272 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Size of the Pen. — The small flock is usually housed in a 

 building containing a single room or pen. Large flocks are 

 generally divided in groups even when kept in the same 

 house and each group given a separate pen. 



The question of just what constitutes a flock of the proper 

 size is a question upon which practical poultrymen differ 

 and upon which there is little experimental evidence. The 

 natural covey of the wild ancestors of at least a part of our 

 domestic heiis is five or six. With an unskilled poultryman 

 the individual egg production of hens kept in comparatively 

 small groups is higher. On the other hand the more groups 

 there are the greater is the labor of caring for them. 



Combining two small flocks in one larger one lessens the 

 time necessary for their care by nearly half. Just where 

 the increased labor of caring for small flocks begins to 

 offset the increased production is impossible to state. For 

 general farm practice, where poultry is not a specialty, the 

 maximum group is probably about one hundred. This 

 would require a pen 20 x 20 feet. 



Foundations. — A good foundation will be solid enough to 

 support the building and keep the cold winds from blowing 

 under the house, deep enough to prevent heaving by frost, 

 and high enough above grade to keep out surface water. In 

 most sections it will be found advisable to build foundations 

 twenty inches deep to prevent heaving and twelve inches 

 above grade to keep out surface water. In order to leave 

 room for the opening and shutting of doors where a deep 

 litter is used the top of the foundation must be at least six 

 inches above the floor level. This brings the tops of the door 

 sills eight or more inches above the floor. If for some reason 

 it is necessary to locate the house where the texture of the 

 ground is such that it tends to hold moisture a tile placed 

 even with the bottom and just at the outside of the foun- 

 dation, and furnished with a suitable outlet is a necessary 

 precaution if the house is to be dry. 



Floors. — ^The hen-house floor must be moisture-proof, free 

 from cracks, and easily cleaned. It should be rat-proof and 

 durable. The board floor, if properly laid, is free from 

 cracks and is easily cleaned and disinfected. It is usually 



