1904.] 



Housing of Poultry. 



a couple of hundred fowls be maintained to the acre. But it 

 is desirable to allow the grass runs to rest once in every two 

 or three years and crop them for hay. 



Principles of Housing. — The following principles may be laid 

 down as applicable to all forms of poultry houses : — 



Size : For fowls and ducks, in sleeping compartment, 

 2 square ft. of floor space ; for geese, 6 square ft. ; for turkeys, 

 12 square ft. 



Materials : Wood should be well seasoned, and be J in. or 

 1 in. in thickness, and the house must be well put together. 

 The roof must be more substantial than the walls ; if of wood, 

 it should be covered with tar felting ; but the best roof is made 

 with corrugated iron lined with f in. match-boarding. For 

 permanent structures, such as scratching sheds, felting may with 

 advantage be placed between the corrugated iron and match- 

 boarding. 



Ventilation : Fresh air is a necessity. In Fig. 1 is shown 

 a shutter, behind which is wire netting. The shutter may be 

 left half open during the greater part of the year. The 

 scratching sheds are usually well ventilated. In portable 

 houses which have no shutter, louvre boards are placed in the 

 gables at either end. 



Light : A large window placed in the south or south-east 

 side will make the house warmer in winter and keep the air 

 sweet. Dark roosting places are objectionable. 



Perches : These should be all on the same level, not more 

 than 2 ft. above the ground, and facing the windows. They 

 ought to be easily moved. 



Nest Boxes : These, if made loose, will be more easily kept 

 clean, and ought to be on the dark side of the house. 

 One nest box is required for every three hens. 



Cleanliness is most important. Houses should be swept 

 down regularly, and limewashed inside three or four times a 

 year. 



Edward Brown, F.L.S. 



c 



