200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



predatory animals try to burrow close to the wall or fence, and 

 finding the wire desist. Concrete foundations and floors com- 

 bined with the use of fine mesh netting to cover all openings 

 may be recommended as the surest way of rat-proofing poultry 

 houses. A foundation wall should first be provided, extending 

 at least 1 foot under ground (3 feet would be better) and 1 foot 

 above it. If the wall is slightly wider at the bottom than at 

 the surface it will better withstand the heaving of frost. At 

 least 8 inches of gravel may be laid on the ground under the 

 floors inside the walls to insure good drainage. If the sills of 

 the building are then laid on the walls, rats cannot reach the 

 sills to gnaw through, and they cannot burrow under the floor 

 and undermine it. 



A poultryman recently concreted the floor of his henhouse, 

 but allowed the sills to rest on the ground. Immediately rats 

 gnawed through the heavy spruce sill and tunneled under the 

 concrete, working through it before it had hardened, entering 

 as freely as before. 



Dr. R. H. Creel says that chicken pens can be protected 

 by concrete walls extending down 2 feet or more into the 

 ground with half-inch mesh wire netting covering the sides and 

 tops of the pens. This will prevent rats, mice and sparrows 

 from getting in, and will protect chickens against cats, hawks 

 and other enemies. Fowls should be fed always in rat-proof 

 houses, sheds or pens, never in open yards. In this way the 

 great loss which ordinarily occurs in feeding rats, mice and 

 English sparrows will be avoided. Open-front henhouses or 

 scratching sheds should be covered with half-inch wire netting 

 in order to keep rats from climbing in through the wire. Pigeon 

 lofts should be similarly protected. No opening must be left 

 anywhere unguarded. A gentleman in Milton, Massachusetts, 

 found it impossible to raise squabs on account of the depreda- 

 tions of rats, which, notwithstanding he had wired his pigeon loft, 

 continued to kill pigeons and squabs, although the only opening 

 was a window about 20 feet from the ground. It was suggested 

 that he put a wide sheet of zinc around the window. This 

 proved effective, stopping the entrance of both rats and squir- 

 rels, as they could not climb up or over it. It is difficult to 

 keep rats out of barns and stables where doors are constantly 

 left open, but something may be done. 



