116 The Truth About the Poultry Business 



A hen in her natural state — that is, out in the trees — if she 

 roosts in a sheltered spot, seldom if ever has roup, because 

 she is then living as nature intended she should live, where 

 she has an abundance of fresh air without draught. 



I have never had a case of roup but what I found that 

 there was a draught in the hen-house. 



Hens in a draught catch cold, and in this respect are 

 exactly like human beings. Draught is deadly to them, and 

 it may also be deadly to you. Sit in a draught a short time, 

 especially if you have been perspiring, and you will quickly 

 begin to sneeze and before you know it you have a cold. 



It is the same with a hen. She feels a sense of danger 

 and will often try her best to find another roosting place. 

 You will often notice her roosting in a certain spot, as 

 though she were trying to get away from something. The 

 instinct given to her by nature is more reliable than your 

 supposed knowledge. She is guided by this entirely, and 

 under natural conditions she seldom makes a mistake; but 

 put her in a roosting shed where she cannot get away, and 

 if the place is draughty she will catch cold. Remaining in 

 the same draught, her head begins to swell. 



If the draught is not very bad, she will go along for 

 months, but if the draught is as great as it is at some places 

 where I have been an apparently healthy hen will die in a 

 few days. Under such conditions the hen's eyes will be 

 found entirely closed in the morning, and in a few days she 

 will die. I lost several hundred hens at one place with roup, 

 but this place was exceptionally windy. 



How can roup-cures cure a hen if she is sleeping in a 

 draught? If you are sleeping in a bad draught what would 

 you do — take medicine or move out of the draught? There 

 is hardly any one who would not move out of the draught 

 if they knew that that was the cause of their trouble. 



