CHAPTER XXVIII 



THE CONSTRUCTION OF POULTRY HOUSE 

 EQUIPMENT 



THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DRY MASH HOPPER 



Figure 209 illustrates one of the most useful pieces of 

 poultry house equipment — namelj^, the dry mash hopper. 

 It can be built of %-inch yellow pine boxing boards. 



From the illustration it will be noted to be 29 inches high at 

 the back and 18 inches wide at the bottom. A convenient 

 length is 4 feet. Partitions are so placed that there will be a 

 4-inch compartment for shell, a 4-inch compartment for char- 

 coal, a 4-inch compartment for grit, and the balance for the 

 dry mash. The lid at the top is sloped so that the chickens 

 cannot roost upon the box. The front wall is placed at an 

 angle so that the bottom end is only 8 inches from the back. 

 At the top it is 14 inches. A strip is placed in the back angle 

 so that the mash feeds down well. The lift-up lid should be 

 at least 12 inches wide, so as to make an opening large enough 

 to empty the mash in with ease. A 4-inch strip is nailed to the 

 feed opening in such a manner that a lip of about 2 inches 

 projects into the hopper and makes it more difficult for the 

 birds to throw the feed out with their beaks. One-quarter 

 inch round wire bars are placed every 4 inches the entire length 

 of the hopper, which aids in keeping the hens from throwing 

 the feed out. A lid 4 inches wide is placed over the 4-inch 

 opening where the birds feed. This is kept down at nights 

 to prevent the rats and mice from eating the feed. (Refer 

 to Fig. 106 for the front view of this hopper.) 



Breeding hens should be given their mash every afternoon, 

 and for laying hens both forenoon and afternoon. 



A storage box for morning and afternoon scratch feed is also 

 shown in Fig. 106. It js 4 feet long, 12 inches wide, 15 inches 



516 



