50 POULTR?-CRAFT. 
50. Hints to Builders. — How Much Room per Fowl.—The rule so 
often given, 10 sq. ft. house floor space, and 100 sq. ft. yard space to each 
fowl, is not generally adhered to by poultry keepers. In practice it is found 
that small flocks need proportionally more room than large ones. Large hens 
need more room than small ones, though being less restive in confinement, 
the difference is not strictly in proportion to size. If fowls have to be closely 
housed for long periods they need more house room than if they can be out of 
doors nearly all the time. Some house plans give greater capacity than 
others, but this depends more on position of doors and windows, and 
arrangement of interior fixtures, than on actual floor dimensions. 
flouse Room. — Floor Space. —¥or hens of the medium sized breeds, in 
flocks of twelve or more, the allowance of floor space should be 5 to 6 sq. ft. 
per hen. For smaller flocks the space per hen should increase as the number 
of hens decreases. Practically as large a house is needed for eight or ten hens 
as for twelve. This rule may safely be used in planning houses of any 
required average capacity. Inexperienced poultry keepers should keep on the 
safe side of it when stocking houses; for their judgment on the matters 
referred to as affecting the application of a general rule, is apt to be faulty, 
and most apt to err in the direction of overcrowding, which is a serious 
evil. 
Cubic Space. —No rule for this need be given. The plain rule for height 
of buildings, given as axtom 3, under ‘‘ Making Plans and Estimates,” 
being followed, a house will have abundant air space for all the fowls its 
floor will accommodate. 
Yard Room.—TIf yards are to be in permanent sod, the rule of 100 sq. ft. 
per.hen is about right. If other provision is made for green food, the yards 
being simply exercise grounds, estimates for yards may he made on a basis of 
25 to 30 sq. ft. per fowl. An intermediate system of yarding is sometimes 
used. This gives each pen of hens a small exercise yard, and to every two 
pens a grass yard. This last is generally smaller than could be kept in sod 
were the hens constantly on it, and the hens are given the run of the grass for 
only a few hours daily. 
Making Plans and Estimates While not requiring much mechanical 
skill, economical poultry house construction calls for some ingenuity in plan- 
ning to use materials without waste. Plans given in this chapter are drawn 
to scale, and may be used as working plans when no changes are made; but 
it is advised that for all but the most simple constructions plans be re-drawn 
on an enlarged scale. The mere drawing of the working plan gives the 
novice in building a better idea of what he has to do, and how best to go 
about it, and working from a plan he is less likely to make the numerous and 
common mistakes of amateur carpenters. If changes are made new plans 
must be drawn. One-fourth inch to the foot is a good scale for house plans ; 
for plats of large plants a scale of one-sixteenth inch to the foot is convenient. 
