522 



A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



supported. A combination roof has a double pitch, having 

 a short pitch in front and a long one behind. This type of 

 roof is well suited to buildings wider than 14 feet, and gives 

 a strong construction. A two-pitch, or gable-roof, house 

 usually has rafters of the same length, coming to a ridge in 

 the center. This gives a high center to the pen, hence a 

 loss of heat, so that in winter the house is likely to be cold. 

 A ceiling is sometimes built in such a house, and attic stor- 

 age room thus provided. What is called the half -monitor 

 roof has one long sweep of rafter for perhaps two thirds the 



Figure 253. End view Purdue Brooder Colony House. Reproduced from 

 Extension Bulletin 52, Purdue University. 



width of the house. Below the high point of rafter a vertical 

 wall is dropped sufficiently to allow a line of windows. From 

 the bottom of the window sill, a shorter length of rafter 

 gives the necessary front pitch to the roof. There are also 

 houses with the fronts slanting to the ground, and others of 

 wood that have roofs of the tent form, with no side walls in 

 front or behind. A roof covering of rough boards and as- 

 phalt or tarred composition paper of some sort gives good 



