Care and Management cf Poultry 343 
through the long house much more quickly than he can go from 
one detached house to another, as he must where several colony 
houses are used. On the other hand, the long house makes it 
necessary to keep the land more densely stocked and there is 
much less natural food such as insects, green grass, and the like. 
Large numbers of fowls kept close together increase the tendency 
to disease. The grounds and buildings need more careful attention 
to keep them sanitary, and unless the long house is provided 
Fic. 137. — Poultry house with scratching-shed. 
with partitions, the fowls are likely to do more or less crowding 
(Fig. 136). 
550. Scratching-shed. — This shed was devised to permit the 
fowls to enjoy fresh air and exercise the year around. The open 
scratching-shed consists 0’ an ordinary shed walled in on three 
sides but open to the south. It is attached to the main poultry 
house so that the fowls can pass to the shed at will. 
Exercise is necessary to insure health. Fowls like freedom. 
The scratching-shed provides for both. Being in the cooler air 
during the daytime, seems to make the fowls less sensitive to the 
cold at night. owls are generally found to be more healthy and 
