BIOIvO(iY OF POULTRY KEEPING. II3 



a matter of fact, even in the coldest climates, fowls will lay 

 better during the winter months in a properly constructed house 

 wide open to the outside air in the day time, so that they are 

 living practically out of doors, than in any heated house which 

 has yet been devised. If a laying house is dry the temperature 

 factor may be neglected. If a house has a tendency to damp- 

 ness, it will give poor results regardless of temperature. 



From the economic standpoint there are two systems of hous- 

 ing poultry to be considered. One of these is the system of 

 long continuous houses for the laying birds. The other is the 

 so-called colony house system, in which the birds are housed in 

 small separate houses which may either be set a considerable 

 distance apart over a relatively wide area, or may be placed 

 relatively near one another. Each system has its strenuous 

 advocates. Experience covering a fairly long period of years 

 now has demonstrated that both systems have good points. As 

 to which shall be adopted in a particular instance depends upon 

 a variety of considerations, each in some degree peculiar to the 

 j^jarticular case in hand. 



In the extreme northern part of the country where the cli- 

 mate is very cold in the winter and there is an abundance of 

 snow there can be no question that the long house is much to 

 be preferred to a colony system. There are two reasons for 

 this. In the first place experience indicates that the birds are 

 somewhat more productive and keep in better condition in a 

 properly constructed and managed long house than in colony 

 houses. Furthermore the labor expense involved in caring for 

 a given number of fowls is much less, tmder such climatic con- 

 ditions, than with the colony house system, where the birds are 

 scattered over a wider area and more paths must be broken 

 out in the snow. 



The great advantage of the colony house system is its flexi- 

 bility. Furthermore it gets around the troubles involved in the 

 contamination of the ground by the long continued keeping of 

 poultry on the same small area. In general, local conditions 

 and circumstances must decide in each individual case which 

 system of housing shall be adopted. 



Having decided upon the general system to be followed, 

 what particular type of house is best? There is one outstand- 

 ing type of "long" house which has been verv widelv used with 



