THE POULTRY PLANT 



CHEAP COLONY HOUSES 



FIVE DOLLAR PIANO BOX HOUSE AND 

 THE DUSTON TEN DOLLAR COLONY 

 BREEDING OR BROODER HOUSE 



PIANO BOX HOUSE 



Purchase two good second hand upright piano boxes; they 

 can usually be had for $1,50 to $2. each. Buy a six light 8 

 by 10 glass window, second hand one will answer, at a cost of 

 25 to 50 cents. Two strap hinges, a small roll of tar paper, 

 caps and nails, a doorhasp and staple, a soap box for nest and 

 a five-foot piece of 2 by 3-inch stuff for a roost, these are the 

 other necessaries. All told, the equipment should not exceed $5. 



Place piano boxes back to back 2 feet apart with ends 

 south, first removing the backs and tops of both boxes. Draw 

 all nails with a nail puller and save them. Use one of the tops 

 for the floor between the boxes and the other to close the open 

 space between the north ends of two boxes. They will need 

 very Httle fitting. Cut 2 feet off one back to make a door for 

 the south end and hang it with the strap hinges to the west box 

 to swing west and out, space between south ends of boxes is 

 opening closed by this door. Saw out a hole in the lower part 

 of south end of east piano box to fit window, 2 feet square is 

 right. Fit in the six-hght, 8 by 10 glass, window on -the inside 

 of this hole to sUde up 10 inches and then^west^to take out. 

 This serves for window and chick door. 







PIANO BOX COLONY HOUSE 



To^make^roof saw one of the boards, 6 feet long and 8 m&hes 

 wide, found in all piano boxes, diagonally from one comer 

 lengthwise to opposite comer. Nail one of these triangular 

 pieces to north end, butt of wedge (8 inch end) to east and one 

 to south end butt of wedge to east — this gives a pitch for your 

 roof. Make roof of the balance of backs and make it tight. 

 Use roofing paper or tar paper to cover slope of east box, entire 

 roof and all of vifest side; batten it on with laths if location is very 

 windy, otherwise the tin caps arid nails will be all that are need- 

 ed. Roost should be placed in west box- two feet from floor. 

 Soap box filled with straw serves as nest box. This house Will 

 serve as quarters for half a dozen breeding birds or will make 

 an excellent' brood house for two sitting hens, and will care for 

 them and their flocks to maturity. ' ' 



DUSTON COLONY HOUSE 



The house herein described was designed by. Arthur G. 

 Duston, White Wyandotte : ^peciaUst^. This house is 10. feet 



long and 5 feet wide, 5 feet 3i inches high in front, and 4 feet 

 2 inches in the back, A large double window furnishes light. 

 It is placed low in the hou^e, one foot from the board floor. 

 When the door is open, the sun shines in as though it were an 

 open shed. The door is 2 feet 6 inches, by 4 feet 6 inches and 

 is made in two sections. The inner section is hinged to the 

 outer, thus making a door within a door. The opening in the 

 door proper is covered with one inch mesh wire netting. This 

 permits of the opening of the panel door. In winter, except 

 in stormy weather, this outside door is left open all day. When 

 closed, the building is tight and warm. The first year there 

 is no need of papering the sides, but after that the openings from 

 shrinltage make drafts, which, df course, the birds cannot stand. 

 The roof is covered with any good roofing fabric. This colony 

 house is built of 2 by 3 inch studding and J inch matched stock. 



MATERIAL REQUIRED 



This house is 10 ft. long by 5 ft. wide, inside measure. 

 It requires 230 ft. matched stock and 118 ft. 2 by 3 stock as 

 follows: 



Three side sills 2 by 3s 10 ft.; two end sills 2 by 3s 5 ft. 

 Halve (rabbeted joint) sills together. 



Two side plates 2 by 3s 10 ft.; two end plates 1 by 3s 5 ft. 

 li in. Set end plates even with top of side plates. Set aU 

 2 by 3 pieces edgewise. 



Three front posts 2 by 3s 4 ft. 9 in.; two back posts 2 by 3s 

 8 ft. Frame sills and lay floor, then set posts on top of floor 

 and under plates. 



Boarding on front 5 ft. SJ in. long; boarding on back 4 ft. 

 2 in. long; boarding on roof 5 ft, 8 in. long. 



Two 2 by 4s 10 ft. shoes, spiked under siUs. 



One 2 by 4, 10 ft. roosts. 



One 12-Ught window sash, 12 inches above floor. 



One IJ by 2, 14 ft., cut to go above sash. 



One door 2 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. 6 in. 



One door (small), 1 ft. 10 in. by 3 ft. 9 in. 



Two 2^ in. hooks and eyes. 



Two pair 3 in. strap hinges. 



Approximate cost 810. 



The house is built on two pieces of 2 by 4 in. stuff, roimded 

 at the ends. A work horse can haul one of these houses all 

 over the farm. Anyone can hang three or four foot wire netting 

 on stakes driven in the ground and in a few minutes have a 

 house and yard ready for occupancy. 



This colony house makes an admirable building for a pen 

 of fine breeding birds or ten or a dozen layers. It is also well 

 adapted for use as a brooding house for hens with chicks or for 

 an individual indoor brooder. For colonizing growing chicks in 

 flocks of thirty to fifty. 





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A. ,G. P,USTPN'S, P,RAjC,TICAL COLONY HOUSE 



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