LOCATION OF THE HOUSES AND YARDS 157 



In locating yards the idea should be to have them on ground 

 which slopes away from the poultry house, so that waste 

 from the yards is carried away from the house, not towards it. 

 Ideal Fence Construction. — Where birds are kept closely 

 confined, fences must be provided of such a height as to 

 prevent them from fljong over the top. It is quite a problem 

 to know how to build fences that will, be durable and at the 

 same time economical. Three things must be considered in 

 constructing a fence, namely, the posts, the fence material, 

 and the gates. There is probably no cheaper or more dur- 



FlG. 85. — A poultry house with a double yard. At the left the birds are feeding 

 on peas and oats. At the right soy beans are growing for future forage. 



able post than one of locust or cedar, three to six inches in 

 diameter. If dipped in tar before being sunk in the ground, 

 and kept painted, they will last a long time. The fence 

 posts should be set at least 23/^ feet in the grotmd, with the 

 dirt well packed around them, and the comer posts securely 

 braced. The distance between the posts should be from 

 twelve to fifteen feet, according to the height of the fence, 

 and this depends upon the breed to be fenced in. A three- 

 foot fence will confine the heavy breeds, like the Brahma 

 and Cochin; a six-foot one will confine any of the medium 

 sized breeds, while a fence seven to eight feet high, if the 



