150 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



flow pipe leading to the outside of the building. Suppose, for 

 example, there are ten of these barrels on a plant; at feeding and 

 egg-collecting time in the evening the attendant first starts the 

 engine, having the spigots or valves to all barrels open. One 

 by one the barrels fill up and overflow, and as they do so the 

 attendant shuts them ofT as he pursues his other work, until they 

 are all filled, which will require about a half hour's pumping. 

 The cost of the gasoline and lubricating oil is negligible, amount- 

 ing to but a couple of cents ; whereas the saving in labor is enor- 

 mous. Moreover, among farm hands there seems to be a deep- 

 rooted antipathy against carrying water for livestock, and they 

 will either openly rebel against the task, or purposely neglect to 

 furnish the necessary quantity. At least, such has been the 

 writer's experience and observations. 



Trough System. — In the above system the water is placed 

 before the fowls in 15-foot galvanized sheet iron troughs, made 

 from roof gutters, and supported by metal brackets designed for 

 the purpose. The troughs are located against the front walls of 

 the laying houses, about twelve inches above the floors, and 

 covered over by a hinged board to prevent the birds fouling the 

 water. Each trough is fitted with an overflow and a drain for 

 cleaning, both of which lead to the outside of the building. The 

 barrel is bored at the lowest convenient level, fitted with a wooden 

 tap, such as is used for wine, oils or molasses, which is allowed to 

 trickle in a very thin stream at all times, and which keeps the 

 water in circulation and therefore fresh. 



The water will not freeze seriously in the barrels of a system 

 of this kind, because having their heads in, the air is virtually 

 excluded from the water; the taps are not apt to freeze because 

 they are wood, and the water in the trough, while ice may form 

 around the metal in the bottom, is always open to the fowls be- 

 cause they are constantly drinking from it. At night the water is 

 drained ofT entirely, and a plug is substituted for the wooden 

 spigot, consequently the latter cannot freeze. 



A barrel of water in a house of 500 fowls is a day's supply, 

 except in very warm weather, when to keep the water cool and 



