‘Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
July 5, 1924 
954 
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zero and lower, the front remained always open, 
with, no screen but the quarter-inch square-mesh 
wire cloth. Not a comb was frosted or even touched 
all Winter, though the closed poultry-houses in the 
neighborhood turned out their usual large quota of 
frozen combs. When I first used open-front, houses 
I would worry about the fowls on cold stormy nights 
and get out of a warm bed to visit my flocks. Al¬ 
ways the fowls were comfortable and all right. Now, 
for years, no matter how hard it storms, I seldom 
give the fowls a thought after locking up for the 
night. Long experience has established confidence. 
I know that the fresh-air flocks are 
safe and comfortable in all weather. 
FEED WELL AND LIBERALLY.— 
Fowls, to keep in good condition and 
to lay well must be well fed. The suc¬ 
cessful poultryman is a “good feeder.” 
(live a liberal supply of good sound 
corn, occasional feedings of other 
grains and millfeeds for variety, green 
food, raw vegetables, some good source 
of animal protein—milk, meat and fish 
—gravel of suitable size, crushed oys¬ 
ter shells. Fill them up on whole corn be- 
fore roosting time on cold nights. The 
more eggs they are laying the more 
food they will require. During the 
molt they should be specially well fed. 
Fats, minerals and vitamines are essen¬ 
tial food elements abundant in eggs. 
Unless the hen gets an ample supply in 
her ration she either drains her body 
reserve supply or quits laying. Liberal 
feeding pays. It is the comfortably fat 
hen that lays. 
CONVERTING AN OLD HOUSE.— 
A shed-roofed poultry-house 14x42 ft. 
may readily be converted into a Woods 
open-front and capacity nearly doubled 
by remodeling the front of the shed and 
adding a 10-ft. south span as proposed 
by “New Hampshire Reader.” The ac- 
companying plans show how to do it 
and how to build a new house of the 
semi-monitor type 24x42 ft. Capacity, 
The floor may be cement, earth, or wood; cement 
is preferable, with sills made fast to bolts set in the 
concrete. 
The open front is always open. No curtains of 
any kind are used in this house. The front is 
boarded up 12 in. from bottom of sill; above this 
the space is open to the width of house up to roof 
plate, except for the studding. Galvanized wire 
netting, 34- in. square mesh, 4 ft. wide, is stapled to 
bottom board, studs and plate on outside to protect 
the open front Provision may be made for a poul¬ 
try door in front by framing one in for a slide next a 
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Ground plan Woods open-front poultry-house, 24x42 ft. Sills shown in outline. 
Approximate location of studs shown by small squares on sills and floor. Solid 
partition through center from front to back. Door D in partition on double¬ 
swing hinges. Banks of nests, N. Windows, W. Capacity 240 fowls. Fig. 372. 
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is for 240 fowls. Mark out a card 
according to scale for a rule to get di¬ 
mensions of any part. This house car¬ 
ries the following heights in different 
sections, measuring from bottom of sill 
to top of roof: At front, 5 ft. G in.; at 
rear of front roof along front line of monitor stud, 
7 ft. 2 in.; from rear of front roof to top along line 
of monitor stud, 3 ft. 11 in.; rear wall, 5 ft. 9 in. 
Measured along the line of sill it is 14 ft. from back 
of rear stud to front of monitor stud, and 10 ft. 
from latter point to outside of front stud. The front 
and rear studs are 2x4s. Rafters and plates are 
2x4s. Intermediate studs, 2x3s. Monitor studs are 
4x4s, outside ones butt on sills, inner ones on cedar 
posts set 3 ft. deep. Sills are 4x4s or 4x6s. The 
girder plates to support rear end of front rafters are 
made of 2x4s. One of these is spiked to the fronts 
of monitor studs; another is snugly fitted between the 
monitor studs and spiked to them and to the first- 
mentioned girder plate. This gives a strong support 
for the monitor. 
The monitor AvindoAVS are six-light half sash, 8x32 
glass. There are eight of these in a house 42 ft. 
long. These windows shut tight against the cover¬ 
ing boards and are cased with finishing boards 
around outside. They are hinged at top to swing 
out, and should be provided with window rod to 
regulate opening and hold window in position. These 
windows are kept closed in Winter except on very 
warm days; they are usually open all Summer. 
Where the house does not have as high a roof at 
monitor, smaller sash may be used. Usually with 
lower monitors it is a good plan to provide long cel¬ 
lar window sash with as large a pane as height of 
monitor will accommodate. Ample light is wanted 
at this point. There is a protecting screen of inch- 
mesh wire. 
The door is in east end, as shown, and there is 
one whole window in this end. There are two such 
windows in west end, as indicated by dotted lines. 
These windows are whole windows, each two half 
sash, made to open, and provided with inch-mesli 
screen on inside. Nests made of galvanized iron or 
wood are provided for in banks of 12. well above 
floor, located as indicated by dotted lines. Roosts 
are 2x3s with 2-in. side up, and spaced about 15 in. 
to centers, 6 in. above drop board. Drop board is 
2% ft. above top of sill. 
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Frame detail of monitor viewed from inside house, looking south. About a 23-ft. 
section of the 24x42-ft. Woods open-front poultry-house is shown. Location of 
monitor windows is shown at W. The girder plate is made of two 2x4s, one 
spiked to the 4x4 monitor studs, and the other 2x4 fitted between the studs and 
spiked to both studs and the other 2x4 plate. Braces shown by dotted lines are 
used where there is much heavy snow in Winter. Fig. 373. 
front to back, and divides the house into two large 
pens, each with a capacity of 120 fowls. The short 
partitions shown are of matched boards from floor to 
roof, and extend 10 ft from rear wall. These sepa¬ 
rate the roosting quarters to divide up flock. If a 
four-pen house is desired, these short partitions may 
be extended to the front with wire netting abo\ r e a 
2-ft. baseboard, doors opposite the other doors. This 
gives four pens, each with a capacity of 60 birds. 
