124 The Truth About the Poultry Business 



no more roup on the place. No roup-cures were used here. 

 Once again the roup fell a victim to fresh air and draught- 

 proof conditions. 



Moving to still another location, this same flock of hens 

 which had at one time teen suffering from roup and canker, 

 and which had entirely recovered by being moved out of a 

 draughty house into the open air, was now placed in colony 

 houses. In a short time they again became afflicted with 

 roup and canker. 



It was here that I noticed for the first time that the hens 

 would try to get away from the open window and try to 

 bunch up in one corner of the house. If I closed the window 

 the hens would change their position in the house in a few 

 days, and if the place was tightly closed the hens would be 

 found roosting near the window. I changed the ventilation 

 a great many ways and each change I made caused the hens 

 to shift their position inside the house. They would not 

 do it instantly, but gradually. 



It seems that hens have an instinct about draught as they 

 have about feed, and if they are allowed to roost in a place 

 where natural conditions prevail (the same as they are 

 allowed to run out and eat natural foods) they will not get 

 roup; or if they have it and can find roosting quarters that are 

 sheltered from the elements they will quickly recover from 

 the disease in its early stages. This instinct that hens possess 

 in regard to roup has full play when they are living under 

 natural conditions, and this is the reason that hens roosting 

 outside where there is plenty of shelter — as would be the 

 case if they were living in the densely wooded spots that 

 nature intended them to live in — never have roup. 



In some localities, where hens are forced to roost out in 

 the open and without the protection that nature provides, 

 it is possible that they may get roup. 



