Division of Houses. 33 



while we encourage cheapness — that is, avoiding all needless 

 expenditure — we strongly insist that every house, whether 

 it be new or old, adapted or built for the purpose, made of 

 wood or stone, shall be warm and comfortable, properly 

 ventilated, and shall be large enough for the number of 

 birds that are .to be kept in it. Great injury is done for 

 want of proper housing, both through disease resulting 

 from it, and in that it is a great hindrance to productiveness. 

 Fowls kept in a cold, damp atmosphere will neither lay 

 nor thrive well. In the summer it may not make so much 

 difference to them, as day and night is then almost equally 

 warm; but in the late autumn, winter, and early spring, 

 just when they will make or mar the balance sheet for the 

 year, they are consumers without being producers; conse- 

 quently they are most unprofitable. 



The question of size of house deserves more considera- 

 tion than it generally receives. It has been found by very 

 many persons, from practical experience, that not more 

 than fifty birds can be profitably kept together in one house ; 

 and though this does not necessarily mean that if it is 

 thought advisable to erect a house divided into several 

 compartments, not more than fifty birds may be kept under 

 one roof, it does mean that they should he kept well apart 

 with runs of their own, and for this reason we prefer the 

 plan of having a distinct house for every fifty fowls, where 

 the room is at command. A few breeding runs may be put 

 together ; but for layers the other is the better plan. Why 

 large numbers together are not so prolific as when there 

 are fifty and under, we cannot say, and any expression of 

 opinion would be merely theoretical ; but such is undoubtedly 

 the fact, and we must urge our readers not to keep mora 

 than the number stated in one house. These should 

 have half an acre of grass run, in order to keep them in 

 health and condition, that is, if they are to be restricted 



D 



