14 FARMERS* BULLETIN 574. 



should be elevated enough so there is good drainage away from the 

 building. Posts should be from 6 to 8 inches in diameter, placed 

 6 to 8 feet apart and set 2 to 3 feet in the ground or below the frost 

 level, which varies with the locality. Sills may be 2 by 4, 4 by 4, 

 and 4 by 6 inches, depending upon the size and construction of the 

 building; 2 by 3 or 2 by 4 inches are heavy enough for colony houses 

 or those of light, single-wall construction, which are not over 10 or 12 

 feet deep and 4 to 7 feet high. Sills 4 by 4 inches are used for larger 

 buildings and for houses with double walls. Runners 3 by 4 or 

 4 by 6 inches are used as sills for portable houses, as the latter require 

 heavy framework. Sills 4 by 6 inches are used in two-story henhouses 

 or other large poultry buildings, and should be set on edge unless on a 

 cement or stone wall, when a lighter sill may be used which is set 

 flat. The posts or supports must set closely together if light sills are 

 used. Floor joists may be 2 by 4, 2 by 6, or 2 by 8 inch lumber, 

 their size depending somewhat on the amount of weight which the 

 floor has to sustain, and should be set from 16 to 20 inches apart. 

 Fix one line or side of the proposed house, and with this as a base 

 locate the other corner posts by using the 6, 8, and 10 foot combination, 

 measuring 6 feet from the cornsr of the fixed line and 8 feet from the 

 same corner at right angles, which point is fixed by a rule 10 feet 

 long running from the 6-foot mark of the fixed line to the end of the 

 8-foot line, thereby making a square corner. A triangle whose 

 sides are 6, 8, and 10 feet long, respectively, contains a right angle 

 opposite the hypothenuse or diagonal side. For small buildings 

 drive a stake at the selected corner for the house, and nail a straight- 

 edge to this stake at the desired height of the posts or floor, using a 

 spirit level on this straightedge to mark the posts at the same level. 

 A transit is generally used in laying out large buildings. 



The studding or uprights are placed on the sill and should be set 

 plumb with a spirit level and be well braced until sheathed. Sills 

 are halved or spliced and nailed together at the joints or ends. The 

 studding is toenailed to the sills, while the plates are spiked to the 

 top of the studding. Studding is set 2 to 4 feet apart on the rear 

 walls and ends of poultry houses and is placed to fit the windows, 

 curtains, and doors in the front and ends. Less studding is required 

 if the building is boarded up and down rather than horizontally, as in 

 the former case only a few studs with cross-studding or ties are 

 required. The studs should be placed so that the lumber will cut 

 to good advantage, as lumber usually comes in even rather than odd 

 lengths. Studs 2 by 3 or 2 by 4 inches are commonly used, the for- 

 mer for small or colony houses and the latter for larger buildings. 

 Plates are made of 2 by 4 inch scantling or 2 by 4 inch scantling 

 doubled and spiked together and are usually laid flat on the top of 

 the studs, while the corner studs may also be doubled. Rafters may 



