HOUSING AND HYGIENE 261 



other vermin that prey on poultry and destroy eggs. The 

 hen-house that is properly cared for may be located consider- 

 ably nearer the dwelling than the stables for other stock. 

 This is often a convenience for several reasons, among which 

 is the fact that it is likely to be near the water supply. 



It sometimes happens that the physical characteristics 

 of a location near the dwelling-house are bad. The soil may 

 be of a poor texture or the orchard and woodlot at some 

 distance. In general, however, if the building site for the 

 dwelling has been well chosen it will furnish good conditions 

 for the hen-house. 



The Most Important Condition. — Of those conditions which 

 help to make a hen-house comfortable, dryness is the most 

 important. It is a condition dependent upon proper location, 

 good construction, thorough ventilation, and an abundance 

 of sunshine. There is no condition under which poultry are 

 kept, unless it is a state of starvation, that is more surely 

 and quickly fatal to profitable production than dampness 

 in the roosting and scratching quarters. It makes the birds 

 uncomfortable and renders them susceptible to disease. 



The chicken is of necessity a rapid breather. Its tempera- 

 ture is high (average 106°) and the oxidation within the 

 body is enormously rapid. Fowls live at a high rate of speed, 

 and, as with a highly geared machine, clogging spells disaster. 



Damp air compels fowls to increase their already rapid 

 respiration. It is not uncommon to see chickens confined in 

 a damp house panting on a day that is rather cold. This 

 extra work of faster breathing uses up energy that should be 

 employed in the production processes. 



A reason for the increased rapid breathing lies in the 

 fact that with the fowl a much larger proportion of the body 

 moisture is eliminated by way of the respiratory system 

 than in the case of other farrn animals. While fowls do not 

 drink as much water in proportion to their weight as do 

 other animals, there is no elimination by means of sweat 

 glands, and the amount of moisture in the feces is com- 

 paratively small. There is no urine passed. In the light 

 of the fowl's high temperature, as well as the foregoing, it 

 seems reasonable to assume that a larger percentage of the 



