THE CONSTRtrCTION OF POULTRY HOUSES 203 



opening is cut about 3 feet shorter. Ducking is used as a 

 drop curtain. This cloth is tacked to a frame just the sizeof 

 the open front. This cloth, being porous, allows plenty of 

 ventilation and at the same time keeps out the winter wind, 

 snow, and rain. The window supplies the light during this 

 time. 



It is the intent to keep in the building the scratch feed used 

 in the morning and evening. This feed is kept in the double 

 compartment storage bin. The dry mash and shell is kept in 

 the mash hopper. The water in a receptacle on the platform 

 made for that purpose. The nests and the broody coop are 

 also located inside. The floor is provided with a layer of 

 leaves or straw about 1 foot deep in which is thrown the 

 grain morning and evening so that the birds scratch for it 

 and get their necessary exercise. Thus in rainy weather the 

 birds do not find it necessary to get out into the rain unless 

 they choose. On snowy and stormy days they are likewise 

 protected. 



Commercial egg farms usually house 500 hens in each unit. 

 The house most in use is the shed type, open front. The 

 building may be 14 to 16 feet A¥ide and 80 to 100 feet long, 

 and in warmer parts of the country 2 feet off the ground. A 

 cheaply constructed building may be made of boxing boards, 

 the roof covered with rubberoid and the sides and ends with 

 tar paper. The boards are usually placed perpendicular on 

 the sides and ends and the tar paper crosswise nailed using 

 strips of tin. 



Many commercial men keep their birds the year round in 

 the house. This is the intensive method. Others have 

 small runs, this being the semi-intensive method. When the 

 fowls run at large on the farm they are under range conditions. 



Fencing Materials. — Various kinds of woods are used for 

 posts. The woods that are most durable are white oak, 

 cedar, and hedge. Woods less durable are catalpa, hickory, 

 black oak, and pine. Posts may be round, split, or sawed. 

 Bound posts should be at least 6 inches in diameter at the 

 base and peeled. Sawed posts are usually 5 inches square 

 and are of heart wood Wood posts are made more dural)le 

 by treating the base with creosote. Experiments conducted 



