POULTRY FOR PROFIT 57 
ing money with poultry use some such system 
as the open front house with various changes. 
They have found that fresh air is an absolute 
requirement to get the best results. But this 
matter brought out a few more interesting facts. 
It was found that dampness was a big draw¬ 
back to egg production in cold weather. If the 
damp foul air, breathed out by the chickens, 
could not escape from the poultry building, the 
chickens did not have the health and vigor that 
they did in well ventilated houses. Conse¬ 
quently, the curtain helped considerably in al¬ 
lowing the fresh air to come in, and for the 
foul air to go out. The damp air, being heavily 
laden with moisture, settled to the bottom of 
the house, where the birds scratch, and unless 
the curtains extend fairly well down near the 
bottom of the house, the damp air has not a 
very good chance to escape, and consequently, 
there will be more or less moisture even with 
this type of house, if the damp air has no 
chance to escape. 
Another common fault with a great many 
poultry buildings is that they are drafty. The 
walls should all be air tight, except the south 
wall, or front, as has been mentioned. If 
