THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



311 



SANITARY FLOORS FOR POULTRY, SHEEP 

 AND HOG HOUSES. 



Concrete Floors Are Effective in Preventing Ver- 

 min and Disease. 



Poultrymen and sheep and hog breeders are 

 finding concrete a very satisfactory floor material 

 for their buildings. Concrete floors have no cracks 

 in which lice, ticks and similar vermin can breed 

 and are likewise proof against the attack of rats 

 and other destructive animals. Moreover, concrete 

 floors do not harbor disease germs and can be 

 easily cleaned and disinfected. Properly built and 

 cared for, they are not damp and do not cause 

 rheumatism. 



Planning and Laying Out Floor. 



The first step in building the floor is to remove 

 all manure and other foreign matter and 

 then to grade the surface of the ground. 

 If needed, lay all water pipes and the 

 drains necessary for keeping the ground 

 dry, for carrying off waste water and for 

 conducting the liquids to the manure 

 pit. Such earth filling as may be neces- 

 sary must be dampened and thoroughly 

 tamped. This work should be done as 

 long as possible before building the floor. 

 Keep the concrete from direct contact 

 with the earth by covering the entire 

 surface of the leveled-off ground with 

 six to eight inches of coarse crushed rock 

 or screened gravel. 



For grading the surface of the floors 

 use a carpenter's spirit level (or a water 

 level) and a chalk line. A four-inch 

 thickness of concrete is sufficient. Slope 

 the floor one-eighth inch per foot in such 

 direction that the rain or scrub water 

 will cause the least inconvenience. For 

 poultry houses this will usually be 

 toward the door ; for sheep sheds and hog houses, 

 away from the animal's bed and in the direction 

 of the gutters. 



Mixing and Laying the Concrete. 



The usual proportions of concrete for such 

 floors are 1 cubic foot of Portland cement to 2 l /2 

 cubic feet of sand to 5 cubic feet of crushed rock 

 or screened gravel, or 1 part of cement to 5 parts 

 of bank-run gravel. These materials are measured 

 on the basis that 1 bag of cement (loose) equals 1 

 cubic foot. Mix them thoroughly on a tight wooden 

 platform (never on the ground) and use enough 

 water to make the concrete "quaky." 



Lay the floor in a manner similar to sidewalk 

 construction. If the sand and rock are first-class 

 in quality, no finishing mortar is required. Such 

 a mortar is generally mixed 1 part cement to 2 

 parts sand and is applied (1 inch in thickness) to 

 the 3-inch concrete base before the latter has 

 begun to set. To provide good footing for animals, 

 the floor should be finished merely with a wooden 

 float. A steel-trowel finish is entirely too smooth 

 and, if made, should be roughened with a stable 

 broom. Should removable wooden or gas pipe pen- 



divisions be used, make mortises for them in the 

 floor at the proper points by inserting short lengths 

 of gas pipe or drain tile, or by tamping the concrete 

 around tapering greased wooden cores, which must 

 be withdrawn as soon as the concrete has stiffened. 

 With the proportions given above, 4 bags of 

 cement (1 barrel), % cubic yard of sand and ^ 

 cubic yard of crushed rock will lay a section of 

 floor 8 feet square by 4 inches thick. The cost 

 for the materials alone will be about $2.50. As to 

 the labor, ordinary farm help can do the work 

 very well. 



Proper Care of Animals and Floor. 

 Regardless of the material used for the floor, 

 a certain amount of covering must be provided for 

 floors of houses for poultry, sheep and hogs. Floors 

 of poultry houses should be covered with a layer 

 of sand or litter. The floor of the sleeping quarters 



Concrete Hog-House Floor with Wallow at End. 



of a hog house should be provided with a removable 

 slatted wooden platform, which must be well sup- 

 plied with bedding of straw or litter. Likewise 

 the floor of sheep sheds should be kept bedded, 

 especially during the lambing season. 



Concrete floors are the cheapest as they never 

 have to be repaired or replaced. Moreover, they 

 can be flushed out with a hose or thoroughly dis- 

 infected with oil or other substances without injury 

 to the concrete. They are effective in aiding the 

 prevention of cholera and foot-rot. On account of 

 their sanitary qualities they greatly increase the 

 profits of poultry, sheep and hog raising. 



Send $1.00 for 1 year's subscription to the IRRIGA- 

 TION AGE and bound copy of THE PRIMER OF IRRIGA- 

 TION. If you desire a copy of The Primer of Hy- 

 draulics, add $2.50 to above price. 



