S6 The Essentials of Poultry Raising 



as the six-sided mesh netting. It is somewhat more satisfactory 

 than the six-sided mesh netting. 



118. The. Heavy Poultry Wire. More recently there has been 

 put on the market a heavier fence, made from a wire similar to 

 that used as fencing material for hogs and cattle. The meshes 

 are rectangular. The spaces next to the ground are one and 

 one-fourth inches, that is, the lower wires are one and one- 

 fourth inches apart; the spaces gradually widen as the top is 

 appi"okched. The top wires are only six inches apart. This 

 fencing can be used with wood, cement, or steel posts. It is 

 generally used with steel posts. With steel posts, such fencing 

 is quite expensive, but steel posts are the cheapest in the long 

 run, as they will last much longer than any of the other kinds. 



119. How to Set Posts. It is best to set posts from thirty 

 inches to three feet in the ground. Fill in the ground gradually, 

 tamping the dirt thoroughly from the bottom of the hole to the 

 surface of the ground. If too much dirt is filled in before it is 

 thoroiighly tamped, the bottom of the post will not be held 

 firmly and will soon become loose. 



120. Bracing Posts. All end posts must be braced from the 

 wire side and all corner posts must be braced in two ways. 



121. Standard Height of Poultry Fences. The standard height 

 of poultry fences is five feet, or sixty inches. 



122. Fencing Poultry on the Farm. On the farm, the garden 

 and not the poultry should be fenced. Fowls should be allowed 

 the run of the farm, as they will forage in the summer for much 

 of their feed in the form of waste about the barn and fields. 

 They will consume bugs and insects, which make excellent 

 animal food for them; while by consuming bugs and insects, 

 they protect the crops against these pests. Poultry running 

 over the farm deposits droppings, which aid in fertilizing the 

 ground. 



123. Fencing Poultry on the Town Lot. If poultry is kept 

 on a town lot, it may be advisable to fence this in to prevent the 



