HOW TO PREVENT DISEASE 



109 



fixed, habitual systematic interval of inspection of feed 

 boxes. Otherwise, the birds will surely be left, at times, 

 without the proper supply of food. 



One of these patent devices for " little and often " 

 feeding of grains is shown in the cut. A modification, 

 which is, I think, of recent invention, provides a set of 

 feeders for each and every pen in a continuous house, 

 all attached to a rod running the length of the building; 

 each having a cut-off, and all being operated frOm one 

 point by means of simple gearing. 



Although a few of the teachers are going back to the 

 long-discarded plan of warming the poultry houses arti- 

 ficially, — for the Mediterranean breeds, at least, — the 

 great majority are swinging toward the cloth-front house 

 or the open, sunny shed, for daytime housing of layers, at 

 least. It has always been found difficult to ventilate 

 closed houses properly without admitting drafts. Prob- 

 ably the best device for this purpose is the overhead, 

 diffused air ventilation gained by passing the air admitted 

 above through loosely laid straw. (Possibly this will 

 not seem to some a strictly correct use of the term 

 "diffused.") To break the stream of air into small 

 enough particles so that it shall not come upon the fowls 

 as a draft, is the key to poultry-house ventilation. A 

 method open to all who have built a high enough house 

 is to cut a small door in the gable peak on each end. 

 A very loose ceiling, laid just high enough overhead to 

 permit the easy passage of the attendant, will be suffi- 

 cient to support straw, which is then filled loosely in 

 above the ceihng. The ventilating doors may be made 

 to slide, and can then be adjusted at any time to meet 

 prevaiHng weather conditions. 



