Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-04-24

A large amount of glass in the front
of the house makes it warm during
the day and cold at night, as glass
radiates heat very rapidly. Unbleached
muslin, or light weight of duck cloth,
is used for curtains in the fronts OF
poultry houses. This cloth should be
thin enough to allow slow circula-
ton of air without draft, which OBJ
ject is defeated by using too heavy q
grade of duck or by oiling or paint
ing the cloth. The front of the house
should be high enough so that the
windows or openings will allow the
sun to shine we'll back during the win
ter.
Floors.
The best kind of a floor depends
upon the soil and the use of the house.
On light, sandy, well-drained soils a
dirt floor is satisfactory, especially
for small or colony henhouses. A
board floor is generally used where
the level of the floor in the house is
from one to three feet above the
ground surface and in portable houses
on land which is not we'll drained.
Board floors harbor rats and rot quick
ly, and should be raised some distance
off the ground SO that cats or dogs
can get under them, which also al
lows free circulation of air to pre-
vent the wood from rotting. Cement
floors are adapted to long perma-
nent buildings, brooder houses, incu-
bator cellars, and to all permanent
houses where an artificial floor is re-
CURED and can be built on the ground
level.
Roosts and Dropping Boards.
The interior fixtures of the pens
should be simple, portable and mex
pensive. Roosts are usually placed
next to the end or back walls, six to
ten inches above the dropping boards,
while the latter are from two to two
and one-half feet above the floor. They
should all be on the same level, other
wise the birds will crowd and fight to
get on the highest roost. Scantling
2 by 4 inches, with the upper edges
rounded off, makes good roosts with
either the wide or narrow surface up.
Allow seven to ten inches Of roost
space per fowl, according to the size
of the birds. Roosts should be placed
about fifteen inches apart, but the out
side ones may be within ten inches OF
| No Iro ~ no IrCrrincr hn0rdc
Kinds of Material Used for Building
! Houses made entirely of solid con.
crete are cold and damp, but concrete
blocks may be used with good results
Hollow tile makes very good poultry
house, and it can be bought in some
sections at a price which compares
favorably, considering its durability
with wood. This construction Is well
adapted to incubator cellars and
brooder houses, or to any buildings re-
quiring double walls and good insula
ton.
All kinds of wood are used in build
ing poultry houses, and any durable
lumber which is available for that pur
pose may be used. The lumber which
is to be used for the outside construc
ton should be we'll seasoned, other
wise the shrinkage will leave cracks
in the walls. The best shingles arr
made of redwood, cypress and cedar
and white pine is also used. Ashes
tos shingles are quite durable, bu
more expensive than wooden ones.
Whitewash.
Whitewash is the cheapest of al
paints and may be used either for ex
terror or interior surfaces. 1t can b.
made by shaking about ten pounds o
quicklime in a pail with two gallon
Of water, covering the pail with clotl
or burlap, and allowing it to Stake TO
one hour. Water is then added T.
bring the whitewash to consistenc
which may be applied readily.
, weatherproof whitewash for exterio
surfaces may be made as follows: Il
, Stake one bushel Of quicklime In l
: gallons of hot water; (2) dissolve tw
: pounds of common salt and one poun
of sulphate of zinc and two gallon
} of boiling water; pour (2) into a.
then add two gallons Of skim mil
and mix thoroughly. Whitewash
| spread lightly over the surface wit
a broad brush.