POULTRY HOUSES 5 



improperly laid and of a poor quality, however, it is 

 not desirable. Roofing felt must be laid close and tight 

 to the roof or side walls by tarring the edges, lapping 

 them, and fastening them down well with nails and 

 caps so that no wind, water, or snow can enter the 

 house. Every crack or opening in the roof becomes a 

 catch-basin for dampness instead of a protection from it. 



All kinds of roofing papers will prove to be more 

 satisfactory if they are laid with hot tar or some liquid 

 preparation that will cause the paper to adhere to the 

 boards. In addition to the liquid preparation, nails with 

 tin caps must be used to hold the paper tight and firm 

 in position, as just explained. Nothing less than a 2-in. 

 lap of one piece of paper over the other should be 

 allowed. 



Shingles. A good covering for poultry buildings may 

 be made of shingles. They may be laid on strip sheath- 

 ing, which is usually made of boards a foot wide and 

 an inch thick, or on roofing lath, which is not nearly 

 so expensive as the close sheathing. If good shingles 

 are used and the roof is properly laid, it should do 

 service as long as the building lasts. The life of a 

 shingle roof may be prolonged by giving the roof a 

 steep pitch. If the pitch is steep, the roof will drain 

 more quickly and the material will be less likely to 

 become water soaked. In this way, the danger of its 

 destruction through mold or decay is lessened. If, how- 

 ever, the shingles are of poor quality and turn up at 

 the ends, snow and rain will get into the poultry house. 



Floor Materials. Floors made of dirt may be used in 

 poultry houses, provided the drainage is good and there 

 is little danger from rats. Damp clay is commonly used 

 in making dirt floors. This material should be well 

 tamped, moistened, and then tamped again until level, 

 hard, and smooth. Floors made in this way can be 

 kept in a sanitary condition for a long time by sprin- 

 kling them with fresh, dry dirt or clean sand each time 

 that the house is swept or* 1 cleaned. Sifted coal ashes 

 mixed with wet clay in the proportion of 1 part ashes 

 2 



