Poultry for profit

by R. A. Power

We must next examine the floor. If a wooden floor, then it is advisable to raise the house up from the ground about six inches, supporting it with posts. Some people follow the plan of placing old tin pans or plates upside down at the top of these posts and then setting the house on, thereby eliminating the danger of rats, as the rats cannot climb over the tin pans. If the house is to be a permanent structure it will be found best to lay a concrete floor, as this floor will last for all time, and will not need repairing. Such a floor is rat proof, but must be covered with a good litter.

If a new house is to be constructed, then it will be best to follow the principles laid down for a remodeled house to the extent of the open front, weather tight walls and roof, good floor, and dry living conditions. Wood is the most popular material that is used in building chicken houses. Generally, 2 by 4s placed about two feet apart are used for studding. Matched lumber or rough lumber aided by battens or roofing paper compose the walls, this making them free from drafts. The matched lumber is generally placed on the studding horizontally. The lumber should be dry and free from knot holes, and well nailed together.

For the roof, shingles can be used, or some of the prepared roofing paper on the market now has given good results. For quite flat roofs, two or three ply roofing paper is preferred to the shingles.

We will now discuss the common types of poultry houses. The most popular type and the cheapest, is the shed roof house. This house is usually about eight feet high in front, slanting gradually to the rear to a height of about five feet. It just has one slant, and, as has been said, is cheaper to build than other types of houses. It is also much easier to keep warm in the winter, because of the low roof, which means less space has to be heated by the birds. Instead of curtain front houses in such a type of poultry house, many poultry men are using bafflers to let in the air. These bafflers are similar to a blind used to shade living houses in some parts of the country. They are composed of slats less than an inch apart, and placed in a slanting position, rather than vertical or horizontal.

The gable roof house is another popular type. This differs from the shed roof type of house in that its roof comes to a peak, with two pitches, such as most modern bungalow dwelling houses have. This system leaves a larger space at the top of the house, and is not as warm as the shed roof type. It also costs more to build. However, it possesses the advantage of allowing a straw loft to be placed at the top of the house, which is an excellent way to get rid of excess moisture, when it can be expelled no other way. The straw has the power to absorb the excess moisture during the winter, but should be removed in the spring, as it furnishes an excellent hiding place for mites, an insect that we will discuss more thoroughly in a later chapter.

The half monitor type is not so popular as the two types already named, and costs considerably more than either of the two previous types discussed. This type of house has an arrangement similar to two shed roof houses, facing each other, the rear house being somewhat higher than the front house. Of course, such houses have their advantages, but for the one who would start with moderation in the poultry business, the shed roof, or the gable roof type will be far more attractive. We have discussed the types of houses in this chapter. The fixtures, or chicken furniture, has so far been omitted. Let us go inside of our modern chicken house now, and see what is needed in the line of equipment to complete our efficient egg production.

CHAPTER XI.
INTERIOR FIXTURES FOR THE LAYING HOUSES

There are certain devices that save a great deal of labor for the poultry man, and also give the birds a more contented atmosphere. We will start in with the floor. I want to repeat here, briefly, what has already been said in regard to the litter on the floor of the house. Birds with cold feet cannot be healthy. If the floor is covered with a six-inch litter of straw, or shavings, the floor will be warm, and they can be given a scratching ration that will make them exercise for their food. By all means do not fail to have a good litter of some kind on the floor during the late fall and winter months.

The birds are rather peculiar creatures, when it comes to retiring for the night. They do not seek a place to lay down, but they look for something that will resemble a limb of a tree, where they can perch during the night. Man has therefore supplied something along this line, by erecting round poles, made of wood, so that the birds will have a convenient place to rest for the night. A few precautions must be guarded against here, however, as very few poultry men have given their birds suitable perches yet. The perches should be round, about two inches in diameter, and erected on the same level with each other. Too many perches are arranged in a ladder formation, having the rear perch the highest, and the front perch the lowest. When the birds get ready to go to roost, there is always an argument as to which bird will have the rear roost, as they all want the highest place to roost, or perch. If the perches are all on the same level, then there is no preference, and things are more peaceful at roosting time. We should plan on allowing about ten inches per bird for perching room. Plan to have a distance of about fourteen inches between each perch, or pole. Arrange these perches at the rear of the house, running parallel with the rear wall.

All modern poultry men have what is known as a dropping board under the perches, so that the droppings will not fall in the scratching litter and soil this part of the scratching area. These dropping boards are usually placed about six inches under the perches, and extend as far forward as the perches do. This makes the job of cleaning the poultry house quite a simple operation. It is advisable to sprinkle some sand over the dropping boards to absorb the moisture and bad odor.