The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-08-16
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POULTRY HOUSE WITH SCRATCH
ING SHED.
is at once apparent, says Prairie Farm
er, for If limited to one atmosphere
and one temperature night and day,
throughout the cold, stormy months
of winter, they cannot help but be-
come listless, debilitated and "out Of
condition"
Best of all, however, by using a
house with a scratching-shed, as many
again birds can be kept as compared
with the closed pen. Hence, the cost
of the scratching-shed does not add
anything in the way Of expense, as far
as having buildings TO Accommodate a
certain number of fowls is concerned.
On the other hand, there is every
thing to commend 1.-THE better
health of the birds, the greater pro-
duction and higher fertility OF their
eggs, and, owing to the natural
warmth from the bodies of so many
of them, the elimination of supplying
artificial heat in the roosting room at
night. Moreover, by adopting the ar
rangement illustrated, II is possible to
duplicate the construction and have a
succession of closed rooms and open
sheds, extending, If the ground is suf
ficiently level to allow it, almost any
length desired.
The shed part should be 10x10 feet,
the roosting room 10xS feet The sills,
which should be laid at least foot
above the surface OF the ground, may
rest on stone or brick foundations, or
posts set into the ground below the
usual frost line; these piers" should
be located at a distance of about five
feet from one another. For the sills,
as we'll as plates, rafters and corner
studs, 2x4 scantling will do; the inter.
mediate studs may consist Of 2x3 stuff
The studs, of course, want TO be toe
nailed firmly to the sills, the plates to
the studs and the rafters to the plates
The front studs should be ~ feet
long, and the rear ones feet long
This will give a fairly good pitch &c
ing may be used. The house, o.
course, should face toward the south
After provisions have been made
for the window and doors, as Is sug
gested in the cut, the sides should b'
boarded up with good matched lum
ber. To prevent the fowls from wan
dering away and mixing with thos'
Of other pens. and also protecting
them from birds and animals of prey
the front OF the scratching mus
be inclosed with wire netting; 1t 1
convenient TO have one section Of
made into gate to open and let tn
birds out into the yard in front o
the house.
In addition to the netting ther
should be a cloth curtain to clos
at night in winter, or on stormy o
windy days, thus protecting the fowl
from snow-storms and piercing wind:
On clear days it should be lifte
soon after sunrise and kept up unit
the sun gets low in the west, but
the weather is very cold 1t Is be
ter to raise il only for an hour @
two during the middle of the da!
and In case a storm or cold win
prevails, not at all. Such a ourtai
may be fastened at the top by mai
ing II in place with a strip of latl
and the lower edge held where wan
ed by means of hooks having scre
eyes.
With the curtain fastened down {
night, II is not necessary to clos
the door between the roosting rool
and scratching-shed unless the weat
er is severely cold, and unless it
way below zero, the small openin
at the right of this door should nevt
be closed. II will otherwise be war
enough-that is, II the walls al
ceiled on the inside and the space b
tween packed with straw or swa
hay, as 1t should be. BY openin
the window In warm weather, and par
ly on very warm winter days, exec
lent ventilation at all seasons OF II
year can be obtained.
A dirt floor is suitable for II
scratching shed. provided 1t 10 file
In 30 as to raise II or 10 inch'
above the surrounding surface; b,
for the roosting room 1t is preferab
to have board floor, AZ this apar
ment should be kept very clean, Al
q board floor II more easily swe
than any other.