272 MANAGEMENT OF LAYING STOCK 



winter will immediately cut down the egg yield perceptibly, in 

 some cases more than half, and it will be a number of weeks before 

 the condition is remedied and the birds are back to their normal 

 production. Three special matters must be considered in the 

 sanitation and cleansing of the poultry house. They are embraced 

 under the following headings : (1) Frequent removal of the drop- 

 pings; (2) keeping the litter in perfect condition; (3) a general 

 cleaning and spraying of the house at least twice a year. 



Removal of Droppings. The exact time and frequency of clean- 

 ing the dropping boards will depend upon the number of birds 

 in the house, the weather, and the kind and amount of absorbents 

 used on the dropping boards. A good rule is to clean the boards 

 whenever the droppings become moist, for they then give off 

 objectionable odors and fumes that are detrimental. This is apt 

 to take place more quickly if the weather is damp than when it 

 is dry or when exceptionally cold in the winter. As long as the 

 droppings can be kept dry by the use of absorbents, such as dust, 

 gypsum, sand, and phosphate "floats," they emit no odors and are 

 not objectionable. It is not economy to clean them too often, 

 owing to the large amount of labor involved. The usual custom 

 is to clean them about twice a week, but the rule varies according 

 to the conditions outlined. 



Care of Litter. The litter on the floor of the poultry house 

 is placed there to hide the grain, and this object is best accom- 

 plished if the litter is loose, dry, and rather coarse. The frequency 

 with which it should be removed and replaced with new litter 

 depends upon several circumstances. A safe rule is to clean out 

 the old litter and put in new (1) whenever it becomes so fine that 

 it packs down and does not hide the grain; (2) whenever it 

 becomes moist and damp, due to foggy weather or the beating 

 of rain into the house, in which case it is very apt to produce roup 

 or colds; (3) whenever it becomes much soiled with the poultry 

 manure. 



A good plan is to start in the fall by putting about two or 

 three inches of litter in the house and then add to it, a little every 

 week or two, thus keeping clean litter on the top all the time. In 

 actual practice it is advisable to clean the litter all out three or 

 four times each winter, but this depends almost wholly upon the 

 kind of litter used. 



What to use for Poultry Litter. Where poultry raising is car- 

 ried on in conjunction with general farm operations, there is usually 



