planned, as shown in Fig. 48. The whole farm or plot is traversed 

 by roads indicated by the dotted lines, and placed ten rods apart. Adjoining these roads are the 

 houses, placed hexagonally as in the figure, and which are priinted black, white, and green, the 

 colours being arranged as shown by the white, black, and shaded spots, so that each house is 

 differently coloured to all the six which surround it. Each house is thus a little over ele\cn rods, 

 or about sixty-two feet, from its neighbours on every side. 



There is however another difficulty to overcome, concerning wliich we will quote Mr. Stoddard's 

 own words. "While pursuing," he says, "the experiments which led to this system, we early 

 perceived that while a flock thus situated would stay near home so long as no person approached, 

 when feeding them, we were followed by birds from neighbouring flocks, and there was confusion. 



© 9 m o ® ® © .® j 



Fig. 4S. 



Then, so accustomed do fowls become to associating the sight of their keeper with a boon, that 

 they will follow him from one station to anotlier, when on his rounds collecting eggs, or attending 

 to other matters. True, their ability to find their way back is wonderful, but fighting follows 

 intrusions, and thus the quiet and order so essential to laying arc impaired. ]5esides, frequent 

 a.ssociations of this kind will, after awhile, break down all distinction between neighbouring flocks. 

 The solution of this difficulty is original w'ith our system, and the key to its success. The feeding 

 business is the cause of the trouble, and the only reason why fowls follow their keeper. The 

 remedy is to bring about the feeding indirectly. From earliest chickenhood the birds are brought 

 up so as to never perceive that the keeper has anything to do with their feed. The small coops 

 for young chickens (on a separate part of the farm) have boxes where the feed is placed, and a 

 simple contrivance attached that does not admit the chickens until some time afterwards. Adult 

 fowls are given soft feed early in the morning in a feed-box in their house, so constructed that the 

 keeper is not seen by them at all. All the hard grain for the day's allowance is deposited in a pile 

 of straw outside, before they are let out of the building, and it is a day's work for them to scratch 

 for it. The sight of the keeper is associated with no gift or boon whatever, scrupulous care being 

 taken during the fifteen to eighteen months that limit the lives of most of the main laying stock 

 never to throw to them, directly, a morsel of food or allow them to see the drinking-vessels filled. 

 The two points, of differently appearing premises at different stations, and indirect feeding, both 

 being attended to, we are enabled to keep separate flocks in freedom upon one farm without yards." 

 The houses are of the cheapest construction, consisting merely of a gable or pitch roof, and 

 measure fifteen feet by eight feet and a half on the ground, with a height of four feet and a half to 



