SUCCESS WITH POULTRY 



27 



will prevent cholera and add much to the comfort and 

 healthfulness of the flock. The cinders .or gravel will in- 

 sure a dry floor even on low ground where the surface 

 drainage is in toward the house. Do not bank earth up. 

 against the outside walls. Doing so will, in two or three 

 years' time, cause the boards to rot off. ;■ 



Size of the House. ' 



The double house shown in the illustration is forty feet 

 long, twelve feet wide, three feet high in rear and nine in 

 front. The closed part is divided by a board and wire par- 

 tition into two pens 12x12 feet, with a door in same next 

 to the front wall. There is no hallway, all of the room 

 being accessible to the fowls. The partition is of boards 

 two feet up from the earth .floor (the same as the divisin 

 fence), and prevents the male birds from fighting through. 

 The upper part of the partition can be made of lath or 

 wire netting. The netting costs a trifle more, 

 but looks better and is not a harbor for lice. 

 If lath are used, plane them. Lice are not 

 "at home" on a smooth surface. 



Each closed pen has an 8x12 foot open 

 scratching shed attached — a place sheltered 

 from the prevailing winter winds, where, on 

 sunshiny days the fowls can scratch and bask 

 and dust _ themselves and make eggs. These 

 sheds are open to the south, and it is the 

 practice down easit, where this style of 

 house is popular among practical poultrymen, 

 to provide a storm door made of oiled can- 

 vass, tacked to a light frame, which is used 

 to close the opening of the shed. This storm 

 door is usually hinged at the top and when 

 not in use, is swung up against the ceiling 

 of the open shed out of the way and safe 

 against injury. Canvas or heavy niuslin that 

 IS oil«d with good paint oil is impervious to 

 wind and water, but admits enough light to 

 the interior of the scratching shed so the 

 fowls can see to attend to business. 



This storm dor is recommended. By its 

 use the fowls may be admitted to the shed 

 during the day time of all ordinary winter 

 weather, thus giving them more floor spaoe 

 and a place to keep busy. It will be plenty 

 light for them, even on cloudy days. 



The Materials Needed. 



The sUls of a poultry house like this may be of 4x4 or 

 4x6 pieces. If of the latter dimensions the house can be 

 moved if desired, but the 4x4 pieces are heavy enough. 

 These sills may be set on a rock foundation (which :s 

 "best), or on two-foot cedar, oak or hickory posts. If posts 

 are used, dig the holes twelve to eighteen inches deep, 

 ■depending on how high above the surface of the ground 

 the floor of the house is to be; place a flat rock in bottom 

 of hole (two bricks wUl do if you have nothing better), 

 and on this stand the post. A large flat rock will prevent 

 the house from settling. If it is convenient for you to dip 

 these posts in asbestos paint or 'tar, to stave off decay, so 

 much the better. 



For the frame work and rafters use 2x4 stuff. In cold 

 climates the walls should be double, with a four-inch air 

 space between. Ship-lap or tongued and grooved lumber, 

 should be used for the outside wall. It is cheaper to buy 

 for this purpose, a good grade of lumber, free from knots. 

 For the inner wall as cheap stuff as No. 4 siding will 

 Jinswier, surfaced on one ^ide, ,so it will take kindly t* 



white-wasu. Put the outside boards on up and dowri, the 

 inside boards crosswise, which will greatly strengthen the 

 house and render cross braces of any kind unnecessary. 

 After the frame work is complete put on the outside wall, 

 and maKe as snug a job of- this as you are able, taking 

 pains to shut out as much draft and air as possible. !N^ow 

 before you put on the inner wall cover the inside of the 

 outside wall with tar paper or tarred felt. The latter is 

 stronger and more lasting. Fit this in closely around the 

 2x4 pieces, with a view to shutting out every bit of draft. 

 use lath to hold this paper or felt in place; nail or tack 

 heads ar© not large enough. In damp weather the paper 

 will fall away from them. After a good job has been 

 made of this important task, put on the inside wall. Jf 

 thin but close fitting ceiling can be used, So much the 

 warmer and better. 



Combination Roost, Drop Board, Box to Catcti Droppings and Nests. 



As for the roof, use shingles, buying a medium to good 

 grade of them. Use cheap sheeting first, cover this snugly 

 with the paper or felt, then put on the shingles. This will 

 give you a tight, warm and lasting roof. A ceiling wilf 

 not be necessary, unless the expense of making the bouse 

 still warmer is not dreaded; in that case put on the same 

 ceiling as is used for the side walls. 



Moderate Sized Windows. 

 The windows should not be large. For 12x12 apart- 

 ment two half windows put in side by side, instead of orit' 

 above the other, will answer. They can be put in so as 

 to slide to either side or be changed at the top so as to 

 swing outward and form an awning to keep out summer 

 Tain. But these windows should be snugly built, should 

 close against wide enough jambs to keep out the cold and 

 be 'hooked tight in the winter time. Thfey should also oe 

 located dbwn near the floor, the bottom, sill within two 

 feet of the floor — so thalt the sunlight in winter vjill fall 

 on the floor, not against tiie rear wall or sill. "Windows that 

 are too large draw too much sun warmth during the day 

 time and let in too much cold at night, resulting in extremes 

 of temperature that are more hurtful than a lower mean 



