42 



POULTRY HOUSES AND FIXTURES 



f/oof even with Top of Sill 



FIG. 72 CROSS SECTION OF CORNELL, MODEL POULTRY HOUSE 



After the floor is made ready the 

 studding and plates for front and 

 rear are next cut and put up, 

 squared and braced. The studs in 

 front are cut nine feet long and those 

 in the rear are 5 feet long. Notches 

 for the Ix6-inch ribbon should be cut 

 in the rear studs before they are put 

 up. The rafters should be notched to 

 fit onto the plates and they should 

 also set on top of the studding front 

 and rear. If preferred, short rafters, 

 2x6-inch, 12 feet long may be used 

 and allowed to overlap in the center 

 and spiked together. The 2x6-inch 

 roof support should now be put in 

 with a 4x4-inch post in the center 

 and a 2x4-inch under each end. Raise 

 this support a little so as to make 

 the rafters slightly crowning in the 

 center. Space the end studs from 

 two and one-half to three feet apart. 



In most localities in this state a 

 single thickness of cove or novelty 

 siding is all that is required. This 

 siding must be put on with consider- 

 able care. A knot hole or a crack 



FIG. 73 CROSS 

 SECTION OF 

 FRONT 



between the boards may be the means 

 of creating a draft in the house that 

 will cause many birds to become ill 

 with colds. Cove siding must be 

 thoroughly dry when it is put on, 

 otherwise cracks are likely to open 

 up between the boards when wind 

 and sun have dried them out. Spruce 

 siding is the best because it will not 

 shrink as much as pine. The ad- 

 vantage in using the cove siding is 

 that it can be painted so as to make 

 a very attractive house. 



The Cornell wind baffler was de- 

 signed for the purpose of taking the 

 place of the muslin curtains for ven- 

 tilation. See page 21 for directions 

 for making and installing bafflers. 



The perches are hung with hooks 

 and chains to help prevent the mites 

 from getting onto them. The per- 

 ches should be painted twice a year 

 with a good creosote wood preserva- 



tive. This will also help to keep the 

 mites away. 



In the ceiling, about three inches 

 above the droppings board, a four- 

 inch opening extending the full 

 length of the house is made. The ob- 

 ject of this opening is to provide a 

 means for carrying off the bad odor 

 from the droppings boards and roost- 

 ing compartment. If desired, this 

 opening may be closed in the win- 

 tertime. The ten-inch opening under 

 the eaves in the rear is almost a nec- 

 essity during hot weather. This open- 

 ing extends the full length' of the 

 house and there are four doors that 

 can be opened and closed as desired, 

 made of boards 12 inches wide. These 



should be cleated to prevent them from warping. The 

 front ventilators are usually kept open all summer and 

 should be opened a little in cold weather if there is any 

 indication of dampness in the house. The window sashes 

 are arranged to drop back at the top in order to increase 

 ventilation. This feature is especially valuable during the 

 winter months. 



The bottoms of the nests are stationary, but the 

 frames are removable for easy cleaning and spraying. If 

 desired, these nests may be made much lighter by mak- 

 ing the frames entirely of 9-16-inch lumber. There is an 

 opening for the hens to enter the nests at the end nearest 

 the droppings boards. A board or a small gate should 

 be arranged to close this opening whenever it may be 

 necessary to prevent pullets or hens from getting into the 

 nests at night. A droppings board is placed just above 

 the nests and a frame covered with one-inch mesh poultry 

 wire above this for the bottom of the broody coop. The 

 broody coop may be divided into two parts by a partition 

 in the center. Troughs for feed and water 'can be hung 

 on the outside of the slats. 



A 14-foot partition is put in the center of the house. 

 This partition makes the house more rigid and also serves 

 to prevent the circulation of strong air currents. This 

 partition makes it convenient at the breeding season for 

 dividing the house into two pens, one of which can be 

 used for the selected breeders. The mash hopper should 







PIG. 74 MISSOURI POULTRY HOUSE, SHOWING FRONT AND SIDE 

 Photo from University of Missouri. 



