LOCATING AND PLANNING POULTRY HOUSES 



23 



Hardware 



In the various bills of materials presented, the kind 

 or quality of hardware required is not specified aside 

 from a few details such as hinges, hooks, etc. A few 

 general suggestions on the subject here may prove help- 

 ful to the inexperienced. In setting up ordinary framing 

 timbers 20-penny nails are regularly used, though a few 

 40-penny spikes come "in handy now and then. For nail- 

 ing sheathing boards, T & G siding, and %-inch lumber 

 generally, 8-penny nails are used. For rough, unsurfaced 

 boards, which run one inch or over in thickness, it is 

 better to use the 10-penny size. For J^-inch lumber, such 

 as strips for cracks, etc., use 6-penny nails. Shingles are 

 laid with 4-penny nails, galvanized if obtainable. Lathing 

 nails (2-penny) are handy for a variety of uses and a 

 few should always be on hand. Size mentioned above 

 apply to either wire or cut nails, the former being em- 

 ployed almost exclusively, as they are cheaper, easier to 

 use, less liable to split the lumber, and more readily ob- 

 tainable. 



There is little occasion for using casing or finishing 

 nails in poultry-house construction, but when neat work 

 is to be done they will be called for. In making shutter 

 frames, feed hoppers and, in general, wherever thin lum- 

 ber or narrow strips are to be employed, box nails which 

 are of smaller diameter than ordinary nails of the same 

 length, can be used 1 with less danger of splitting the 

 wood. Where they cannot be obtained it sometimes is 

 practicable to use casing nails which also are of smaller 

 diameter then headed nails. 



For attaching light-weight poultry netting to fences, 

 etc., ordinary netting staples are satisfactory, but if wire 

 heavier than 16 gauge is used it is better to get regular 

 fencing staples. On shutter frames and generally where 

 the lumber is liable to split, double-pointed carpet tacks 

 are much more desirable than netting staples. They hold 

 the netting securely and do not split. For tacking mus- 



latter have very thin heads and are hard to pull out when 

 making repairs. For fastening doors, wir-.dows, etc., 

 screw hooks and eyes are invaluable, and the 2-in. size 

 is most convenient in a majority of cases. For adjusting 



FIG. 38 KING VENTILATING SYSTEM 



lin to frames, 4-oz. carpet tacks are heavy enough, but if 

 duck or burlap is used it will be better to employ the 

 8-oz. size. Cut tacks are preferable to wire tacks as the 



PIG. 39 CROSS SECTION OF STRAW LOFT HOUSE 



swinging windows, various attachments are obtainable, 

 but about the cheapest convenient plan is to use a suit- 

 able length of light, flat-link chain, obtainable at any 

 good hardware store. 



The various styles of hinges used about poultry 

 buildings include butt hinges, with either tight or loose 

 pins, T-strap hinges, and strap hinges. Butt hinges are 

 employed on all narrow strips, frames, etc. As the 

 screws which fasten these hinges in place are close to- 

 gether and near the edges of the boards, they are quite 

 liable to split out and it is not advisable, therefore, to 

 use them if strap hinges can be employed instead. Loose- 

 pin butt hinges are used only where it is desirable to be 

 able to remove the hinged section without taking out 

 screws, and where the hinges are in a vertical position. 

 Be particular to specify tight-pin butts in hinges to be 

 placed horizontally, as in windows, shutters, etc. For 

 partition doors between pens, it is desirable to use dou- 

 ble-acting hinges. The smaller hardware stores, as a 

 rule, only handle the heavy, expensive styles used in 

 dwelling houses, but comparatively inexpensive ones are 

 made and can be secured on direct order if the pur- 

 chaser insists upon it. For large outside doors, strap 

 or T-strap hinges are commonly used. If the door is 

 regularly framed, loose-pin butt hinges (4 to 5-inch size) 

 may be used, but are more trouble to install. A 6 to 8- 

 inch safety hasp usually is preferred to any other form 

 of door fastener. 



Paint 



The improvement in appearance which results from 

 having well-painted buildings would alone be a sufficient 

 reason for painting all exposed wood work. In addi- 

 tion to this, however, paint adds greatly to the life of 

 the building, particularly if cheaper grades of lumber are 

 used. Such lumber will deteriorate rapidly if not pro- 

 tected. It is true economy, moreover, to use paint of 

 good quality, mixed with linseed oil, rather than to ap- 

 ply cheap paint which always is composed of distinctly 

 inferior materials. "Cold-water" paints, whitewash, etc., 

 may be used and will add appreciably to the appearance 

 of buildings, fences, etc., but have not the preservative 

 value of good oil paint, and require renewal at more 

 frequent intervals. 



"Whitewash can be made by slacking about ten 

 pounds of quicklime in a pail with 2 gallons of water, 

 covering the pail with cloth or burlap and allowing it to 

 slake for one hour. Water is then added to bring the 



