Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-03-07
VENTlLATING PROBLEM.
Fresh Air In the Poultry House Dur
ing the Winter Season.

Ing hhG " SensOhs
Ventilation of the poultry house is
matter which needs little or no atten-
ton in warm weather when the doors
and windows are left wide open day
and night, but with the advent Of cold
weather and the closing of doors and
windows to keep out the cold ventila
ton becomes matter Of considerable
Importance. The fowls must have pure
fresh air to breathe or they will be-
come victims of disease. If the poul-
try house is not properly aired, it will
be damp as well as full of foul air. In
cold weather the moisture exhaled
from the lungs Of the fowls condenses
on the walls Of the poultry house In
the form of frost. A thaw melts this
frost, and 1t drlps from the roof and
walls, making the house damp and un-
wholesome. Where the houses are well
aired daily and are not overcrowded
the amount of frost ON the walls or
dampness C'sweating," as it is COM
monty called is not enough to do
harm. Where a house "sweats" enough
to be troublesome, even when well
aired daily, 1t IS pretty certain that
there are too many fowls in the house.
l am opposed to the common and
patent ventilators, because they do
not ventilate. If the fowls were blessed
with the power to operate the ventila-
tors themselves and had sense enough
to do So then patent ventilators might
rrfrr ie- f1,,. tl.r--
man has to set the ventilators accord
ing to his judgment, and If sudden
weather changes come during his alb
sence the fowls have to take the couse-
quences.
Nearly all ventilators create drafts,
and drafts in the poultry house mean
colds and roup sure. The difficulty Of
managing ventilatOrs can be readily
understood if you will stop to consider
that small, thin current Of air from
small opening is n draft and is danger
Gus. 1t does not purify the air any
more than a small thin stream of clear
water flowing into a muddy pond puri-
fies the pond. 1t simply makes little
current Of purity and then is lost in the
foulness. This little thin current is
what causes mischief. On the other
hand, large volume of pure air does
purify and is not dangerous to health.
Again, a ventilatOr which on n warm,
still day admits little or no appreciable
amount of air becomes the source Of a
strong aold draft the moment the
weather changes to cold and windy.
My advice has always been to open
the doors and windows of the poultry
house to air it out with a good volume
of fresh air daily all winter, the win
dows to be opened while the fowls are
exercising in the litter, the length of
time that they are to be kept open to
depend on the state of the weather. On
bright, sunny, warm days the windows
should be open as long as the sun
shines in the house. On cold or stormy
days keep the windows open only long
enough thoroughly to renovate the air
In the house. Remember that on warm
or still days it takes some time to air
the house thoroughly, and when wealth
er Is very cold and windy a few min
utes will often be sufficient to change
the air. Do not make q mistake in cold
weather and keep the house wide
open sufficiently long thoroughly to
chill it. Airing the house well requires
judgment on the part Of the poultry
keeper-Dr. Woods In Poultry Month