112 PRINCIPLES OF POULTRY-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION 



houses have been used successfully, but they are expensive both 

 as to cost of material and labor, and are not so dry as houses built 

 of wood or tile. In most locations and under most conditions the 

 use of wood with a shingled or paper-covered roof would be the 

 most economical and furnish the best conditions. The house of 

 tile with stucco finish offers favorable conditions for laying hens, 

 but the cost is about one-third more than where wood is used. 



Height of House. A low house, provided it allows head room 

 for the attendant, is more economical to construct, easier to warm, 

 retains heat better, and suffers less from various changes in outside 

 weather than does the higher house. A good plan is to have the 



FIQ. 69. Diagram showing lines of sun's rays in September and December. The front 

 of the house is 8 ft. 6 in. high and the back 4 ft. 6 in. high, with a width from front to back 

 of 20 feet. 



house high enough so that all work can be done by the attendant 

 without danger of striking his head against the rafters. With a 

 muslin front, this height will provide ample air for as many birds 

 as the floor space will accommodate (Fig. 69). 



Shape of the House. The nearer the house approaches a square 

 the less lumber will be required to build it; therefore, the deeper 

 the house, all things considered, the more economical its construc- 

 tion (Fig. 70) . Poultry houses which are built very narrow require 

 a front and back wall of nearly the same height as a much deeper 

 house. The only extra expense in the deeper house is the extension 

 of the roof and part of the end walls. To increase the depth from 

 front to back would give a greater floor space with less cost per 

 square foot of floor space ; this would mean less cost per bird. The 

 limit to the depth of the house should be determined, in large part, 

 by the facility with which the sunlight can get into the back part. 



