POULTRY HOUSES AND APPLIANCES 



129 



The houses used in this plan consist of small buildings, 

 usually built so that they can be moved from place to place 

 on the farm, and so placed as to eUminate the necessity 

 of fences, thereby giving the flock free range. The advan- 

 tages of the colony system are : (1) The fowls so housed are 

 usually on free range. (2) The fact that the fowls are on 

 range enables them to pick up considerable feed during the 

 summer months. (3) The expense of fences is eliminated. 



Figure 123. — Colony house built out of piano boxes and covered with roofing 

 paper. Such houses are practical, easy to construct, and cost but little 

 to build. 



(4) The danger of spreading disease throughout the flock 

 is reduced to a minimum, owing to the fact that the flock is 

 divided into small units. 



The disadvantages of the colony plan are as follows: 

 (1) The extra labor in caring for the fowls in stormy weather 

 and the difficulty in feeding and caring for the fowls at such 

 a time. Colony houses can, however, be drawn together 

 at some central point on the farm for the winter, thereby 

 cutting down the amount of labor in caring for the fowls. 



