Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-06-20

A UNIQUE VILLAGE POULTRY HOUSE.
to take up poultry keeping as a pro
fession, very frequently lose money by
building more elaborate and expensive
poultry houses than there is any need
for
Indeed, many houses are built SO
tight and warm that poultry kept in
them are less healthy than they would
be in a house of small fraction Of
the cost. There are throughout the
eastern states number Of defunct
poultry plants in which the cause Of
failure is now attributed to the idea
prevailed ten or fifteen years ago. At
that time houses We're made with pad
ded walls and entirely inclosed. so that
the chickens while roosting in the
house at night were kept so warm
that they caught cold upon going out
into the weather next morning. The
present tendency Is toward lighter.
cheaper. better ventilated buildings.
The two general forms Of poultry
houses in use are the long house and
the colony house. The long house has
several pens under one roof and Is
adapted to the village poultryman who
wishes to keep several breeding pens
Of fowls and who must keep them
yarded. The farmer or egg farmer
will almost invariably construct his
poultry house or houses on the type of
the colony house-that is. the house
which is to contain one flock of fowls.
Simple Houses Best.
The house must be planned for the
hens comfort Any embellishments or
fancy work that is added to please the
owner should not be charged up
against the productive powers OF the
hen. for she needs a place 10 sleep. eat
and scratch out of the weather and
cares Little whether this protection be
in the 1o,ul Of 4 painted building with
silver plated weather cock on the
lightning rod or a piano box covered
will tarre4 paper.
The poultry house should be only
high enough for the keeper to stand
erect amy greater space being
waste and making the house colder in
wiuter The house should contain
abuut five square feet of floor space
PEE hen If tie fowls are yarded. while
the fowls ON free range may get on
with somewhat less space. The mild
er the climate the less indoor accom-
modatioHs win BE required by the hen
C:9d Drainage Is Vital.
The poultry house should be located
upoa the best drained soil available on
the farm, The saudieSt soil that will
still grow crops IS desired for poultry
If tie poultry house be located on
pure sand there viii be no green crop
or insect life for the fowls to furnish
feed and amusement. and then results
viii be little better than upon bare
board floors
On the farm the hen should be sepa-
rated as far Us possible from the hog
pen. especially if heavy breeds are
kept: otherwise the hogs in swapping
at fowls that are stealing their feed
may learn the taste Of chicken flesh.
Poultry may he piIced near the or
chlrd. but cCOps tor young chicks
should not be put under trees. especial
ly with LeglOrrs, as the young stock
will form the habit If roosting in
the trees. and serious trouble will be
experienced when the cold weather
comes Oh. 1t is usually Impractical to
locate poultry houses 50 that the hens
will not find the garden. and We must
chose between fencing the hens or the
garden
A stone foundation is best for the
poultry house that IS permanently To-
Gated. but where stone is expensive
this may be replaced by cedar. hem
lock or Usage orange posts. Colony
houses are best built on hemlock mud
stills cut like sled runners So they may
be moved TO fresh ground.
~ Floors may be constructed Of rough
: boards or cement Cement floors are
exeuiient. but If well constructed are
expensive Cheaply constructed ce-
ment doors will not last. Board floors