finuous single- and multi-story houses of varying length and depth. These 

 various types of structures are representative of different periods in the 

 development of the state's poultry industry. Today's recommendations for 

 commercial units stress larger numbers of birds per pen, 30-40 foot depths, 

 and forced-draft ventilation. Not too many years ago sentiment was for 

 smaller pens, 20-odd foot depths, and natural-draft ventilation. 



With the great variability in types of housing facilities, it follows that 

 methods of handling and feeding grain are diverse. In addition, adjustments 

 in handling and feeding grain are limited by the larger cash outlay necessary 

 with older facilities. This suggests that each farm must be treated as an in- 

 dividual case, and that with older facilities only limited progress can be 

 made to improve operating efficiency. 



For purposes of studying facilities and methods of handling and feeding 

 grain, over 50 commercial poultry farms were visited. Many variations in 

 housing facilities and methods of handling and feeding grain were ob- 

 served. Diagrammed in the following pages are some variations in grain- 

 feeding arrangements, for both bagged (non-bulk) and bulk feed delivered 

 to the farm. Note that some of the non-bulk arrangements are designed for 

 feed received in bags, but handled in bulk to the pens. Some farms have 

 made use of various arrangements and auxiliary equipment to minimize 

 or eliminate lifting and carrying. Likewise, some grain dealers employ 

 auxiliary equipment in making deliveries to farms for the same purpose. 



Some farms in the state have used bagged feed and bulk bins with 

 downspouts for many years. However, this is the exception rather than the 

 rule, and extensive use of bulk bins, carriers, conveyors, elevators, and auto- 

 matic feeders is of rather recent origin. The present interest in improved 

 feed handling methods on the farm was generated during and immediately 

 after World War II with the shortage and high cost of manpower. Narrowing 

 price-cost spreads in recent years have also given impetus to labor-saving 

 steps and to mechanization. These go hand in hand with the development 

 of efficient and larger units. 



'&^ 



Non-Mechanized Handling of Bagged Feed. 



Figure 1 indicates methods of handling bagged feed which have been 

 used many years on New Hampshire poultry farms. Bagged feed is unloaded 

 by hand, stored in bags, and carried to pens in pails or bags. In some of 

 the less-efficient plants feed may be carried from one building to another, 

 upstairs, or dov/nstairs. In other instances grain may be available to the 

 feeder on each floor of a building. Where grain rooms are too numerous, 

 servicing the farm may be extremely inconvenient for the feed dealer, 

 though very convenient for the feeder. 



Mechanized Handling of Bagged Feed. 



It is quite feasible to adapt some form of mechanization to the handling 

 of bagged feed, either from the standpoint of unloading or in actual feeding. 

 Examples of the former are conveyors and hoists; of the latter, overhead 

 carriers, downspouts, and automatic feeders. There are various modifica- 

 tions which can be made of the examples in Figure 2. For example, down- 

 spouts can be combined with overhead carriers or automatic feeders. 



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