Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1918 — FOR THE POULTRY GROWER [ARTICLE]

FOR THE POULTRY GROWER

Planning the Poultry House. The height of the poultry house is governed by its width, or, rather, its length as a whole. From four to six feet should be ample for the rear side of a practical poultry house. But the front of the house must be of sufficient height for admitting light to the rear of the house. Houses 12 feet wide should have windows that are at least six feet high to the top, and wider houses in proportion. At least one-third of the front of a poultry house should be open, without glass, and provided with a muslin curtain for closing the opening in extremely bad weather. In planning the poultry house provide a scratching shed, when the house Is limited in size, for feeding the grain food and for exercising the fowls., —■ For ‘ the front use muslin in inclement weather, which gives sufficient light and ventilation. ’ When poultry houses are built as stationary fixtures they should have substantial foundations, with concrete floors, either plain or covered with flooring. Colony houses of the portable type have only wooden floors, which are covered with littfer. Roofs for poultry houses are generally shingles or roofing paper, may be preferred, and no pains should be spared in making a perfectly tight roof. x ■ The walls of the poultry house are another of the important features that should not be overlooked. Strong, tight and rigid walls are. necessary for the wooden poultry house, and there should be no cracks, crevices or openings in the side walls to cause drafts.. Alleys in the average poultry house of a few number of pens are unnecessary and a waste of space, and a wire door in the partitions of the pens is to be preferred. The fixtures of poultry houses ore portable, or at least they should so that they may be easily kept clen— Place all high enough from the floor of the house so that the space underneath may be for scratching. The roosts are placed at the rear end of the house, and all roosts should be on a level to prevent the from crowding. Have-the droppings board directly under the roosts; 10 or 12 inches win be sufficient, and cover the droppings board with dry bran or sand. ‘ The nests should be placed undof the droppings board, and they should be portable to facilitate cleaning and attending to,