Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1912 — POULTRY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POULTRY

CONSTRUCTION OF HEN HOUSE Few Practical Suggestions That Will Be of Much Assistance to the Poultry Keeper. (By J. G. HALPIN and C. A. OCOCK, Wisconsin.) For success in poultry keeping it Is necessary to have a suitable house Which will protect the fowls from inclement weather and from their natural enemies. It must be remembered that from the standpoint of the hen, appearance makes very little difference, but the house must be so built and bo arranged that it will be a comfortable place for the hens to live; otherwise they will not thrive and production "will not be satisfactory. On many (arms the hens are not provided with a house constructed especially for them, but are housed in an old building originally made for some other purpose. As a rule this sort of a house Is not economical, for, unless it is constructed especially for hens, it Will seldom be found possible to reconstruct It In such a way as to make economical production possible. Poultry houses should be located Where it Is dry and well drained. If the ground is not naturally dry, it phould be ditched and drained artificially, for poultry will not thrive In A house when the floor is constantly W©t. A damp location means a damp

poultry house all the way through, and the result is that the fowls are affected with many troublesome diseases. ■ j Houses should be placed so that they will not be subject to violent Winds, yet good air and drainage are essential. A house should never be placed in a low, damp spot where early fall frosts are likely to occur. These places are always cold and unhealthy for fowls. One hundred hens will thrive in a pen 20x20 feet, that is four square feet of floor spae per hen, but one hen Will not thrive in a pen 2x2 feet. In a large pen each one a chance to {wander about over the entire floor race, thus getting more exercise. Generally speaking, it is far cheaper %o build a wide house than a narrow lone. A house 20x20 is cheaper than It house 10x40 and contains as much floor space for the hens. A house 80 feet wide, however, will be found Impracticable for some types of roofs land will not be found satisfactory where one wishes to keep a number bf email breeding pens. There are several common types of roofs used on poultry houses. ?ust which style of roof should be rhoaen is largely a matter of personal preference, but the type of roof will

De round to influence the cost of construction to quite an extent. Wherever there is only one poultry house a partition is always advisable as it permits one to keep the hens sep-

Different Types of Roofs Used In Poultry Houses. 1 is a shed roof, 2 a combination roof, 3 a gable roof, 4 a semi-monitor roof, 5 a monitor roof, 6 a slanting front roof, and 7 an Atype roof. arated from the pullets early in the winter and makes it possible later to make up a breeding pen of the best fowls. In a small house, that is one not over 30 feet long, one should use boards for the partitions for about two feet from the floor. Tha rest may be made of wire or cloth except between the roosts of the different penß, where the boards Bhould run to the roof.

Proper Way to Moke Partition.