CHAPTER II. 



Why Use Open-front Houses 



OW AXD THEX someone asks the question : "Why 

 use open-front houses ?" That person has not used 

 a fresh-air house and is either in doubt as to the 

 desirability of such poultry quarters or is afraid to 

 use an open-front building for poultry, fearing 

 danger from cold and exposure. He only needs to 

 give the right sort of an open-air house a good, fair trial to become 

 convinced that the danger is all imaginary. 



To be successful with poultry it is necessary to keep the fowls 

 comfortable and they find comfort, real comfort, in a well planned 

 house of the open-front type. The terms open-air and fresh-air 

 house apply to the same type of building, i. e., one with a partly 

 or entire!}' open south front. 



An open-front house is not necessarily a very cold house ; it is 

 always warmer than the outdoor temperature and it is actually 

 more comfortable than a similar closed building would be. A cold 

 house, however, provided the south front is kept open, is no draw- 

 back to the production of an abundance of eggs in winter. Fo^\ls 

 actually lay better in open-front quarters in winter than they do in 

 closed houses, and in climates where the temperature drops to 20 

 and even 40 degrees below zero. 



Connecticut Agricultural College successfully wintered White 

 Leghorns in tents and had a good egg yield, with no frozen combs 

 and no sickness. Both Leghorns and S. C. Black Minorcas have 

 been wintered for several years in Woods' open-air house in cold 

 locations where temperature registered 10 below frequently, and 

 20 to 30 below zero several times, and excellent health, fine egg 

 yield and no frosted combs was the report sent us. High winds 

 and driving storms did not cause fowls any inconveniences or any 

 check in egg production. 



In 1908 Editor IMiller Purvis said in Xovemher VouUry: "The 

 open-front poultry house is making friends all the time. It keeps 

 the fowls healthy, is cheap and more comfortable than the old- 

 style house." There's the reason— it is "more comfortable." Any- 

 thing that "keeps the fowls healthy" and affords them more com- 

 fort is sure to bring about better results and greater profits. 



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