Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-04-21

Poultry can be raised successfully
Cd any well-drained soil. A light loan,
which will grow good grass, is well
adapted for this purpose; while, very
light. sandy soil, through which the
water teaches freely, will stand more
intensive poultry conditions, but most
of the green feed for the fowls kept
on such a soil viii have to be pur-
chased. A heavy clay or adobe soil,
is not as well adapted to poultry
raising, as such land does not drain
readily and it is much more difficult
to keep the stock healthy, says Farm
ers' bulletin STA, department of agri-
culture
Long stationary houses, or the in
tensive system, saves steps, but 1t Is
easier to keep the birds healthy and
to reproduce the stock under the col
ony system where the birds are al
lowed free range Breeding stock,
and especially growing chickens,
should have an abundance of range,
while hens used solely for the pro-
duction of market eggs may be kept
on a very small area with good re-
suits. The colony house system neces-
States placing the houses, holding
about one hundred hens, apart two
hundred to two hundred and fifty
feet, so that the stock will not kill
the grass. The colony system may be
adapted to severe winter conditions
by drawing the colony houses togeth-
er In convenient place at the begin
ming Of winter, thus reducing the Ia
Dor during these months.
Roof and Front.
The roof Is the most expensive but
a most important part OF the poultry
house, and should be water-tight.
Single roofs should have a one-third
pitch, while those covered with paper
or metal may have less pitch, or be
almost fiat; however, the greater the
slope the longer the life of the roof.
The SIZED or single-slope roof is adapt
ed to houses up to sixteen feet In
width 1t is Jone Of the easiest styles
to construct 1t allows high front
to The house, and furnishes a north
ern slope for the roof on which roofing
paper will last longer than on a roof
which faces the south.
The combination and semi-monitor
from sixteen to twenty-four feet wide,
while either of these styles, or the
monitor and the gable roof, may be
used for wider buildings The COM
bination roof on house over sixteen
feet wide gives the best head room
at the least cost, reduces the amount
of surplus air space, and gives neat
appearance to the buildings; while
the semi-monitor and monitor types
are best for wide houses which have
a central alley, particularly brooder
houses
Tho semi-monitor house usually
faces sotth, while the monitor type
of roof is frequently used on build
ings facing east or west. The gable
roof is used extensively for two-story
buildings, for brooder houses, and for
incubator cellars. This style of roof
Is usually ceiled at or slightly above
the, caves, or the globe may be filled
with straw or some kind of absorbent
material, which tends to keep such
houses dry and warm. The A-shaped
roof is used for growing coops and
colony houses which, with a wall 10
inches high, provides large amount
of floor space with minimum amount
of lumber; but increases the roof sur
face which is the most expensive part
of the house.
A large amount of glass in the front
of the house makes ii 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
tect Is defeated by using too heavy
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 floor depends
upon the soil and the use of the house.
Or light, sandy, well-tlrained soils
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
~, 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 roeting. 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