Wherever it is intended to have an abundant supply of eggs in the winter season, provision should be made for supplying artificial heat to all the houses occupied by the common fowls. The temperature required should not be less than 60°, because in no case do fowls lay more abundantly than in common cottages, where they may be said to live with the family, and where the temperature varies in the winter season from 50° to 70°. The means of supplying heat may be a smoke flue conducted along the back and sides of each of the houses (but not along the front, as it would interfere with the entrance); or hot-water pipes may be used in a similar manner; or there may be a small stove in each house. By a little contrivance one fire may be made to heat three or four houses. It may also sometimes happen that the common fowl-houses may be built over a cowhouse, or over a dung-pit; or what might frequently be the case, a lining of dung might be heaped up, when the artificial heat was wanted, along the outside of the back wall of the fowl-houses. In general, the difficulty is not so much in contriving means of heating, as in convincing persons who keep fowls, that artificial heat is necessary to induce them to lay.

Everybody knows that eggs are cheaper at Midsummer than at Christmas;though but few people are aware that the only reason for this is, the increased warmth of the former season.

443. A fattening-house for common fowls may be of the same dimensions as the roosting-house and the laying-house Where the fowls are fattened in coops, these should be placed round the walls; but, as we recommend the free method of fattening, that is allowing them to be at liberty, with plenty of food to eat when they please, we consider no furniture necessary, farther than some roosting-poles, which may be placed round the walls at the distance of 3 or 4 feet from the ground, and vessels for containing the food and water, which may be set in the middle of the floor. In front of the fattening-house there should be a space enclosed as a yard, for the fowls to take exercise in; and in this yard they may always be fed in mild weather.

444. The turkey-house may very properly adjoin the common poultry-house, and it need not differ from it in any particular, except that all the details of fitting up may be one fourth part larger. The opening at the top of the outside stair should be one-fourth higher, and one-fourth wider; and the roosting-poles should be 2 ft. apart. There should be a laying-house, in which the boxes may be 2 ft. square, and also a feeding-house with a feeding-yard.

445. Houses for Guinea fowls and pea fowls are not wanted, as these birds can seldom be brought either to roost or lay in any regular house. An open shed or a tree will generally be found their roosting-place, and if the poultry enclosure be surrounded by a thick hedge, or if it contain clumps or thickets of shrubs, their nests will commonly be found there.