SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KEEPING 



to give satisfactory returns during the winter months. If they 

 have been neglected and do not go to winter quarters in good 

 condition, there will be little hope of getting them down to 

 work until Christmas time or after. 



IMPORTANCE OF FRESH AIR 



Care must be taken not to shut these birds up too closely. 

 As long as mild weather lasts the closed houses should be run 

 as wide open as possible, at the same time taking due precau- 

 tions to avoid drafts about the roosts. Those who are for- 

 tunate enough to possess one of the many good types of fresh 

 air or open front poultry buildings will not find it necessary 

 to give much thought to the matter of ventilation. The poultry- 

 man making use of the ordinary types of closed poultry houses 

 will find this matter of ventilation one of vital importance at 

 this season of the year. Where so-called fresh air or open 

 front houses are used the birds are sure of a plentiful supply 

 of fresh air at all times, and this is of the greatest importance 

 in the prevention of late fall and early winter diseases. An 



AN ENGLISH BROODER HOUSE 



abundance of fresh air at all times is absolutely necessary for 

 keeping the birds in the best condition of health and vigor. 

 If one begins the practice of shutting the fowls up tightly in 

 a closed house without due regard to proper airing at frequent 

 intervals the birds are almost certain to develop catarrhal colds 

 which later may result in roup. Thin drafts of cold air in a 

 close house wiU sow the seed for more sickness during a single 

 night than would ever make its appearance were the birds 

 allowed to roost out. in the open exposed to the elements, and 

 too close confinement in any tight, ill- ventilated house is equally 

 certain to be productive of disastrous results. The windows 

 of these tight houses should be kept open night and day as long 

 as weather will permit. When severe stormy weather comes, 

 the windows may be closed at night to protect the fowls on the 

 roosts, but should be thrown wide open for the greater part 

 of the day, particularly when the sun can shine in. Even at 

 night it will be better if some of the windows are left open and 

 provided with muslin or burlap screens to keep out the storms. 

 Failure to properly air a closed house results in dampness or 

 "house sweating," and fowls cannot thrive in a damp poultry 

 house. Hoiises that front south or a little east of south are 

 usually the most satisfactory winter quarters. 



MOVING FROM CLOSED HOUSE TO FRESH AIR QUARTERS 



During the past two winters we have made it a practice 

 to keep t ho windows of our closed poultry houses partly open 



both day and night. Last winter at the time of the most se- 

 vere weather we had occasion to purchase a number of breed- 

 ing birds that had been kept in a closed poultry house. This 

 necessitated removing a number of birds from one pen of our 

 own closed poultry house to a fresh air house of the Tohnan 

 pattern. About half of the purchased rbirds were placed in 

 another Tolman house. In spite of the fact that the new 

 birds had been accustomed to tightly closed quarters not one 

 case of sickness developed, not even a case of snuffles. Two 

 cockerels that had been washed and prepared for the show 

 and kept for nearly two weeks in a heated room were also taken 

 direct from their shipping coops and placed in these open front 

 buildings with no ill effect noticeable; In fact, all of these birds 

 seemed to improve daily in health and vigor and continued 

 throughout the season in the best possible breeding condition. 

 We believe our home stock was also benefitted by the move 

 into fresh air quarters. 



ROOSTING OUT OF DOORS IS NOT RECOMMENDED 



There is a vast difference between using well ventilated or 

 open front, fresh air houses, and permitting birds to roost out 

 in the open. Fresh air is essential to life and health. It is 

 one of the best things that we have, but even our best pos- 

 sessions may be abused, and it is sometimes possible to have 

 too much of a good thing. While roosting out of doors in the 

 trees may be productive of no harm during summer weather 

 and early autumn, we firmly believe that much harm may re- 

 sult by permitting them to continue to occupy these airy perches 

 after the severe, changeable late fall and winter weather sets in. 

 Birds kept under such conditions could not be expected to give 

 satisfactory returns in either eggs or fertility. With an open 

 front house they have all the advantages of the pure air ob- 

 tained by sleeping in the open and none of the disadvantages. 

 They are well protected by the tight roof overhead and the 

 snug back and sides of their roosting quarters. The cold, 

 chilling winds caimot reach them and storms cannot injure 

 them. 



ADAPTING TIGHT CLOSED HOUSES TO FRESH AIR PLAN 



Of the many types of fresh air poultry houses the follow- 

 ing rank as the best examples of satisfactory buildings for 

 breeding and lajdng stock: The Maine Experiment Station 

 curtain-front poultry house, the Tolman 8 by 14 colony fresh- 

 air poultry house, the J. H. Robinson pattern of cheap poultry 

 house with wide doors which open the entire front, and Dr. 

 Bricault's convertible "new idea" poultry house possessing a 

 two-part door in the front of each pen, the upper half of which 

 may be made to give place to a burlap or muslin screen. Nearly 

 all closed poultry houses may be adapted to the fresh air plan 

 by simply substituting a screen of heavy unbleached muslia 

 for the upper half of one window in the south front of each pen, 

 provided the house possesses sufficient depth to permit the birds 

 to roost in the rear portion without being exposed to direct 

 drafts. 



No one need fear frosted combs or wattles in a well aired 

 house, if the birds have been accustomed to open windows 

 or open front quarters from the beginning of winter. The only 

 cases of frosted wattles that we have had during the past two 

 winters occured in close buildings where the windows were left 

 closed at night through oversight on the part of the attendant. 

 The combs were not touched because our birds have rose combs 

 that are not liable to be frosted. 



Of equal importance to a plentiful supply of fresh air is 

 a liberal ration of good, sound, wholesome food in reasonable 

 variety, and plenty of pure, fresh water. There is no neces- 

 sity for a very elaborate ration. Simple food formulas prop- 