Fig. 373 is elevation in detail of frame of the mon¬ 
itor, viewed from inside of house, looking south. 
Only about a 23-ft. section is shown. The plan is to 
scale, and measurements can be readily 
worked out by marking a card to use 
as a rule. The 4x4 monitor studs, 
braces of 2x4s, girder plates of 2x4s 
spiked together and to monitor studs, 
the 2x4 rafters for front roof, boarding 
of front roof, intermediate studding of 
2x3s, the horizontal 2x3s between these 
studs, and the 2x4 plate to support 
front ends of rear rafters are all shown 
in detail. Where there is much heavy 
snow in Winter the braces shown in 
dotted lines may be desirable to pro¬ 
vide additional support for the moni¬ 
tor. Ordinarily the 4x4 studs with 
girder plates of 2x4s spiked together 
are sufficient. 
The 2x4 rafters are spaced about 234 
ft. apart on centers. In case of the 
long rear rafters it is advisable to use 
a short 2x4 plate on top of each parti¬ 
tion stud of 2x4 about 7 ft. from rear 
wall, this short plate to engage three 
rafters. This prevents heavy snow sag¬ 
ging rear roof. 
Fig. 374 shows two end elevation 
outlines indicating in the upper figure 
how a shed-roofed house 10 ft. deep 
can be converted into a Woods type 
open-front by addition of a low front 
span of 6 ft. The dimensions of this 
outline are: Front, 4*4 ft.; rear of 
front roof, 5 ft. 9 in. high; monitor 
from front roof to top, 3 ft. 11 in.; rear 
wall, 5 ft. 9 in. Monitor windows 
hinge at top to swing out. Door, win¬ 
dow, roosts and drop boards are locat¬ 
ed on plan. The open front is pro¬ 
tected by 34-in. square mesh galvanized 
wire netting 334 ft. by the width of 
the house. 
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stud in each pen. Finish is a matter of personal 
taste and convenience. Novelty siding, ship-lap and 
rabbited boards, if kept painted, make a good finish 
over frame. Or use common covering boards and 
shingles, or some good roofing fabric. Good asbestos 
shingles last longer than wood. 
Fig. 372 shows ground or floor plan of this 24x42- 
Outline end elevation showing how shed-roofed houses 
may be converted into Woods Open-front House. Up¬ 
per figure indicates how a shed 10 ft. deep may be con¬ 
verted by adding a low part 6 ft. deep and installing 
monitor windows. Lower figure indicates how a shed 
12 ft. deep may be remodeled by adding a low front 
part 8 ft. deep and installing monitor windows hinged 
at top to open out. Almost doubles capacity at low 
cost. Better flocks, better results. Fig. 374. 
ft. house. The house fronts south,- or a little quar¬ 
tering on same. Sills are shOAvn in outline. Small 
squares on sills and floor show approximate loca¬ 
tion of studding. Windows (W), nests (N), outer 
door, partition door (D), are all located on plan. 
The partition door (D) is swung on double hinges 
and opens in both directions, and should be pro¬ 
vided with a stop latch and hand hole. 
The middle partition is solid matched boards from 
In the lower outline, Fig. 374, is shown how a 
shed-roof building 12 ft. deep may be remodeled by 
addition of a low front span of 8 ft. The dimensions 
here are: Front, 534 ft. high; rear of front roof, G 
ft. 9 in. high; monitor from front roof to top, 3 ft. 
11 in.; rear wall, 5 ft. 9 in. Monitor Avindows hinge 
at top to swing out. In case the original shed is 
not as high stud at this point, smaller monitor AA : in- 
dows may be used, but give as much light at this 
point as Avould be given by four six-light 8xl2-pane 
half sash in each 20 ft. of house length. Door, win¬ 
dow-, roosts and drop board are located on outline 
plan. The open front is protected by 34-in. square- 
mesh galvanized Avire netting, 4 ft. by the Avidth of 
the house. 
RIGHT PROPORTIONS IMPORTANT.— Correct 
proportions between the high rear part and low 
front part of these houses, Avhatever the size of 
building, are important. Keep them high enough 
for comfort. The high rear part should have consid¬ 
erably more depth from front to back than the low 
front part. The location of roosts, windOAVs and 
doors is a matter of importance. In rebuilding old 
houses close up any doors or windows which do not 
conform to the plans given here. Open fronts are 
usually boarded up 1 ft. from bottom of sill and 
down just enough at top to permit secure fastening 
of the wire netting specified. Do not use curtains 
anywhere in the house. Do not close or obstruct the 
open front. Keep the scratching floor space free for 
the foAvls. Hoppers, etc., may be placed around the 
sides. Automatic feeders and hoppers of galvanized 
iron may be suspended from plate below monitor to 
hang at convenient height for the foAvls. 3 T ery pop¬ 
ular colony houses of this type are made 3.0x16 ft. 
and 20x20 ft. floor measure, Avith other dimensions 
the same as t given in description of outlines in Fig. 
374. In framing the smaller houses, 2x4s will usu¬ 
ally serve for monitor studs. 
The illustration from photograph wdiich accom¬ 
panies this article shows two 20x20-ft. colony houses 
of Woods open-front type, in use on the groAving 
range poultry plant of J. W. Parks, Blair Co., Pa. 
These buildings haA T e been in successful use for a 
