112 MAINE AGRICULTURA];, EXPERIMENT STATION. I913. 



low houses ; square, hexagonal, octagonal and round houses ; 

 heated houses and cold houses ; all these and many more have 

 had their advocates and detailed plans for their construction 

 can be found. It would appear that there must be realized 

 here the primary condition of the experimental method, namely 

 the "trying of all things." It only remains to discover that 

 which is "good" in order that we may "hold fast" to it. 



This discovery has indeed been made in regard to a few of 

 the basic things in the housing of poultry. It would be strange 

 if something had not come out of all the indignities to which 

 innocent and inoffensive generations of fowls have been sub- 

 mitted in the way of dwelling accommodations. It is now 

 clearly recognized, and generally admitted by all competent 

 poultrymen, that certain things are absolutely essential in any 

 poultry house which is to give good results. These are (i) 

 fresh air, (2) freedom from dampness, (3) freedom from 

 draughts, (4) sun-light, and (5) cleanliness. 



If these five things are realized in a poultry house the birds 

 will thrive and be productive in it' provided they are well and 

 regularly fed and watered. It makes no difference particularly 

 to the well-being of the birds how these necessary specifications 

 of their dwelling are attained. To the poultryman, however, it 

 is important that they be attained at the smallest expense, hav- 

 ing regard to (a) initial cost, ( b) repairs and up-keep and (c) 

 labor necessary to operate the house to get the specified results. 

 The housing problem is to the poultryman, then, both a biologi- 

 cal and an economic one. The biological solution is definite. 

 The requisites named above must be met, and there is one addi- 

 tional factor to be taken into account; namely size of house. 

 Experiments made at various times and places indicate clearly 

 that in northern climates, where birds must be shut up in the 

 house during a part of the year in order to give best results, 

 there should be allowed in the house at least three square feet 

 of floor space per bird, and preferably a little more. Four 

 square feet floor space per bird is a liberal allowance. 



A factor which it was formerly thought necessary to control 

 in the housing of poultry was the temperature. It was long 

 held that if fowls were to lay well in the winter it was necessary 

 that they should be in a heated house. Later experience has 

 shown conclusively that this was an utterly fallacious idea. As 



