Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-18

In the building of the poultry house
the amateur will be puzzled by the
variety of styles that he sees and
reads about. Just as in choosing a
breed one must make allowance for
the prejudice of the advocate in favor
of his own breed and discount some
of his eXtravagant claims, so in build
ing the house you must weigh care
fully the reasons for the different
styles and the claims made for them.
There are certain essential features
which must be Incorporated in every
successful poultry house, These are
that fresh air, dryness, sunlight and
space enough to keep the birds COM
Portable must be provided, No house
is perfect; the amateur must use his
Judgment in adapting that style of
house which seems best adapted for
his purposes. Only one thing seems
to be settled in regard to poultry
houses by the experts. That is that
the day of the glass front, alright
house is past. Wise poultrymen
everywhere have adopted the open
front house and use much muslin and
little glass to keep out the elements
and let in the fresh air. Even In zero
climates muslin curtained houses are
a success.
The best site for a poultry house in
any location is one where good water
and air drainage are available. The
floor and yards will then be dry. The
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 if there is any
good reason for facing the house In a
different direction.
Poultry House Construction is the
title of the Department of Agricul-
lures new Farmers Bulletin (No.
57D, in which are explained the main
features that should be considered,
and in which pictures and plans of
some very satisfactory houses are
shown. Every poultryman who con-
templates erecting new poultry build
ings is urged to write to the depart
ment for this bulletin, which will be
sent free on application, as long as
the departments supply lasts, or your
own Congressman can get it for you.
Intensive System" and COLONY System"
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
aeeomplshes this purpose. Long sta
tionary houses are used, 1t is 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 the stock will not kill the grass.
This system may be adapted to
severe winter conditions by drawing
he-colony houses together in a con-
venient place at the beginning of
winter, thus reducing the labor dur
ing the cold months. The first system
is more suited to hens used solely for
the production of market eggs than
for those used to breed stock.
Probably there are no more suitable
poultry buildings for New Jersey
than those which have been devised
by Prof. Harry Reynolds Lewis, as
sistant professor of poultry hus-
bandry at the New Jersey College of
Agriculture at New Brunswick, with
the needs of this State particularly In
mind. one of these, a colony house
for ten to twenty hens, was Illus
trated and described on The Stars
Farm and Garden page a few weeks
ago A second one, a summer colony
house for growing chickens, appears
in the May issue of Suburban Life
magazine. Both of them are illus
trated again with this article. Prof.
Lewis, who ranks at the head OF
poultry experts in this country, has
taken every need of the same poultry
raiser into consideration.
For the colony house for ten to
twenty hens the outside dimensions