The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-04-24

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 slow circpla-
ton of air without a draft, which OBJ
1ect is defeated by using too heavy a
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 well 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 o. 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 a 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
4 should all be on the same level, other
wise the birds will crowd and fight to
| get on the highest roost. ScantIing
2 by inches. with the upper edges
rounded OF. 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
the edge of the dropping boards.
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 1t can be bought in some
sections at 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 are
made of redwood, cypress and cedar;
and white pine is also used. Ashes.
tos shingles are quite durable, but
more expensive than wooden ones.
Whltewash.
Whitewash Is the cheapest OF all
paints and may be used either for ex,
terror or interior surfaces. 1t can be
made by shaking about ten pounds OF
quicklime in pail with two gallons
of water. covering the pail with cloth
or burlap, and allowing 1t to Stake for
one hour. Water Is then added tc
bring the whitewash to consistency
which may be applied readily. A
weatherproof whitewash for exterior
surfaces may be made as follows: "a
Stake one bushel Of quicklime In Il
gallons Of hot water; (2) dissolve two
pounds of common salt and one pound
of sulphate OF zinc and two gallons
Of boiling water; pour (2) into ~
then add two gallons of skim milk
and mix thoroughly. Whtewash Is
)pread lightly over the surface with
a broad brush.