The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-19
HINTS FOR BUILDING
GOOD POULTRY HOUSE
Department Of Agriculture Has
New Book on Housing
Problems.
FEW FENCES NECESSARY
Plenty OF Fresh Paint Should Be
Used on All Struc-
lures.
FEW FENCES NECESSARY

wAspiSoroS. April 1s-Pouitry house.
may be built more open and consequently
less extensively in our Southern States
than In the North. according TO invssti-
gators Of the United States Department
Of Agriculture. However. a house which
gives satisfaction In Maine will also give
good results in Texas or California. The
best site for a poultry house In any ioca-
ton is enc where good water and air
drainage are available. The noor and
yards will then be dry. Tho house should
not occupy low hollow in which cold air
settles. Wherever possible a southern or
southeastern exposure should be selected.
although this is not essential II there is
any good reason for facing the house In
different direction.
Poultry House Construction 10 the
title OF the Departments new Farmers
Bulletin tNo 57D, I'M which are ex.
planned the main features that should be
considered and In which pictures and
plans OF satisfactory houses are shown
Every poultryman who contemplates
erecting new poultry buildings IL urged
10 write 20 the Department for this bull
ietin. which will be sent him free on ap-
t'N"Ni'si h' ''ilk rs lh' sup
ply lasts.
There are two popular WAYS in which
TO raise poultry. the Intensive system"
and the colony system" The first OF
these aims to save steps and accomplishes
this purpose. Long stationary houses are
used. II II easier. however. to keep the
birds healthy and to reproduce the stock
under the second system
Under the colony system the birds are
allowed free range, the houses. which
hold about 100 hens each. being placed
from 200 TO $50 feet apart so that tn
stock will not kill the grass. This system
may he adapted to severe winter condk
tons by drawing the colony houses to-
Gether in a convenient place at the be
ginning OF winter thus reducing the labor
during the cold months. The first system
is more suited for hens used solely for
the production OF market eggs than for
those used 10 breed stock.
Fences mean an outlay OF money and
this outlay Ia more or less continuous, as
they must be maintained after being in
stalled. There should be as few fences
as poss bic dividing the lots and the yards
as land can be kept sweet" more easily
II not fenced and fresh. sweet land is a
valuable asset in poultry raising
on good soil n gr.ensward may be kept
up by allowing 200 to ESQ square feet of
land per bird. This means 2l1 or IA
on poor or light land. larger number
OF fowls Is usually kept to tho acre
where double yards are used and the land
Is frequently cultivated. plymouth Rocks
and the other heavy meat breeds in small
yards require fences 8 to feet high.
while a fence q to feet high IL necessary
FOR Lsghorns. The upper two feet of the
fence for the latter may be Inclined in
ward AZ an angle, or a strand OF ba rbel
wire may be used on top OF the regular
wire to keep them confined. 1t liz also
sometimes necessary to clip the feathers
OF one wing OF the birds that persist in
getting out. A board or strip along the
top OF the fence In not advisable. Hens
will often fly over such an arrangement
Posts may be set or driven into the
ground. They should he set 8 to 10 feet
apart with common poultry netting or
ID to 20 feet with woven wire. Corner
posts should be about eight inches In
diameter and be set four feet in the
ground, while intervening posts may be
! or . inches In diameter and got three
feet in the ground. That part Of the
post which Is set In the ground may be
charred or treated with some wood
preservatve 20 advantage. while corner
posts should be firmly braced or set in
cement.
All buildings and appliances on q poul-
try farm will be improved greatly. both in
addition of paint One may buy ready
mixed paints or may purchase paste pig
mtnts and oil and mix them. All sur
faces should be clean ana dry before they
are painted, Use a printing coat made
OF equal parts of paint and lnseed oil and
cover with one or more coats of paint
which should be thoroughly rubbed into
the surface
Whitewash Is the cheapest OF all paints
and may be used either for exterior or
Interior surfaces, 1t can he made by
shaking about ton pounds of qucklime in
"A pail with two gallons of water, cover
Ing the pail with cloth or buriap and
allowing II to slake for one hour Water
IN then added To bring the whitewa III
to consistency which may be applied
readily.
weatherproof whitcwash FOR exterior
surfaces may be made az follows a.
Stake one bushel Of quicklmr N twelve
illons OF hot water. l2D dissolve two
pounds OF common salt and one pound of
sulphate OF zinc in two gallons of boiling
water; pour CD into %. then add two
gallons OF skim milk and mix thoroughly.
Whitewash 10 spread lightly over the sur.
face with q broad brush.