The Portland daily press., 1881-01-11
Poultry Houses.

The style and finish of the buildings in
tended for poultry depend much on the purse
and taste of the owner. Comfort of the oc-
cupants should not be sacrificed for with
out being comfortable the hens cannot long
remain in profit. Avoid low or damp locali-
ties, as this gives roup, or brings on low
state of health which invites disease, or re-
suits in leg weakness and emaciaJed birds,
the progeny of which will be the victims of
the gapes, pip and similar diseases. The To-
cation should be on dry upland, gravelly
soil, and be well drained. Fowls can endure
much cold without serious injury, providing
it be dry, The floor should not be of brick
or cemented, but if a solid flooring be re-
quired, it may be paved with cobble-stones,
deeply imbedded in gravel, and loose gravel
or sand scattered over the surface, which
can be removed once or twice year and re-
placed with fresh. Over this, air-slacked lime
may be scattered literally, or wood ashes.
If coal ashes be supplied, place them in
box in one corner of the room. The box
should be deep, that the fowls may not
scratch them out over the floor. Fowls,
when confined, are fond of scratching and
picking among coal ashes. In them they find
something that assists in the digestion of
their food, while also finding employment.
The building should not be high or lofty.
unless two story. Eight feet at the peak is
sufficient for all ordinary purposes, and it
should gradually slope down at the back or
north end to about four feet. Here should
be the roosts. The southern portion should
be perhaps about five feet erect, and the
glass windows inclined from this to meet
the rafters at the peak. This plan gives the
sun-rays directly on the ground floor, and on
sunny days creates great degree of warmth,
if the building be made air-tight, or as near
ly as can be with matched or battened
hoardc or what lie Of Io+L I
plastered. This warmth will be retained
well throughout the night. The advantage
of low roosts, close to the roof, is obvious.
1t is good for heavy breeds as we'll as light
Directly beneath the roosting- poles should
be level scaffolding of smooth boards, to
catch the droppings, and SO close 10 it that
the fowls may step from the roosts thereon.
and with short flight alight ON the ground.
This scaffold should have firm support un-
derneath, or extend from cleats on the sides
OF the building, arranged for this purpose
1t should be well covered with air-slacked
lime, which holds and absorbs the moisture
and odor of the droppings. In this manner
they may be readily and easily removed each
week, by scraping off into an empty barrel,
and conveyed either to the compost heap or
applied directly to the SOIL The roosting
arrangements admirable for the large combed
varieties. The nearness to the root confines
tne hede IuaI escapes from tne BODY, and
prevents freezing in the severest weather. AT
the same time, it is well adapted for the
heavy birds. Disfgured feet and shanks are
always unsightly, and should be guarded
against as much as possible. The Houdans.
too, are heavy breed. Heavy and light
breeds should not be congregated together
in large numbers, if possible to avoid it. The
nest-boxes should be arranged under the
scaffold, and be somewhat shaded, as fowls
like their places of laying quiet and retired.
Their roosts, too, are better protected from
the full glare of the light; but this is not i'm
portant, as they soon become accustomed to
and rather enjoy it, but at first it disturbs
them lttle.-C. B. in Country Gentleman.