The Republican journal., 1911-09-14

or two and the house thoroughly dsin-
fected before the clean straw is put in.
In ventilating a house with straw,
boards or poles are laid loosely across at
the desired height, usually from plate to
plate, and two or three feet of straw is
piled on these poles. There should be a
large window in each end of the loft and
these should be left open at all times.
The fresh air, passing through the loft.
draws the stale air in the room up
through the straw, which absorbs the
moisture but is rapidly dried by the con-
slant passage of the air over it.
WINDOW VENTILATION.
but they are not satisfactory, as it is
will properly ventilate and not cause a
direct draft on the birds. If windows
are depended on for ventilation, they
may be hinged so as to swing in at the
top between boards fastened to each side
of the casing, thus forming shaft which
causes the air that comes in to be driven
to the roof and from there diffused
through the room.
Another method of ventilation with
windows is to place board under the
lower sash. The air passing between
the sashes is directed upward and diffus
ed through the room without a direct
draft upon the birds.
There are numerous methods of VEN
tilating poultry houses by the use of
windows. Any device that will admit
sufficient fresh air and remove the damp
ness in such way that there is not
direct draft through the house or upon
the birds, will prove satisfactory.
AIR SHAFTS AND FLUES.
Ventilation by air shafts and fues is
not very satisfactory unless some means
is provided for taking fresh air into the
house, as by windows or by openings in
the outside wall near the ground, which
take in the air and conduct 1T between
the studding in the wall up the side of
the building and into the room at point
near the roof The air shaft should ex
tend from a point seven feet above the
floor up through, and about two feet
above, the roof of the building.
FLOORS.
The dirt floor is the cheapest and, some
authorities claim, the best. 1t is, how
ever, easily contaminated by diseases, is
hard to keep clean and fresh, and unless
thoroughly drained it is damp in addition
to the other disadvantages. If the dirt
floor is used, from four to six inches OF
the surface should be removed every year
and replaced by fresh earth. In addition
it should be spaded up at least once each
year and sprinkled with lime.
The concrete floor is the most eXpen-
sive but when once built it is permanent
II is easily cleaned and disinfected, but is
very hard Oh the feet of The birds. This
disadvantage may be easily overcome by
covering the floor with thick coating of
dirt, which should be cleaned out and re-
moved at least once a year. If con-
crete floor is to be built, the foundation
must be very firm. In making it the dirt
should be removed to the depth of about
one foot, the excavation filled from six
to eight inches with large stones, then
covered with coarse gravel, and about
four inches of cement laid on this foun--
dation. This gives good drainage and
keeps the cement floor dry.
Wood floors are more commonly used,
since they are cheap and easily laid.
With such floors the building should be
set on foundation of rough stone or
cement, or on posts, one to three feet
above the ground. When posts are used,
the space between the ground and the
building should be boarded up to make
the house warmer during the winter and
to keep out animals. When the building
is set up off the ground the floor is kept
drier and lasts longer. 1t is easier, also,
to destroy rats, weasels, and other
marauding animals. Openings with
screens and board shutters should be
placed at frequent intervals in the foun-
dalton. During the winter these open
ings should be closed by shutters, but
during the summer screens should be
substituted to give free access to air,
which will keep the floor and foundation
dry. Some openings should also be pro-
vided where cats or dogs can get under
the building to destroy the rodents that
may be harbored there.
UNDERGROUND POULTRY HOUSES.
With the thought of providing warm
winter house, some people dig cellar
and put roof over it. Such houses are
dark and poorly ventilated. They are
hard to keep clean and are frequently
damp, particularly during the late win
ter and spring months.
HILLSIDE POULTRY HOUSES.
The house built into hillside is an i'm
provement over the cellar plan. bitches |
NC Jug VII tIlC dUOVc anu
around the building to prevent the water
from running down into the house. Such |
houses should be built with concrete
floors, ends, and back walls, the wall and
ends extending above ground at least
eight inches 50 as to turn all water.
The hillside house is sometimes made
with a basement This basement with
concrete floor and walls, protected from !
the drainage of the hill by bitches, and
with glass front, makes warm and
scratch shed. Over this is
built a dry and we'll ventilated room
where the birds are fed and nests and
roosts are placed.
During the summer the windows
should be removed from the front of the
basement, which will make cool, we'll
summer shelter for the birds.
This basement should be cleaned out
and thoroughly disinfected every fall be-
fore the cold weather starts, and the
floor covered with at least three inches
IF fresh earth.
CURTAIN-FRONT HOUSES.
After working and experimenting with
heated houses and then with glass-front
Or dollhouse poultry buildings, many
poultrymen and investigators came to
the conclusion that these houses were
not meeting the needs of the birds.
There was something essential to their
well-being which the fowls lacked. This
was shown in their steadily decreasing