92 



POULTRY HOUSES AND FIXTURES 



inside faces of A and B and extending beyond them about 

 half an inch, thus providing supports for the top and bot- 

 tom of the uprights. 



Above strip B is an eight-inch board which forms the 

 door into the nests, by means of which the eggs may be 

 gathered without entering the different pens. Strip D 

 should be four inches wide and above it is another door 



FIG. 182 DETAIL, OF CONSTRUCTION OF DROP- 

 PINGS' PLATFORM, PERCHES, AND NESTS 



opening flush with the top of the droppings platform so 

 that the droppings may be scraped directly into a box or 

 trough provided for the purpose and which can be wheeled 

 readily from one pen to another. This door should be 

 about 12 inches wide and is hinged to the four-inch strip 

 (F) above. 



In the illustration the partition from this point to the 

 top is wire netting, but it is a much better plan to make 

 it of heavy muslin, or 'at least to provide a curtain of this 

 material that can be used in cold weather to protect the 

 fowls from drafts when on the perches. The door into 

 the pen, which is indicated on the right, should be at least 

 2y 2 feet wide, and should be constructed with a frame of 

 four-inch lumber with wire netting to cover it. There 

 should be an 8 to 12-inch baseboard, which should be 

 made movable, supporting it by means of cleats, so that 

 it can be taken out and the dirt on the pen floor swept 

 out into the passage. 



PARTITIONS 



The style of partition shown in Fig. 64 will be found 

 suited to the requirements of most persons.' The base 

 of the partition should always be at least two feet high 

 ;nd built tight to prevent the fowls from being distracted 

 by whatever may be going on in the adjoining pens, and 

 also to prevent floor drafts. Next to the rear wall the 

 partition is carried up tight to the rafters and should ex- 

 tend one or two feet beyond the front perch. This forms 

 a sort of open closet for the perches, helping to keep the 

 fowls warm on cold nights and screening them from direct 

 air currents. The rest of the partition may be of two-inch 

 netting carried up to the rafters. 



As a rule, the best place for the partition door is close 

 to the front, so that the attendant may pass through from 



one pen to another with the least possible disturbance to 

 the fowls. Partition doors should be wide not less than 

 2y 2 feet wider is better so that it will be possible to go 

 through without crowding, or to use a wheelbarrow in 

 cleaning out the pens. Use double-acting spring hinges, if 

 possible, as they save time and trouble and the doors are 

 sure to close. If spring doors are not used, attach 

 weights to the doors so that they will stay shut without 

 having to be fastened, or use the simple door fastener 

 shown in Fig. 213 on page 101. 



DROPPINGS PLATFORMS AND NESTS 



Why Droppings Platforms Are Provided. How to Build 



Convenient Laying Nests. 



Droppings platforms should be located about 2y 2 to 

 3 feet above the pen floor, unless heavy fowls are to 

 be kept, in which case they should not be over two feet. 

 With the platform 2^ to 3 feet high there is room 

 for nests under the platform, which is the most desirable 

 place for them, as a rule. Platform boards should always 

 run the short way of the platform, or in the direction in 

 which the droppings are to be scraped out, which makes 

 cleaning much easier. Use tongue-and-groove boards 

 with a smooth surface, such as flooring boards, and re- 

 member that the lumber will swell when the droppings be- 

 gin to accumulate on them, for which reason the boards 

 should not be driven up tight together, but left with room 

 to expand. Platforms should always be built level, not 

 sloping, and should extend fully a foot beyond the front 

 perch. 



Platforms are provided in order to keep the droppings 

 from mixing with the litter, also to make the floor space 

 under the perches available for scratching purposes. They 

 should be supported on 2x4 stringers, front and back, so 

 that the platform will always hold its shape and remain 

 level. One-inch lumber when used for this purpose will 

 bend under the weight of the platform and must be sup- 

 ported at frequent intervals. Numerous supports are a 

 nuisance in cleaning the floor, however, and it is better 

 to use 2x4 stringers, in which case the upright supports 

 may be spaced at least eight feet apart. 



A Manure Pit for the Laying House 

 In some instances droppings platforms are omitted 

 and a 10-inch board is placed on edge on the pen floor, 

 about a foot in front of the perches. The droppings are 

 allowed to fall on the floor and accumulate there until it 

 is convenient to remove them. By this plan it is possible 



fe S 



3ZJ: B.T7'S 



FIG. 183 MANURE PIT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF 



DROPPINGS PLATFORM 

 Reproduced from Ex. Bui. 16, Clemson (S. C.) Agr, Col. 



to avoid the frequent cleaning that is necessary where 

 platforms are used, and if earth or fine litter is sprinkled 

 over the droppings often enough to keep them dry, they 

 may be allowed to accumulate for a considerable time be- 

 fore there will be any noticeable odor. The following de- 



