Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-05-09

A large amount OF glass In the front
OF the house makes 1t 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 a slow circula.
ton of air without a 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 well drained
Board floors harbor rats and rot quick.
ly, and should be raised some distance
of the ground so that cats or dogs
can get under them, which also al
lows a free circulation OF air to pre-
vent the wood from rotting. Cement
floors are adapted to long perma-
mont hnflhfnno krnnAnr d.
bator cellars, and TO all permanent
houses where an artificial floor is re-
quired 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
by 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
IF the birds. Roosts should be placed
about fifteen inches apart, but the out
tide ones may be within ten inches of
he edge Of the dropping boards.
Kinds of Material Used for Building.
Houses made entirely of solid con-
;rete are cold and damp, but concrete
blocks may be used with good results.
Hollow tile makes a very good poultry
house, and 1t can be bought in some
sections at a price which compares
avorably, considering its durability,
With wood. This construction is we'll
.dapted TO incubator cellars and
'rooder houses, or to any buildings re-
uiring double walls and good insula-
lon.
All kinds OF wood are used In build
ng poultry houses, and any durable
lmber which is available for that pur-
'ose may be used. The lumber which
3 to be used for the outside construc-
Ion should be we'll seasoned, other
wise the shrinkage will leave cracks
n the walls. The best shingles are
made OF redwood. cypress and cedar;
nd white pine is also used. Ashes
os shingles are quite durable, but !
more expensive than wooden ones.
Whltewash.
Whitewash is the cheapest OF all
'aints and may be used either for ex.
erior or interior surfaces. II can be
made by shaking about ten pounds OF
uicklime in a pail with two gallons
I water. covering the pain with cloth
II burlap, and allowing II TO Stake for
me hour. Water is then added 10
ring the whitewash to a consistency
which may be applied readily. All
whitewash for exterior
urfaces may be made as follows: Q)
'lake one bushel Of Quicklime In ~
.allons OF hot water; (2) dissolve two 4
ounds OF common salt and one pound
4 sulphate OF zinc and two gallons
4 boiling water; pour CD into Cd :
hen add two gallons OF skim milk
nd mix thoroughly. Whitewash A.
nraad HobtItr ovar tha ,...fo.. ..s.a iii