SANITATION 211 



provided, fruit trees may be set out, which soon grow to 

 sufficient size to afford protection from the rays of the sun. 

 Birds with heavy coats of downy feathers, as in ducks and 

 geese, as well as such birds as chickens, suffer unless they are 

 provided with water and shade in severe hot weather. 



The poultry runs and buildings must be freely exposed to 

 the sunlight. Germs of disease lurk in dark, damp quarters, 

 and disease germs once introduced survive for a long period 

 of time. 



The soil should be rather sandy, which allows of percolation 

 of surface water and does not become so muddy in rainy weather. 



The buildings should have southern exposure to allow sun- 

 light into the room, and should be properly ventilated. 

 The tops, sides, and backs should be tight so as to prevent any 

 drafts upon the birds. 



Sunlight is one of the most powerful disinfectants, and the 

 hot sun's rays ai'e even destructive to certain young parasites. 

 It is necessary to the health and contentment of the fowls. 



In constructing the building hygienic principles must be 

 adhered to by properly locating the doors, windows, ventila- 

 tors, nests, roosts, and other parts of the building. A crack 

 in the wall which allows a draft of air to blow onto a bird is a 

 fruitful source for colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia and pre- 

 disposes the bird to roup. 



The dropping hoards must be cleaned once or, better, twice 

 a week. A thorough spraying of the entire house with an 

 efficient disinfectant, as a 5 per cent, carbolic acid or a 1 per 

 cent, kreso, zenoleum, or other equally good coal-tar disin- 

 fectant; kerosene poured on the roosts and sulphur sprinkled 

 in the nests and the hen sprinkled with a good insecticide once 

 every three months, the powder being worked well down into 

 the feathers, remembering that the Uce live for the most part 

 close to the skin and are more abundant, when present, in the 

 fluff around the vent and under the wings. 



The dropping boards must not be too high, as the birds 

 might injure themselves in jumping off the roosts. The 

 roosts should be about 1 foot above the dropping board. The 

 dropping board should be made in sections so it can be taken 

 out and sunned and thoroughly sprayed with a parasiticide. 



