1904.] 



Housing of Poultry. 



With the object of facilitating regular removal, and thus pre- 

 venting injury to the grass and securing fresh soil for the fowls, 

 wheels should be added to the houses, so that the position can 

 be easily changed with horse or hand traction. With fixed wheels 

 the walls are thus raised six to eight inches from the ground. 

 In such a case a wooden floor becomes necessary, for 

 a strong draught would be created, and the birds could be 

 attacked when at roost by their enemies. Sometimes the 

 floor is raised sufficiently to allow space for shelter below ; 

 this has advantages, though not so great as may be thought. 

 It is found, however, that a house with a wooden floor is colder 

 in winter than one without. In cold weather the bank of air 

 below the floor reduces the temperature considerably, making a 

 demand upon the birds to counteract its influence, which has 

 the effect of decreasing their productiveness at a time when eggs 

 are specially valuable. At that season there is a considerable 

 amount of heat from the earth, which is entirely lost when a 

 wooden floor is used. Moreover, labour is required for cleaning 

 out houses of this class. In not a few cases peat-moss litter 

 is employed to cover the floor ; but though this has the effect 

 of making them warmer, it is objected to, on some land as it 

 shakes out during removal, and also causes additional expense. 



Whenever possible, therefore, it is better to dispense with a 

 wooden floor, and thus to obtain the benefit of ground warmth , 

 besides of economising labour. To secure such a result, various 

 forms of wheels have been introduced, so that by levers the 

 house can be raised and fixed upon the wheels for removal, 

 and, after being shifted, dropped upon the ground again in 

 the new position. By this method the work is simplified ; 

 under-draughts are avoided ; the heat from the earth is 

 conserved ; the manure falls directly upon the ground ; and 

 the grass is uninjured. Figs. I and 2 represent the latest 

 form, the former showing the house at rest and the latter 

 when raised. The raising is accomplished by means of a 

 powerful lever bar (A), which, when the house is on the ground, 

 is entirely turned over and lies upon the earth by the side of 

 the wall, so that it cannot be injured by, or hurt, cattle or horses. 

 Attached to this lever is a strong axle, passing under the two 

 side walls, connecting the two back wheels (B), and fixed by a 



