The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-09-22

clay soil, for the former is more
easily kept in a sanitary condition.
If it is impracticable to select a soil
that's naturally dry it may be made
dry through drainage.
Now having selected a suitable
location, | will endeavor to assist
the beginner with his buildings,
which it is advisable to build dur
Ing the summer, for then the build
lngs have time to dry out during
the hot days. Lumber is often
rather damp as it comes from the
yard.
AS sunlight and warmth are es-
sential to success, the buildings
should face the south, southeast
ern exposure is preferable to south
western exposure, for fowls seem to
prefer morning to afternoon sun.
A gentle slope facing the south is
1.-THE most suitable.
The size of the buildings required
will depend largely upon the num-
Der of fowls to be kept and on the
size of the focks. With focks of
from forty to fifty about five square
feet of floor space should be allotted
to each bird, which will be ample
where careful attention is given to
cleanliness and ventilation. If the
fowls are kept in smaller focks,
more floor space per bird will be
needed. By the same token larger
flocks need less floor space per bird.
Where the climate is 50 mild that
it is unnecessary to keep the fowls
confined except for few days at a
time, less space per bird will be
sufficient. The poultryman of the
northwest should not under any
circumstances allow less than four
square feet per bird through the
winter months.
theoretically the most economi-
cal house to build is square one.
1t IS, however, out of the question
to have large house built square.
| The building should not be so wide
| that the sun cannot reach the back
| of the house, otherwise it will be
! damp. Fourteen feet is sufficient
depth for large house. A house
should be built as low as possible
without danger of the attendants
humping their heads against the
rafters. A low house is more easily
warmed than high one. There
are three general styles of roofs
the single pitch, the gable roof and
the combination with one long and
one short pitch.
The single pitch roof is the earl
est to build and is altogether the
most practical hen house. It gives
the highest vertical front exposed
to the suns rays and throws all the
rain water to the rear. Shingles
should not be used as they necessi-
tate too steep pitch, throwing the
front too high or the rear too low.
! Nor is the single roof air tight or
dry. A metal roof is too hot in
summer and too cold in the winter,
being ready conductor of heat.
One of the prepared pliable roofings
not lighter than Que ply should be
used.
The floor may be of earth, wood
or cement. It is important that
the floor be dry, otherwise it will
be impossible to keep litter on the
floor fit for use. Earth floors are
excellent, provided they are kept
dry. This is difficult however un-
less they be filled in from four to
six inches above the outside ground.
An objection to the earth floors is
is the difficulty in cleaning them,
for it is necessary to remove two or
three inches of the top and replace
this with fresh soil and even then
one cannot be certain that all the
droppings have been removed.
Board floors are usually short lived
unless air is allowedto circulate I'M
der them. They are to my mind
the best floor to use taking all things
into consideration.
The cement floor is too expensive