WHERE TO KEEP FOWLS 73 



continuous plan of houses the yard must be long and 

 narrow. The nearer square a yard is made the less it 

 costs to fence a given area and the fowls are more 

 easily confined. 



Wire netting is now used almost exclusively for 

 poultry fences. There are many styles of such net- 

 ting. In building a yard never place a rail at the top. 

 It makes a good alighting place for the fowls that want 

 to fly over. If you want to use a rail to add to the 

 looks of the yard, either extend the netting six inches 

 above it or string two wires several inches apart above 

 it. This will keep the fowls from flying over. Small 

 yards adjoining that are used for breeding purposes 

 should have the lower two feet of fence solid in order 

 to prevent males from fighting. Posts should be well 

 set in the ground and ten to twelve feet apart. A six- 

 foot fence is generally high enough for the small 

 breeds like Leghorns, five feet for American breeds 

 and four feet for Asiatics. A small yard needs a 

 higher fence than a large one. 



A burlap fence is useful for confining 'small 

 chickens. On many farms bran and fertilizer sacks 

 accumulate in great numbers. Rip these open, sew 

 them together lengthwise and nail them to strips at 

 top and bottom with posts ten or twelve feet apart. 

 The strips are easily taken down and if made in sec- 

 tions the fence can be rolled up and put away for use 

 another year. 



Shade in the poultry yard is essential for the 

 health and comfort of the fowls. It is best provided 

 iy trees, among the most suitable of which are plum 

 trees. They grow quickly and are greatly benefited by 

 the fowls. A successful New Jersey poultry specialist 

 grows blackberries in his yards. Bushes are trained 

 high so that fruit is out of reach of the poultry. Along 



