CHAPTER VII. 



PRACTICE OF POULTRY-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION. 



THE LOCATION of the house having been decided upon, the 

 desired height of the floor should be determined, marked Z in 

 figure 80. This level should be at least six inches above the 

 highest point of the ground site of the house. In cases where the 

 house is built on very sloping land, it may be desirable to do some 

 grading by cutting away the higher portions, using this material 

 to fill up the lower level before the foundation is laid out (Fig. 79) . 



Fia. 79. Cross section of hillside, showing manner of grading before laying out founda- 

 tion. The long dotted line shows original slope and the heavy black line shows the surface 

 graded for the poultry house. The house is shown in outline. Drain tile may be placed at 

 A to carry water below the house. 



Methods of Laying Out Foundations.* Locate the corner 01 

 the building (Fig. 80) , and drive around this corner three stakes, 

 as L, M, and N, about three feet apart. On each of these stakes 

 find the level of the floor Z, by the use of the levelling board or 

 transit. Connect these stakes with boards, shown as L M and 

 M N, having the top of each board level with Z. In using the 

 levelling board and spirit level in small buildings,* it is well to 

 locate a stake in the centre of the house which is level with Z, 

 and work from this to the four corners. In long houses it is neces- 

 sary to start from the point Z, and work to the different corners 

 in a direct line by the use of intermediate stakes, all of which should 

 be level with Z. Next stretch a line, H /, over the point 0, which 

 is the corner of the building, in a direction which will represent 

 the back of the house. Measure off from the point on this line 

 the number of feet which will represent the length of the house. 



* Method after Rice and Rogers, Cornell Bulletin No. 274. 

 124 



