POULTRY YARDING AND FENCING 
system the slope should be to the south, or south- 
east, and if that is not a natural condition, cutting 
and filling should be engaged in to bring about 
that result, as it is essential; for then the ground 
will dry off quicker after rains and much of the 
filth and droppings which collect in the yards will 
be washed away from the house. 
It is not a good plan for the poultryman to have 
to pass through the poultry yard to get to the 
house; this often is inconvenient and always annoys 
the fowls, especially if strangers or visitors intrude 
when the fowls are in the yard. 
The site for the poutry house must be high and 
dry, and the land should be well drained. This is 
essential to the life of the house as well as to the 
health of the fowls; for a poultry house, like any 
other kind of a building, will not last long when 
the sills are wet and damp for weeks at a time— 
they are sure to rot out and make extensive repairs 
necessary. Also, it is unhealthy for fowls to range 
over ground that is damp, wet, or even muddy. 
Well-drained sandy loam or gravelly soil is prob- 
ably the most desirable kind of ground; it is best 
for the house and best for the yards, too; for with 
porous land the filth and droppings are absorbed 
by the ground at every rain, thus keeping the runs 
clean and healthful. A poultry house should never 
be located in a valley or other depression, where 
it is in such a position that it will get the wash of 
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