CHAPTER IV 



Laying Houses to Meet Special Conditions 



Laying Houses Especially Designed to Meet the Requirements of Cold and Warm Climates Houses With Open-Front 

 and Semi-Monitor Roofs Block and Concrete Houses Numerous Houses Designed to Meet Special Con- 

 ditions, That Are in Everyday Use by Practical Poultry Keepers in This Country and Canada. 



NIFORMITY in "poultry-house design, as has been matter of fact, nothing but the high cost of building this 



stated elsewhere in this book, is highly desirable 

 so far as it can be attained without sacrificing 

 convenience or efficiency. What may be called 

 the "general-purpose" types, illustrated and described in 

 the preceding chapter, probably will meet the require- 

 ments of the great majority of poultry keepers without 



FIG. 80 FRONT VIEW ELEVATION OF COLD CLIMATE HOUSE 



change or modification in any essential particular. There 

 are, however, special conditions, due to climate, location, 

 or the use to which the house is to be put, that make it 

 more practical to adopt some special type of construc- 

 tion than to adhere to a standard plan, regardless of how 

 desirable it may be to do so, in a general way. Each 

 individual must decide for himself what is required in 

 his particular case. In the following pages will be found 

 plans for a number of houses designed to meet unusual 

 conditions and requirements. It must be a very difficult 

 problem, indeed, for which a suitable solution cannot be 

 found among these. 



A LAYING HOUSE FOR COLD CLIMATES 



Straw-Loft Houses Are Highly Desirable in Extremely 



Cold Climates. They Are Comfortable, Dry, 



and Well Ventilated. 



What is known as the "straw-loft" house is one of 

 the most desirable of special-type poultry houses. As a 



house stands in the way of its general adoption in all 

 sections of the country. The thick blanket of straw in 

 the gable not only makes the pen warmer in winter, but 

 keeps it cooler in summer. It also absorbs moisture and 

 keeps the house dry. There is a marked increase in in- 

 terest in straw-loft houses where extreme cold must be 

 encountered. Aside from the gable 

 roof, straw-filled loft, and double 

 walls, this house does not differ ma- 

 terially from the one described on 

 pages 35 to 37, and all that is said 

 there in icgard to the foundation, 

 floors and fixtures applies with equal 

 force to this house. It is especially 

 desirable to .have a concrete founda- 

 tion and floor with double-walled 

 houses, as the space between the 

 walls makes an excellent hiding place 

 for rats. When once they have ob- 

 tained a foothold it is entirely diffi- 

 cult to dislodge them, and even more 

 so if they gain access to straw loft. 

 In finishing the loft it is wise to 

 provide a trap door in the ceiling so 

 that the straw can be thrown down 



into the house instead of having to fork it all out at the 

 gable doors. This trap need only consist of a few slats 

 with a batten at each end, cutting these long enough to 

 reach across to the permanent slats on either side, which 

 will hold the door in place without hinges or other fast- 

 ening. 



In filling the loft, which usually will be done in the 

 fall, use good, clean straw, free from mold, dust, or chaff. 

 Chaffy straw will pack too tight, interfering with ventila- 

 tion. The material should be filled in loosely, almost to 

 the ridge, starting at the farther end and working back 

 without tramping. Filled in this way the material" will 

 settle just enough to leave a good-sized open space be- 

 low the ridge, which is essential to proper circulation 

 of air. 



Fig. 79 shows a cross-section of the house with wall 

 nests, perches, etc. The slats that are to hold the straw 

 in place should be nailed securely to the underside of 

 the oveihead joists and may be spaced quite a bit further 

 apart than shown in the plan if it is desired to economize 



FIG. 81 SECTION OF FRONT ELEVATION OF COMPART MENT HOUSE FOR WARM CLIMATES 



