The Essentials of Poultry Raising 43 



the limit for the winter months. The floor may be of concrete, 

 cinders or gravel, dirt, or boards. If it is concrete, there should 

 be eight inches of crushed rock or cinders well tamped in with 

 two inches of cement surface. The top inch should be made of 

 one part cement to two parts sifted sand and the balance of 

 six parts of coarse rock and sand to one part of cement. Bolts 

 should be imbedded in the cement foundation so that the sills 

 may be bolted down. The top of the foundation should slope 

 about one inch to the front. If the floor is of cinders or gravel, 

 it should be four to six inches deep and thoroughly tamped. 

 With the gravel or cinder floor, the sills furnish a harbor for 

 rats that cannot be prevented. If the floor is of dirt, it should 

 be filled in four to six inches above the surrounding ground 

 so as to ensure dryness during wet seasons. If the floor is con- 

 structed of boards, flooring should be used. The floor should 

 be twelve to eighteen inches above the ground. In winter the 

 space under the house should be boxed in. 



The sides, back, and front walls may be constructed of plain 

 sheathing boards, nailed on perpendicularly, and these boards 

 should be covered with heavy tar paper, or a good grade of 

 boxing boards, planed on one side and battened, may be used. 

 Weather boarding is sometimes used. The most satisfactory 

 walls are made from pieces of four-inch flooring driven tightly 

 together. The roof should be covered with sheathing laid closely 

 together. The surface of the sheathing may be covered with 

 metal shingles, wood shingles, or prepared roofing. The house 

 should be painted. 



Where it is desired to keep the cost down, the framing ma- 

 terial may be secured from the forest and hewn out, and the 

 studdings may be set in the ground. The sills, being nailed 

 to the studding set in the ground, will be above the surface of 

 the floor and thus harbors for rats will be avoided. 



The front of the house is eight feet high and the back six 

 feet. The front opening is three feet wide, which allows an 



