CHAPTER VIII 



POULTRY HOUSES AND APPLIANCES 



Supplying poultry with a suitable environment is one 

 of the essential features of poultry management. There 

 was a time when the trees of the orchard and the wagon 

 shed afforded practically the only means of shelter for the 

 farm flock. But that period is passing, for those who keep 

 poultry appreciate that, in order to secure desirable results, 

 the fowls must be comfortably housed. 



From the extreme just cited we find, on the other hand, 

 poultry houses that have been constructed along most 

 elaborate lines and the 

 expense of building has 

 been so great in many 

 cases that it was impos- 

 sible for the fowls to 

 produce such returns as 

 would pay a reasonable 

 interest on the money 

 invested. It can be seen, 

 therefore, that there is a 

 happy medium and that 

 a house in order to be comfortable and practical need not 

 be expensive or elaborate. The essential features of a 

 suitable poultry house are: 



(1) Economy in construction. (2) Convenience from 

 the standpoint of both the fowls and the attendant. (3) 

 An abundance of sunUght. (4) Freedom from moisture. 

 (5) Ventilation without drafts. (6) Sufficient space for the 

 fowls. (7) Protection from excessive heat and cold. (8) 

 Proof against rats and mice. (9) Sanitation. 



127 



Figxire 121. — An inadequate farm poultry 

 house. This building does not provide the 

 essentials of a suitable house for fowls. 



