AMERICAN POULTRY CULTURE 
and a door is all that is necessary, so far as the 
construction of the house itself is concerned, 
while the only interior fixtures that will necessarily 
cost any money are the roosts and nests. It is 
a very good plan to cover the exterior of such a 
house with roofing paper, as this makes it mate- 
rially warmer and more comfortable during the 
cold winter weather. 
Size of Flock Required. The number of fowls 
necessary to keep a family supplied with poultry 
and eggs depends upon the size of the family and 
upon their appetites for poultry products. As a 
usual thing, a dozen hens are sufficient for a family 
of four or five persons. From seventy-five to one 
hundred eggs a year from each hen is what may 
safely be expected by the novice with regard to 
the egg production of his flock. 
What It Costs to Feed a Hen. One dollar a 
year per hen is the usual estimate of the cost of 
maintenance. Where all feed has to be purchased 
this figure is probably a little too low, but where 
use can be made of waste materials the expenses 
certainly should not exceed this figure. 
As a business proposition, poultry keeping offers 
excellent inducements to ambitious beginners; in 
Poultry fact, there is money, pleasure and 
Keepingasa health in a properly managed and 
Bune well-established poultry farm, but, 
like Rome, it can not be built in a day. 
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