WINDOWS AND CURTAINS 



121 



glass to every sixteen square feet of floor space, or one square foot 

 for every four birds. The amount of muslin can be determined 

 by allowing double the number of square feet that there is glass, 

 or one square foot of muslin to every eight square feet of floor space. 

 The windows should be placed high up in front and run vertically 

 rather than be horizontal. In this way the sun's rays will have a 

 chance to sweep across the entire floor at some time of the day, 

 drying and purifying the entire area (Fig. 76). The sunlight 

 is most needed in the winter when the sun is lowest. In the 

 summer the hot noontime sun is kept out by a projecting roof 

 (Fig. 89). 



The direct rays of the sun should strike all of the floor area 

 possible (Fig. 66), but it is not practicable to have the house high 

 enough to let the direct rays strike the dropping boards at the 



FIG. 77. Types of poultry windows. A, Hinged at the side and opening inward, the 

 method preferred; B, sliding window; C, hinged at the top and opening outward; D, upper 

 sash hinged at the top and opening outward and lower sash stationary. 



back of the room. This would tend to cause the birds to congre- 

 gate there in the winter when they should be working in the litter 

 on the floor. 



Extremely large sizes of window lights should be avoided, as 

 they are expensive to replace when broken. Very small lights are 

 undesirable, as the sash bars shut out a great deal of sunlight and 

 the glass is hard to clean. Where possible, a single sash should 

 be used in an opening, as it is cheaper than a divided sash. Single 

 ones require very simple frames which can be made at home; they 

 also allow of hinging on the side or top, making them easy to open. 

 Figure 77 shows different plans for windows used in poultry houses. 



Muslin curtains should be stretched on light frames built of 

 1x3 inch strips and hinged at the top. The frames are raised 

 up inside by means of pulleys and cord. Sometimes they are hung 

 on cords and pulley and hang below the windows outside the house. 



