The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-11-16
CARE OF POULTRY HOUSES.
Two Opinions on the Subject OF
DroppinEs and Cleanliness.

DroppinEs and Cleanliness.
V. NJ. Couch writes to Farm-Poultry
rs follows on the Care of the Poultry
House,"
"While I advise a reasonable amount
Of cleaning in the poultry house, do
not specially advocate the everlasting
sweeping ana rummagng over the
hcnno;.se with broom and scrub brush,
said to he so essential by some peo-
pie. | think that in ordinary cases
once week is often enough to clean
the cXcrcmont away from beneath the
pcrchcs If it becomes too offensive
after three or four days. Il little lime or
fresh earth will remedy this by sitting
over the droppngs Twice Il month l
consider often enough to 90 over the
roOStS with kerosene to destroy and
keep down lice. If the vCrmin Is so
plenty as to require treatment ottener
than this. better to have general
clearing out. Remove all nest boxes.
perchcS and everything. give the inside
walls Il thorough coat of whitcWaSh,
then replace the nests ana roosting
perchcs with new and wEitewaSh them.
Give each fowl a going over with some
lice powder If this work is carried
out thoroughly. the lice should be pref
ty we'll eXtcrminated. But better than
ali this work is to have no lice mt all
This. have found is easier said than
done, and about the only way to be en-
tirely rid of the pests is to start with
new buildings and new stock or chick
ems Matched by incubators and raised
with breeders. Then be careful to
bring no birds in that have lice on
them.
"lf the poultry house is built tight
and close, ventilation should be attend
ed to- This helps a good deal toward
keeping the henhouse clean You let
out foul air by this means and let in
pure air This the fowls require every
day in the year Very many of the
diseases and ailments to which live
stock as well as human beings are sub
ject are readily traceable to improper
ventilation.
"There have been many expensive
poultry houses built in which the fowls
fail to keep healthy principally be-
cause of the lock of good ventilation,
the foul air engendered by the drop
pings of the fowls and from having
a large number of birds in one build
ing. inviting the attack of disease.
During warm weather there is less
danger. as the house is left open, but
in winter. when the house must he
closed to keep out the cold. the birds
will suffer if it is not seen to that fresh
air is admitted.
"To vcntilatc properly it is not ueces-
sary to have a draft blowing on or
around the hens. for it can easily he
made so as to avoid n direct draft.
Those who are building during the
cold weather should keep the warm
weather in mind also. Plan the build
ing 50 as to be warm in winter cool
in summer ana sunny and airy at all
times. Keep the hcnhousc in GOOD con
dition the year round and then the
health of the fowls will be preserved.
and YOU can enter the building and
leave it without being covered with
mites or being disguised with a fetid
odor."
The editor of Farm Poultry stumble
ments Mr.. Couch's letter as follows:
Let me add to the above a word of
advice to those who make Such iobs
as removing droppingS n matter Of
routine, to be done daily. scmiwcekly
or weekly. Like Mr.. Couch, | think
that In many cases the daily cleaning
is unnecessary. but can hardly agree
with him that in ordinary cases once
a week is often enough to remove the
droppingS. | think that when n poul-
try house is stocked anywhere near I'M
to its capacity-the number of LAYERS
it will accommodate with good results
it is necessary. to maintain good pro-
duction and healthy condition. TO make
daily cleaning the rule. longer intervals
between the removals of the dropnings
the exceptions
AS stated short time ago, | would
not insist that such a rule should be
rigdly followed. whatever else might
be left undone. Occasional lapses from
it for the sake of other work. which at
the time was more important. more ur-
gent, would be much more sensible
than to make fad of never neglecting
the daily cleaning, but have found in
my own experience and seen in that OF
others that when tbe dronninos oro NOT
house 10 ra+ aua;,'a, n'''iS 'ne loullfy
should no rhis =, ~, 90 o'''',i as IL
.4oai.S1 49,. us -, 'iie '"St ol iuil
s'ooheu mousse W men the hens have