CHAPTER X.HOUSING POULTRY FOR PROFIT.
In discussing plans for a modern poultry house, let it be mentioned at the outset that this does not necessarily mean that our modern house will be expensive, any more than the one that is built on old ideas. In fact, many of the older houses were much more expensive than the modern houses of today. As long as the poultry building includes the necessary principles for the birds’ well-being, and this can be accomplished with little added expense, that is all that is necessary.
In commenting upon the common faults of most poultry houses in the previous chapter, we found that they generally lack one, or all of such items as ventilation, dryness, sunlight, adequate floor space, protection from rats,protection from extremes of temperature, and simplicity of design. In arranging for a better house for our birds, let us plan to keep these factors in mind, so as to get the most from our birds.
Whether we are to build a new poultry house, or to remodel an old one, we can design it so that all of these factors will be in evidence. If we have an old poultry house, or if we can buy cheaply an old poultry coop, that has fairly good lumber in it, we can probably do the remodeling somewhat cheaper than if we have to buy all new lumber. If we do purchase all new lumber, it is not advisable to get cheap lumber, but buy the first grade, because it is necessary that the walls of the house be air tight, and this is seldom possible with cheap lumber.
We will first consider briefly the possibilities of remodeling an old poultry house. Probably the first thing that we will do is to cut some openings in the front of the house for windows and curtains. From one-half to two-thirds of the front should be devoted to window lights. The remainder should be left for the muslin curtains to allow for fresh air to enter,and for foul air to pass out. These should not be cut up too high, but start at least a foot below the roof, and have the window lights extend at least half way down the front of the house. The curtains should extend quite a bit further down to the bottom of the house, to allow the foul air sufficient opportunity to escape.
We should next examine the other walls and roof to make sure that they are not drafty, nor leak water. Usually these walls can be patched up with other boards, or heavy roofing paper, so that no draft is possible. In northern climates, where weather below zero is common, best results will be obtained by having two thicknesses of walls, to protect against cold nights. Roofing paper is excellent to put between the two walls, or even on the outside to aid in this matter. If the roof leaks, it might be advisable to re-shingle part of it, and here again roofing paper helps in making it weather tight.
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 followthe 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 marketnow 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 leavesa 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 modernchicken house now, and see what is needed in the line of equipment to complete our efficient egg production.