Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-05-07
POULTRY.

A Vermonter's Idea of the Construction
of a Poultry House.
There is very great complaint among
poultry men of the freezing of combs,
and other injurious effects of cold upon
their fowls the past winter. There is
no more justification for this condition
of things than there would be for per-
hitting their children's feet to be
frozen il. bed. 1t is the result of stupid
Indifference to the necessities of the
fowls, or of more stupid ignorance of
the principles which should govern the
construction of the lighthouses. A good
illustration of the prevailing ignorance
in this respect is afforded in the very
recent awarding of a prize bya popular
New England newspaper. for plan
for a poultry house which, if it had
been got up with an eye single to the
purpose of freezing the fowls, would
have been a complete success. The en-
tire front is of glass, six feet high; the
rest of the covering, roof and walls,
is of single thickness of matched
spruce boards; the ventilator is
square box three fee. long set on the
ridge, which of course at all times Sc
cures almost precisely the same tenn
perature within the house as without.
The only actual protection afforded is
from wind. There is no conservation
of heat in winter; no protection from
heat in summer. The popular idea of
a fowl-house is plenty of glass and a
Tree circulation of air, without much
reference to anything else, unless it be
some complicated inside trappings in
the way of feeding boxes. nests and
perches with attachments for catching
he dropp ngs.
A fowl-house should be constructed
with especial reference to three things;
the retention of the heat generated by
the fowls. which is the only source of
heat to be depended upon; sufficient
supply of good air; and a sufficient
supply of light. Every square inch OF
glass beyond what is actually required
and every breath of air beyond
what is actually necessary for
healthful consumption are
detrimental, because they reduce
the temperature. This is the point
which more than anything else needs
to be enforced upon the popular mind,
not only as regards lighthouses, butt sta
bles and all other occupied apartments.
The closer and better built the house
the more perfect the control of the air
supply, with proper appliances. The
fiue for carrying off the vitated air of
the apartment should extend from the
ground or floor above the highest part
of the building, and be placed in the
warmest part of it. The induction fiue
may come from any direction, but pref
erably from an unoccup:ed attic over
the apartment, as the temperature may
be thus much ameliorated without any
detriment to its purity. In any event
it should enter the apartment low
down. No window in any of this class
of buildings should be over two feet in
height as it is always positive evil in
cooling the air in contact with it and
producing active currents of cold air in
the apartment.
Confined air is the best non-conduc-
tor of heat. Hence the inclosng walls
OF such buildings should be made hol-
low, the wall timbers being SO arranged
as to subdivide the space into as many
alright compartments as practicable.
1t is not enough in constructing the
frame to put in just sufficient TIM
bers to hold the boards in position,
but enough pieces should be cut IN to
prevent all circulation of air within
the walls. An outs de door is an
other fruitful source of discomfort in a
poultry house. An ante-room, hall, or
some other intermediate space between
the outside door and the door of the
apartment should be provided.
Such structure, it Is true, costs
little-but not much-more than
mere howell or barrack. but it is worth
a good deal more and will repay tho
investment long before the other will
%. S. Bliss. IN N. Y. Examiner.