Evening star., 1915-06-27
Water Should Be Kept Clean.


water consumption is more than thirty
gallons, or almost a barrel
Water Should Be Kept Clean.
Every time a fowl drinks she invaria- :
bly, washes her beak in the water This
may leave In the water only a few
grains of dirt or mash feed. but in the
course Of day the quantity of foreign
matter carried into a drinking foun-
tain is surprising Moreover unless
the fountains are very carefully ar
ranged. certain amount of litter will
also be scratched or busted into the
water. Where fowls are strong and
healthy. they can throw off fair
amount of this contamination. AS it
Is almost impossible to insure abso-
lutely pure water in fountain or
open vessel of any kind. it is advisable
to have such fountains of large ca
pacity, in order that the degree of
pollution may be lessened and the dan =
gers reduced to a minimum.
IF a poultry farm has access to mu
nicipai water supply, or if there is
a storage tank on the premises, the
work of equipping the buildings with
an ideal system is half accomplished.
since it is then simple matter to lay
underground pipes connecting each
house with the main supply.
Where this convenience is not avail
able, a small gasoline engine of about
one ne-horsepower. with a pump-jack
erected over an ordinary force-pump.
may be installed at a cost not exceed
ing $50, and Will prove entirely salts
factory. If this outlay is too great, the
force-pump may be operated by hand,
a few minutes every day.
Instead Of an overhead storage tank,
barrels fpreferably charred whiskey
containers which will serve to clarity
the water) may be stationed in the
various buildings at trifiing cost. and
will give sufficient pressure for a uni
form supply. The barrel should be
stood on end with the head intact, and
a neat hole bored in it for the feed
pipe. In this way the interior of the
barrel is protected from direct cur
rents of outside air. consequently the
water will not freeze to any extent
to retard its flow in temperature
above 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rain Gutter as Drinking Trough.
An ordinary galvanized sheet iron
ideal contrivance for placing the water
before the birds. and one that is kept
clean most easily 1t should be about
fifteen feet long in house of 500 lay
ers This trough is fastened to the
ers manufa actured for the purpose. The
rolled or rounded edge of the trough
should face the side from which the
birds drink. and be about ten inches
off the floor. with slight drain toward
the end farther from the barrel The
tinsmith will solder a plate at each end
of the trough, and also fit the end that
is to be farther from the barrel with
an overflow pipe and a drain. Both
of these may be of tubing half an
"a cd haf ha,-
discharge outside the building.
About three inches above the edges
of the gutter. allowing just enough
space for the fowls to raise and lower
their heads in drinking, it is advisable
to fit ten-inch board over the entire
length of the trough. This will pre-
vent the birds from jumping into II
or fouling the water. This board should
be hinged so that it may be raised for
cleaning. Directly over the end of
practical point in the barrel and fit
it with a wooden faucet or tap. The
water supply is then under control
and may be allowed either to trickle
or to run in steady stream.
In the winter. when there is likeli-
hood of the water in the trough freez-
ing overnight, it may be drained off
at closing-up time, and the Spigot
wrapped with a piece of WOODEN cloth.
Unless the temperature is extremely
low lHe VIII not IleeZt III Ine
daytime, inasmuch as the fowls are
continually drinking from it; and the
spigot will not freeze, because the
water in the barrel is considerably
warmer than the outside air.
System Proved Satisfactory.
l have used a system of this kind for
several years, for f1ocks of from 500 to
500 birds. and have never experienced
single disappointment. Occasionally
some of the fowls will develop colds,
or even roup. but they are promptly
caught. treated and isolated. thereby
removing any danger of an epidemic.
An abundant supply of water is fur
nished at all times, on the principle
that if dirt does get in the trough it
will quickly drain off. The troughs
are brushed out daily, and about once
a week a disinfectant is used
For the poultryman willing to con-
slider a little more trouble, | have
contrived a similar arrangement that
it is absolutely impossible to contami-
as before. and three inches above the
center of this trough a half-inch gal
vanized iron pipe is run. drilled on
the underside with holes 1-32 of an
inch in diameter, spaced four inches
apart The pipe is connected to the
barrel with 2ate-valve that controls
the pressure, and in this way lust
enough water is allowed to enter the
pipe to maintain slow drop from all
the holes When the hen reaches for A
drop, capillary attraction takes place,
whereupon the drop instantly increases
to tiny stream. The trough of
course, takes care of any waste, and
1t is covered with Wire grid so that
the fowls cannot drink from it. No
cleaning of any kind is required for
this apparatus since it is impossible
for the birds to conta inmate it. 1t
is the nearest approach to an abso-
lutelv practical. sanitary water supply
that | know Of and has but one dis
will not operate in
freezing temperature.