The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-05-01

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During the past few years the ten
dency among poultrymen has been to
build houses on plan to admit Of an
abundant supply Of fresh air. More
consideration is now being given to
fresh air than warmth in poultry
houses. The mistake In the past has
been in failure 70 recognize the fact
that the housing OF poultry is an arti-
fetal condition, for our domestic poul-
try still retain considerable Of the
wild nature. This is shown when
fowls persist in flying into the trees
to roost In preference to seeking the
shelter Of houses provided for them.
Il has never yet been demonstrated
that fowls can be kept in warm
houses without injury to the constitu-
tional vigor Of the hock, and the
vigor Of the flock must be the first
concern Of the poultry breeder
The difficulty is in building
house that will not be subject to too
great variations in temperature be.
tween night and day and az the same
time well ventilated. and not too damp.
without furnishing artificial heat II
is possible BY artifcially heating the
house 10 get a slightly better egg
yield, as is indicated by experiments
at some Of the stations. but they also
indicate that the increased yield was
at the expense Of vitality Of the fowls.
Il is very important that the tempera.
ture does not vary too much in the
house.
In a warmly-bullt house with win
dows in the south the temperature will
be high during the day when the sun
shines and at night It viii be very low,
the glass permitting the escape Of
the heat as rapidly as II enters. This
is because Of the chilling effect on the
fowls when subjected to extreme
variations Of temperature; and second,
because Of the dampness it produces
Ia the house. During the day the
warm air In the house is taking up
the moisture and az night. owing "a
the great fan IN temperature. the afr
becomes very humid often totally
saturated as is seen when moisture
condenses on the walls Il is not
dampness on the walls. however. that
is bad. 1t is the moisture in the air:
but the dampness on the walls IS a
sure Indication that the air is as damp
OF humid as It is possible to be
Chickens would be better roosting on
the tree than In a house where such
conditions prevail BY taking out the
windows altogether these conditions
would be improved They would be
still further improved by cutting out
a larger portion Of the front. and this
would make what is generally known
as an open-front or fresh.air house
The open front may be adapted tc
a small house OF to a large one, q
colony house or stationary house
The open.front house has been tried
in all sections ,of the country. in the
cold as well as in the warm. In cold
sections some poultrymen cover the
opening with a curtain Of ordinar,
muslin and then II Is called cur
tain.front house. This shuts out the
storms and retains some of the heal
In the house. AS the material is thin
there is a free circulation Of air but
without drafts, and the temperature OF
the house is nearly that OF out doors
The curtain-front house has beer
thoroughly tested at the Experiment
Station OF Maine and appears tC
meet the conditions there better thar
any other house and gives good salts
faction in the long stationary house
1t has been tried with the colony house
at the Utah station with good results
though the temperature went to 1;
degrees below zero and snow was OF
the ground about two months during
the winter 1t was found that the
fowls maintained a greater weight in
the colony open.front house than II
the warm closed house
Having decided on the fresh aii
l.ouse, whether II be an open-front OF
mrtain-front house, the next question
3 shall It be a movable colony house
IT stationary house.