The sun., 1915-06-27
FOWL DRINKS LARGE
VOLUMES OF WATER
Consumes Nearly Half Pint in
Day. More Sometimes in
Laying Season.
CLEANLINESS ESSENTIAL
ny ~. RMsTRONG ROBERTS,
Practical POultryman


chicken would rather drink fror
cows hoofprint than from a foun
tain OF clean. pure water. yet that
no reason why she should be allowed {
do so. any more than she should be per
m!tted 10 eat tainted animal food. whic
any fowl Will devour with great relish
Clean water In large quantities, easy o
access. !s one OF the chief essentials I,
success vita poultry. and the providin,
] Of IL Is one OF the most laborious task
in commercial plant, unless there II
some system OF distributing 1t BY ME
chanical power or gravity.
The way in which fowl drinks woult
seem to indicate that che consumes onI,
few drops of water in a day, yet In
! realty she drinks close to a half pint
especially during the heavy laying sea.
son, for the egg Itself is something Ike
| so per cent. water. Thus we find that
in a house OF 500 layers the actual daily
water consumption 10 more than thirt,
gallons. or almost a barrel II this
! were 10 be carried by hand. Ave gallons
/ at a time. six trips to and from the
well or other source OF supply would
+ he necessary But this merely allows for
/ be necessary. But this merely allows for
{ cooling or sanitary purposes highly
| important consideration.
Every time fowl drinks she invaria-
bly washes her beak in the water. This
may leave In TIE water only few
grains Of dirt or mash feed, but In the
course Of a day the quantity OF foreign
matter carried into drinking fountain
is surprising. Moreover, unless the
fountains are very carefully arranged a
certain amount OF litter will also be
scratched or busted into the water.
Where fowls are strong and healthy
10 (atr ~
this contamination. As IL Is almost
impossible to insure absolutely pure
water in a fountain or open vessel OF
any kind IL IL advisable TO have such
fountains OF large capacity in order
that the degree OF pollution may be les
sened and the dangers reduced to a
minimum
II Is far more economical to provide
Ave times the quantity OF water actually
consumed than TO attempt to keep foun-
,ains fresh and sanitary by scrubbing
or washing them. For this reason and
because Il seems TO be human nature
to forget to give adequate attention 10
drinking facilities great pains should be
taken 10 make the watering system as
near automatic and germ proof a. pos
sble. With a little common mechanical
ability and q few tools this can be done
at moderate expense.
II a poultry farm has access 20 .
municipal water supply or II there 10 .
storage tank on the premises the work
of eQuipping the buildings With an ideal
system 10 half accomplished, since Il u
then . simple matter 70 w underground
pipes connecting each houss with the
main supply.
Where this convenience 10 not avail
able q small gasoiene engine OF about
one horsepower. with pump1ack
erected over an ordinary force pump may
be installed At a COST not exceeding $50
and will provo entirely satisfactory. II
this outlay 10 too great the force pump
may be operated by hand . few minutes
every day.
Instead Of an overhead storage tank.
barrels tpreferably charred wh!skey con-
tainers which will serve to clarity the
water) may BE- stationed in tho various
buildings At . trifiing cost. and will
give SUFFICIENT pressure for q uniform
supply. The barTsl should BE- stood on
end with tho head intact and . neat hole
bored In Il for the feed pipe In this
way the interior Of the barrel 10 pho
tected from direct currents OF outside
air, consequently the water Will not
freeze TO any extent In cold weather,
at least not enough to retard It's now in
a temperature above 10 degrees Fshren-
heit
An ordinary salvani.ed sheet iron
rain gutter. or caves trough. makes an
before tho birds and ono that ie kept
clean most easily. II should be about
ifteen feet long in house Of 500 layers. |
This trough Is fastened 10 the front wall
OF tho building with hangers manufac-
tured for the purpose. Tho rolled or
rounded edge OF the trough should face
the side from which the birds drink. and |
be about ten inches of tho floor, with a |
slight drain toward the end further from |
tho barrel. The t!nsmith Wal solder a
plate at each end Of the trough ana also
III the end that is to be further from the |
barrel with An overflow pipe and a drain.
Both Of these may be Of tubing half an
inch IN diameter. fitted 90 that they dis
charge outside the building.
The drain OF course should lead from
the lowest point In the trough and be
rounded nicely so that an ordinary cork
may be used as plug or stopper. This
arrangement facilitates washing out tho
trough, and II the overflow pipe Is prop
rrly located there need be no fear OF
The trough overfiow,ng TO the moor OF
the building,
About three inches above the edges OF
the gutter. allowing Just enough space
FOR the fowls 70 raise and lower their
,.,an Sons e., ~ 70 ~
,sn " ."o" po"'r oNe' ,"e eh''re enSth o'
,ne "ous"i ms WIN rrerent t"e u'Ius
,,' ,,onl Ju'np,ns mo !, OF toul'ns 'he water
ms oo"ro snou'u oe n'hsea as SHOWN
III 'he aocoihpan! '"| s"el'h 50 'hat u
may ne raised Tor cleaning. Directly
over the ehd OF the trough bore hole
n the lowest practical point in the bar
rel and ft it with wooden faucet or
zap. The water supply Is then under