HOUSES FOR COMMERCIAL LAYING FLOCKS 



39 



sary to enclose the space between each tie and the pair 

 of rafters above it with netting or strips, in order to pre- 

 vent the fowls from roosting theie instead of on the regu- 

 lar perches. 



Fig. 67 shows the floor plan for a complete section 

 or pen and a portion of the opposite end section. All 

 sections are made identical with the one shown. Perches 

 are provided as show.n in Fig. 67. For detail drawing 

 showing rear ventilator (not indicated in Fig. 64), see 

 Chapter X. This ventilator will be found a great aid in 

 keeping the house comfortable in summer and should 

 never be omitted. It does not seem to be commonly un- 

 derstood that fowls suffer as much from extreme heat as 

 from cold, and their productiveness is affected by either. 

 It is almost as important, therefore, to protect the fowls 

 from severe heat as from cold. The average laying house 

 is unnecessarily hot and uncomfortable in the summer 



While not provided for in the plans or the bill of 

 materials, it is recommended that two six-light windows 

 be supplied for each pen, to be located in the rear wall 

 under the droppings platform. These windows are espec- 

 ially desirable in twenty-foot houses, as they light up what 

 otherwise is a comparatively dark section of the floor. 

 In 'the summer, with the sash removed, the openings will 

 be found to assist greatly in keeping the house cool. Of 

 course, there must be no open cracks about these win- 

 dows in winter, to expose the hens to drafts. 



Fig. 64 shows a cross-section at partition. In ex- 

 posed locations it may be necessary to build every other 

 partition solid in order to prevent floor drafts, but, as a 

 rule, the two-foot baseboard will protect the fowls suffi- 

 ciently, and open partitions make the house much cooler 

 in summer. Fig. 66 shows an elevation with slope of 

 roof and location of outside door. 





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H 4" x 4" Pos-V 





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FIG. 67 FLOOR PLAN OF COMPARTMENT LAYING HOUSE FOR COMMERCIAL FLOCKS 



simply because provision is not made for sufficient ven- 

 tilation. As a result of this there is little circulation of 

 air, especially in the back part where perches are located. 



With an opening under the eave six to twelve inches 

 wide, depending on where the house is located, there will 

 be a constant circulation of air from front to back or 

 back to front, as the case may be, and the ceiling around 

 the perches will protect the fowls from direct drafts. In 

 some instances a narrow door running the entire length 

 of each pen is placed in the inside wall at the angle where 

 it joins the roof ceiling. This is to be opened in hot 

 weather, thus securing direct air circulation in the roosting 

 compartment. If this is done, the doors must be made to 

 fit tight, as there should be no suspicion of a draft here 

 in winter. 



The outside opening should run the entire length of 

 the building and is provided with hinged doors not over 

 six feet long. Use sound, well-seasoned boards for this 

 purpose in order to reduce the tendency to warp. The 

 doors are to be held open with screw hooks and eyes, but 

 should be closed in cold weather and fastened securely in 

 place with wooden buttons. 



Fig. 65 shows front elevation and is self-explanatory. 

 The size of the muslin-covered openings may be increased 

 or decreased as local conditions require, remembering, 

 however, that with the shutters closed the fowls will go 

 through extremely cold weather without suffering any 

 injury, even though the surface to be so protected may 

 seem quite large. 



The accompanying bill of materials gives everything 

 that is required for the construction of this house as de- 

 scribed. In estimating quantities needed, reasonable al- 

 lowance has been made for waste. Estimates on siding 

 and ceiling provide for 25 per cent shrinkage and on 

 sheathing boards about 10 per cent. However, as there 

 often are changes to be made to meet individual require- 

 ments, and as some of the building material is almost in- 

 variably taken for other purposes, it will be wise to order 

 a little extra. This is particularly true in the case of 

 ^x4-inch trim boards for which the poultryman usually 

 finds an astonishing number of extra uses. 



Material for the concrete foundation and floor is - 

 timated on the basis of a 2j4-foot wall, six inches thick; 

 floor, three inches thick, and a four-inch insulating layer. 



