74 The Hen at Work 



The A-shaped roof has been advocated as an 

 economical way of covering a small floor space. 

 It serves as roof and sides also, but this is so 

 cramped and so difficult to ventilate well without 

 admitting too much weather that few practical 

 poultry men make use of it. 



MATERIALS 



Probably the best material for use in the con- 

 struction of hen houses is wood and roofing paper. 



Hollow tile is very satisfactory, but is expensive, 

 and adds nothing that wood does not provide. 

 When the argument is made that the hollow tile 

 retards heat and cold better than wood, remember 

 that the roof wiU not be of tile, and the front should 

 be mostly open. The side walls and back make 

 up about two fifths of the total exposed area of an 

 ordinary poultry house, so that argument is not 

 very important. Besides this, it is great fun tinker- 

 ing round in the hen house, driving nails here and 

 there to put up nests and roosts and feed boxes. 

 I never have found any enjoyment in driving nails 

 through hollow tile. 



Cement blocks are good for construction also. 



