REMODELLING OLD POULTRY HOUSES 171 



When completely remodelled, the buildings should . be thor- 

 oughly cleansed and made ready for the birds. 



Economy calls for careful use of both labor and material 

 hi the remodelling. The labor is simple, and of such a nature 

 that the poultryman can do much of it himself. Materials 

 rarely need be purchased. Old boards can be taken from 

 other buildings, or those usually found in considerable num- 

 ber about the farm can be used. Burlap obtained from rip- 

 ping up old bags can be used in place of muslin; it is just as 

 serviceable, although not quite so good-looking. Openings 

 for windows can be cut in the wall in such a way that no 

 window frame is needed. Stones picked up about the farm 

 can be used for floor and concrete work. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR REMODELLING A HOUSE 



The following suggestions are offered with the idea that 

 they may be useful when putting an old house into suitable 

 condition for layers : 



Thorough Cleaning the First Requisite. The first thing 

 to do is to clean out any rubbish and filth which may have 

 accumulated hi the building. If it is an old poultry house, 

 all litter should be removed, the dropping boards thoroughly 

 scraped, and the walls and floor swept. The window lights 

 should be cleaned on both sides. If the floor is of dirt, six 

 inches of the top soil should be removed. The interior of 

 the house should then be sprayed with a five per cent solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid. These procedures will prepare the 

 house for remodelling. Next, openings in the front wall 

 should be marked out with a pencil, and then cut. They 

 should be planned with reference to the studding and frame- 

 work of the building. The idea should be to arrange for as 

 much sunlight as possible, and to have it well distributed 

 over the floor. The window openings should be so cut that 

 there will be about one square foot of glass to twenty square 

 feet of floor space, and the curtain openings planned so that 



