8 



POULTRY HOUSES 



and 2 parts clay, and well tamped with a heavy tamper, 

 also make a very good floor. A tamper can be made by 

 fitting a round handle into a block of wood. The block 

 should be about 6 or 8 in. square and a foot long, and 

 the handle about 3 ft. long and l l / 2 in. in diameter. 

 A hole to a depth of 3 or 4 in. should be bored into the 

 center of one end of the block by means of a IJ^-in. 

 auger and the handle then driven into place. 



Floors made of boards laid on 2" x 4" joists set on edge 

 and filled between with dirt are soon undermined by 

 rats. When using boards, it is well to fill in between 

 the joists with cement filling or to cover them beneath 

 the floor with close, galvanized-wire cloth or with steel 

 lathing, to keep out rats. If floors are raised far enough 

 above the ground to permit dogs and cats to go beneath 

 them, there will be scarcely any danger from rats. 

 Elevating the board floor above the ground also prevents 

 to a limited extent the expansion and contraction that 

 is caused by alternate damp and dry condi- 

 tions. A board floor should be made of per- 

 fectly dry, well-seasoned, tongued-and-grooved 

 lumber, with the edges laid smooth and level. 

 Underneath the floor should be placed a 

 layer of three-ply tar paper, and the tongue 

 and groove of the flooring should be smeared 

 with hot tar before the boards are nailed into 

 place. This practice is often not followed; 

 nevertheless, the use of tar for this purpose always pays. 

 Well-laid concrete floors are decidedly the best for 

 all kinds of poultry buildings. Their large cost makes 

 them prohibitive in some instances, but since most 

 farmers at the present time can do plain concreting, 

 they are used extensively. Concrete floors should con- 

 sist of four layers, as shown in the accompanying illus- 

 tration. The bottom layer should be made up of stones, 

 and the next layer of about 8 in. of coal cinders or 

 gravel. On top of this to within 1 in. of the top should 

 be placed 3 or 4 in. of concrete. The top layer of the 

 floor should consist of cement and sand 1 part of good 



