INSTRUCTION IN POULTRY HUSBANDRY 13 



trious, prompt and regular in his work, and early develop 

 a definite system. In doing the chores he must exercise 

 good judgment and common sense. In the daily routine 

 many problems arise for which he has no precedent, and these 

 must be solved intelligently and immediately; therefore, a 

 love of birds and the work of caring for them is fundamental. 



The Birds. — The poultryman must think of his birds as 

 machines, which consume raw material, and turn out a 

 finished product, in the form of eggs and market poultry. 

 As with all other manufacturing enterprises, good machines 

 should be adapted to the purpose secured, whether it be 

 meat production or egg production. The birds selected 

 should be healthy, strong, and vigorous, of good size, care- 

 fully bred and well mated. 



Surroundings. — The surroundings of the poultry flock con- 

 stitute their environment, and two factors are especially 

 important; these are the houses and yards in which the 

 birds run. The house may be economically built, but should 

 be exceedingly dry, well ventilated and sunny. It should 

 afford plenty of space for the number of chicks kept. The 

 yards should be extensive, with dry, well-drained, and rather 

 sandy soil, covered with growing grass, and plenty of shade 

 from trees or growing plants. 



Cleanliness is essential to proper environment, and this 

 means the frequent removal of the droppings. The litter 

 should be coarse and abundant, and the poultry house and 

 all the fixtures should be thoroughly cleaned at least twice 

 a year. 



Feed. — The feed must be considered as the raw material 

 or fuel, which keeps the birds in healthy producing con- 

 dition. The eggs and the meat are the finished product 

 resulting from the combustion of this fuel. Digestion is 

 neither more nor less than a process of burning or combus- 

 tion. In choosing feed, the definite relation between the 

 character of the feed and the composition of the product 



