THE KIND OF HOUSE TO BUILD 31 



goes to the extreme of giving the hens no additional 

 protection at all. Strange as it may seem, too, this 

 method gives excellent success in scores of instances. 

 The hens show no evidences of suffering from the 

 cold, seldom have frosted combs, lay steadily through 

 the coldest weather and are obviously in the pink of 

 condition. 



Several things need to be considered, however, in 

 building a house of this kind, or the results will not 

 be so satisfactory. In the first place, a deep house 

 is required. If the house is only eight or ten feet 

 deep, the birds will be sure to suffer. Then, there 

 must be an opening on one side only or the house 

 will be too cold. When the pen is a deep one and 

 open only at the front, the wind meets an air cush- 

 ion when it strikes this opening, for the air within 

 cannot be forced through. Such a house should be 

 perfectly tight as to walls, and may have a glass 

 window on the west side, if deemed desirable in or- 

 der to get the afternoon sun. This is an advantage 

 in a house of the type which is rather low in front. 

 The well-known Tolman house is an example of 

 this type. It is a long house, with a double-pitched 

 roof, the ridge being about two-thirds the distance 

 from the front, so that there is a long, gradual slope 



