LAYING HOUSES TO MEET SPECIAL CONDITIONS 



51 



FIG. 92 SIDE-SECTION OF SEMI-MONITOR POULTRY HOUSE 



sand or earth floor only. In the rear 

 section use clean, new straw litter. 

 This house may be made with sand 

 or gravel floor filled in to top of sill, 

 but we would prefer a cement or con- 

 crete floor (rat proof) to bottom of 

 sill and filled in with sand and litter 

 to top of sill. 



"Where ground is level house 

 stands with bottom of sills on posts 

 or rock six inches above ground level 

 and is boarded down to ground. 

 Height at peak is 8 ft.; at back, 5 ft.; 

 at north end of front section, 5 ft. 

 6 in., and at front, 4 ft. 6 in. all 

 measurements from ground. 



A house built after the foregoing 

 plans is shown in Fig. 93. To 

 make it ratproof it was built with a 

 double-boarded floor and was placed 

 on posts, protected with inverted 



metal pans, as shown." The following is the bill of ma- 

 terials for this house: 



6 posts 7 ft. long- to cut in two. 



2 pieces 4x4 in., 14 ft. long for side sills. 



2 pieces 4x4 in. 10 ft. long for end sills. 



4 pieces 2x3 in. 3 ft. 8 in. long for back studs. 



3 pieces 2x3 in. 5 ft. long for studs. 



2 pieces 2x3 in. 5 ft. 8 in. long for studs. 



3 pieces 2x3 in. 6 ft. 4 in. long for studs. 



2 pieces 2x3 in. 4 ft. long for studs. 



4 pieces 2x3 in. 3 ft. 4 in. long for studs. 



3 pieces 2x3 in. 10 ft. long for plates. 



2 pieces 2x3 in. 10 ft. long for droppings boards supports. 



2 pieces 2x3 in. 10 ft. long, with rounded edges, for roosts. 



5 pieces 2x4 in. 8 ft. 9 in. long for rear rafters. 

 5 pieces 2x4 in. 6 ft. long for front rafters. 



58 sq. ft. matched boards for droppings board and door. 



460 sq. ft. common boards for sides and roof. 



1 full window (2 sash six-light) 4 ft. 3 in. x 2 ft. 6 in. 



3 three-light cellar window sash for monitor top. 



10 running feet of ^4 -inch, square-mesh, heavy galvanized 



wire netting, 30 in. wide for open front. 

 500 sq. ft. best roofing fabric with caps and nails. 

 Bundle shingles for making eaves on north and south sides. 

 Nails, hinges, spikes, screws, etc. 



This plan may readily be adapted to a house of 

 larger size by making the following changes: For a col- 

 ony house to accommodate a flock of about 100 hens, 

 or for sections of the same capacity in a continuous 



feet or more in width, also in the south where high roofs 

 are not objectionable. 



In the north semi-monitor houses are open to criti- 

 cism, as they are almost always drafty in cold weather, 

 and it frequently is necessary to put up muslin screens 

 in front of the perches to protect the fowls while on the 

 roost. In wide houses it sometimes is desirable also 

 to divide the house through the middle with a muslin 

 partition to prevent drafts on the floor. Figures 92 

 and 93 illustrate a house of this type, which is described 

 by the designer, Dr. P. T. Woods, as follows: 



"The plans given herewith are for an open-air house 

 10 feet wide by fourteen feet deep. A 10xl4-foot house 

 will accommodate 35 layers and may be used satisfac- 

 torily for smaller flocks of from 12 to 25 breeders. The 

 plans are for a colony house, but same may be consid- 

 ered as the first sections of a continuous house, if 

 desired. 



"Fig. 92 shows side (sectional) elevation. Position 

 of posts, studs, plates and rafters is clearly shown. Dotted 

 lines show position of window in the west wall. Door 

 placed between two highest studs in east 

 wall, with bottom just below top of sill ' 

 to break joint and stop draft. Door 

 opens outward and hinges on the north 

 side. A screen door of one-inch mesh 

 hexagon netting should be made to 

 open in, just inside solid door. This is ; 

 useful in summer or at any time when 

 it is desired to have door open. It will 

 be noted that the south front is boarded 

 down six inches from the top and up 

 18 inches from the bottom. The bal- 

 ance of space is always open, being cov- 

 ered only by one-quarter-inch square- 

 mesh galvanized wire netting. The act- 

 ual opening in front is two and one- 

 half feet high by about 10 feet wide. 

 X is a 12-inch board notched to receive 

 rafters, and is nailed to upright studs 

 to serve the double purpose of a sup- 

 port for front rafters and as a stop draft. 

 XX is litter board, extending from floor 

 level to four to six inches above sill. 

 and should be used to keep litter in 



rear section of house. It should be ,**'** 



made removable, resting in cleats. The ' 

 front section of the house should have FIG. 93 SMALL SEMI-MONITOR POULTRY HOUSE 



