314 



Bulletin 277. 



400 to 500 chickens raised, and at least the same amount of land for 

 400 to 500 mature fowls kept. 



A good disposition of the colony brooder-houses is to place them 

 in a large park surrounded by a 6-foot, narrow-mesh, poultry wire 

 fence, the park being divided into temporary yards 150 ft. long and at 

 least 50 ft. wide. This fence is used to prevent the chickens m the 

 different houses from getting together until they are able to fly over 

 a two and one-half to three foot fence, at which time the fence can be 

 removed. Chickens of different ages should never be placed in the same 

 house nor allowed to run in the same yards until they are well feathered. 



The plan recommended presupposes that the 200 chicks will have 

 the benefit of a grass-covered yard after the first week, and a large 

 free range later, which is highly essential for the best results. It also 

 assumes that the sexes are to be separated as soon as they are recog- 

 nizable and are old enough so that they do not longer need brooder 

 heat. The exact time when the sexes can be separated and removed 

 from the brooders depends upon two factors: the breed and the season. 



CONSTRUCTION DETAILS OP THE IMPROVED NEW YORK STATE GASOLINE- 

 HEATED COLONY BROODER-HOUSE 



The "A" type of house is eight feet square, inside floor measure, 

 has 24-inch side walls, and is s.'x feet and six inches from top of floor 



to top of ridge board. The 

 sub-framing is made and 

 one or both floors laid before 

 the upper part of the build- 

 ing is put upon it. The sills 

 are of 2" x 12" stock cut 

 eight feet long. If desired, 

 the ends of each runner can 

 be beveled so that the sills 

 can be used as runners. An 

 opening of gi inches by 12J 

 inches is cut in the rear 

 runner to admit the burner 

 box. 



The floor joists, four in 

 number, are made of 2" x 4" 

 stock, cut eight feet long, and 

 are fitted into the runners 

 with a half joint. (Fig. 93) 



<^ 



<- — - 



Fig. 93. 



-Plan of the -floor timbers of om 8' x 8' 

 colony house 



