Milford chronicle., 1910-04-29

\ A UNIQUE VILLAGE POULTRY HOUSE.
10 take up poultry keeping as 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 ia
them are less healthy than they would
be in house OF small fraction Of
the cost There are throughout the
eastern states number Of defunci
poultry plants 10 which the cause OF
failure is now attributed to the idea
of poultry house construction which
! prevailed ten or fifteen years ago A!
that time houses were made with pad
| ded walls aud entirely inclosed so than
! the chickens while roOstiug in the
house at night were kept so warm
| that they caught cold upon going our
| 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 poultrymau who |
wishes to keep several breeding pens
OF fowls and who must keep them
yarded. The farmer or egg farmer
will almost invariably construct bis
poultry house or houses ON the type of
the colony house hal 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 place to sleep eat
and scratch out OF the weather and
cares little whether this protection be
In the form Of a painted building with
a silver plated weather cock on the
lightning rod or a piano box covered
with tarred paper
The poultry house should be only
high enough for the Keeper TO stant
erect any greater space being q
waste and making the house colder In I
winter The house should contain I
about five square feet of floor space I
per hen II the fowls are yarded. while
he fowls on free range may get on +
with somewhat less space. The mild h
sr the climate the less indoor accom- fl
nodatons will be required by the hen r.
Good Drainage Is Vital. b
The poultry house should be- located Y
lpon the best drained soil available on Il
he farm. The sandiest soil thar will r.
till grow crops Is desired for poultry RI
I the poultry house be located on Il
ure sand there will be no green crop cl
r insect life for the fowls to furnish fl
eed and amusement, and then results b,
vii be little better than upon bare b.
Oard floors nj
On the farm the hen should be sepa.
lted as far as possible from the hog
en-. especially If heavy breeds are SC
ept; otherwise the hogs IN Swapping IA
fowls that are stealing their feed Of
lay learn the taste Of chicken flesh va
oultry may be placed near the or ar
lard. but cOops for young chicks In
lould not be put under trees. especial va
with Leghorns. as the young stock or;
III form the habit OF roostng in wi
e trees. and serious trouble will be tr,
,perienced when the cold weather of
mes on. 1t is usually impractical to of
cate poultry houses so that the hens ms
III not find the garden and we must ba
ose between fencing the hens or the IN,
rden
A stone foundation is best for the tbf
ultry house that is permanently To- orr
ted, but where stone is expensive co.
Is may be replaced by cedar, hem cor
* or Usage orange posts. Colony tbe
uses are best built on hemlock mud nro
Is cut like sled runners so they may IN
moved to fresh ground NO
floors may be constructed Of rough vor
ards or cement Cement floors are 80
,ellent. but If we'll constructed are sto,
pensive. Cheaply constructed ce- hon
Mt hoors will not last. Board floors Ssv