The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-12-26

Once 4 year az lonss. and twscs ysAr
would be better. the poultry houss
should have thorough cleaning and
frceberfng. II this annual cleaning =
thoroughly done and pains taken 70
keep Ii clean afterward. once a yecr II
sufficient to insure cleanliness. Much
Importance Is attached TO the word
thoroughly"
II Is very well known that poultry
do well in a new house, and II In a
puzzle TO many poultrymen why the
flocks do not do so well In subsequent
years. The trouble IL the ground Hoor
OF the pens becomes sodden with drop
pings and is repulsive polsonousl 20
the fowls. The ammonia OF the drop
pings Is soaked into the droppings plat
form. In the urine, and that gives or
n foul odor which is obnoxious 10 the
birds and lowers their vitality. This
unhealthy condition OF the house or
houses can be got over by thoroughly
cleaning up and embarrassing the
pens and wholly renewing the earth
floor. II this IN thoroughly done In
late summer. when the house and ev-
erything else Is dry. the pens Will be
as fresh and sweet as In new house.
In other words, II Is a renewed house.
All OF the furniture OF the poultry
house should be movable The roosts
and roost platform should be supported
by brackets and should be SO construct
ed that they can be lifted off and car
ried wholly outside of the house. Move
out the nest boxes. feed troughs ana
water pans and sweep down the dirt
and dust and cobwebs from the walls
and ceiling, then shovel out five or six
inches OF the surface sand or earth or
the floor OF the pens. 1t will generally
be found that the poisoned earth Tor
sand does not extend beyond four or
five inches In depth. Clean OF MS
much OF the surface as seems at all
foul. Then go in with Il bucket OF
whitewash and brush IAN old broom
makes very good whitewash brushl
and thoroughly whitewash every part
OF the woodwork Of the walls, roof,
etc. DO not be afraid Of using the
whitewash Put il on freely and have
II II little thin SO that ii will spread
freely and flow into every crack and
crevice OF the walls. Take particular
pains with the supports of the roosS
and roOst platform and the walls OF
the house where they rest AS II Is IN
cracks and crevlces about the ends OF
the roosts that. next TO the roosts them
selves, the red mites most congregate
no matter II some of the whitewash
drops on the floor Whitewash Is very
purifying and will not do a bit of harm
to the door. Serve the nest boxes.
roost platforms and roost poles in the
same manner and If you give the roost
poles Il thorough scalding with boiling
hot water previous to withdrawing
them so much the better. Boiling hot
water If put on boiling hot viii ef-
fectiyely clear out the red mites and
the nits OF the rcd mites. After this
annual cleaning and whitewashng a
once Il month bath Of Kerosene OIL on
the roosts viii effectively keep down
the red mites. After the whltewashed
house is dry put In a couple OF cart
loads OF fresh earth or sand. You Will
need TO put in little more than you
took out. because il viii settle some,
and some seems 10 disappear by the
birds busting In IT, We prefer hne
sand for the poultry house floors. 1t
does not pack down so hard as loan
does, and the birds do not need dust
bath; they will dust Tor wallow) In
the sand OF the pen floor Some poul-
trymen prefer not to whitewash the
roost poles. as they think they get bet
ter results In lighting red mites by
scaling with boiling hot water and
then dRenching with kerosene oil III
this seaidlng OF the Foost poles and
whttewsElring of the walls about tbs
reos supports ass tksseasAiy ss~s.
thsAs viii be- NO sea snisss sanaA~s eat
ut msrIl4 10 szak ths BLOOD Of ths sesast
irlg f0wk a. ". Runaar IN k~AaesAs
poufhy Journal