52 CHOOSING A POULTRY FARM 
eggs. In the breeding of high-class exhibition and fancy speci- 
mens it is absolutely essential to keep the different flocks separate. 
The semi-community does this well. It is also adapted to the 
village or farm flock where the nearness of a neighbor or the 
presence of some crop which would easily be destroyed makes it 
desirable to keep them securely yarded (Fig. 33). 
Colony system is a term applied to the method of dividing 
birds into small flocks of from twenty to fifty and scattering them 
in small colony houses about the farm; no fencing is used, the 
birds have free range all the time. The feeding or work is usually 
done by an attendant driving around from coop to coop with a 
wagon. This system is adapted to low-priced land located at 
considerable distance from cities; it can be used to excellent 
advantage on waste land, such as brush fields or rocky wooded 
hillsides. It is suited to the raising of roosters, capons, and turkeys 
on a large scale, since they do much better on free range and the 
bost of feed is reduced to a minimum. The cost of labor per 
bird is usually high where a system of this kind is employed, but 
by the use of wagons or feed carts it should not be excessive 
(Fig. 34). 
The colony system works out to very good advantage in com- 
bination with other branches of farm work, such as fruit-growing. 
The colony houses may be scattered among the trees, thus making 
the same land produce two crops. With dairy or beef farming 
the houses may be scattered about the permanent pastures, where 
they can be easily attended to and do no damage. 
Economy of Time and Labor.—The poultry plant, whether 
large or small, should be laid out with the idea of saving steps. 
The greatest saving in this respect can be made by care in planning 
the location of the buildings. The main building should be cen- 
trally located. It usually contains a feed-room and general 
workroom, as for fattening, killing, and picking. The incuba- 
tion and brooding equipment and the laying houses should be so 
placed in relation to the main building that the entire round.of 
work can be done without retracing steps and with the shortest 
distance possible. Chick ranges should be located as near the 
centre of the plant as practicable, as the birds require feeding 
much oftener when young. 
A good system of roads and paths should be constructed so 
as to be dry at all times. These should be in direct communi- 
cation with the public highway. 
