Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-14
Simplicity, Economy and
Convenience the Essential
Features
Explanation Of the Funda-
mental Principles of Poul-
tryhouse Construction
BY Robert Armstrong

While fowls can be kept almost any
where, and made to live under adverse
conditions, they do best in congenial
living quarters. There is no one best
and most economical type of construc-
ton for poultry buildings; much de-
pends upon latitude, climate and soil
conditions. If a house is unpleasant
for the attendant to work in, the
chances are 1t is unfit for his flock to
inhabit. At the same time, the mere
spending Of money on q mouse doeS
not necessarily make an ideal building.
The ideal, practical poultry house
should be serviceable above all things,
fairly roomy, well ventilated and yet
free from direct drafts, capable of be-
ing flooded with direct sunlight, and
dry and sanitary at all times. 1t should
be built wherever possible with the
view to simplicity, economy and con-
venience. To spend large sums on 1T
unnecessarily is almost as grave an
error as to slight 1t, for money ex-
pended for useless purposes on a poul-
try farm Is an extravagance-dead
capital, and brings no return on the
investment.
In the manner of housing fowls
there may be said to be two general
systems, widely different in their ex-
tremes-the colony plan, which con-
sists in placing small houses for small
flocks far enough apart to overcome
interminglging, or to erect yards for
the different flocks, and the more in
tensive plan of keeping the birds in
long continuous laying houses. This
latter arrangement may consist of a
series of separate pens under one roof,
connected by an alleyway at the rear,
or by gates between the pens, or it
may be one long house capable of
accomm modating units of from 500 to
1000 birds. The relative merits of
the two systems are numerous. There
is tendency to accept the idea that
small flocks produce the greater egg
yield. To offset this virtue, however,
it costs more in labor to produce a
dozen eggs by the colony plan than
by more intensive arrangement.
Long Houses Save Material
The cost of building houses on the
colony plan is much bigger per bird,
not only because number of smaller
houses require so many additional end
walls, but being smaller the allowance
of floor area per bird in the colony
plan should be almost double that re-
quired in the continuous house. The
reason for this is obvious: While the
actual floor allotment per fowl in the
long house is small, say about three
or four square feet, the fowl may
roam at will throughout the entire
house, hence it is not oppressed with
the idea of confinement.
A suitable location is the first con-
sideration in the erection of q poultry
house. Wherever possible select a site
having a natural drainage away from
the building, and if it can be built in
the lee of a windbreak of some kind,
such as hill or woods, so much the
better. sandy or gravelly, porous
soil is preferable to clay soil, since
the former Is more easily kept in a
sanitary condition, and if it is i'm
practicable to select soil that is nat
urally drained, the site should be made
dry by unler drainage of some sort.
The buildings should face the south,
which will expose the interior of the
house to the early morning sun-much
desired on cold, winter mornings.
The floor of the house may be a
natural earth floor, filled in for about
foot above the outside ground level,
or it may be of wood or cement; loca-
ton and soil conditions are the deter
mining factors. 1t is highly impor-
tant, however, that the floor be dry at
all times, otherwise it will be impos-
sible to keep litter in the house dry
and sweet for the birds to work in.
Straw and other litter materials alb
sorb moisture very quickly, become
mucky and give off foul odors, and are
very apt to contaminate the scratch
grains thrown into them. Much of the
illness among chickens may be at
tributed to damp litter, than which
nothing is more destructive to success
and profits.
Wall or Pier Foundations
Where a dirt floor is contemplated
it is advisable to put down a concrete
wall for the foundation. This should
be about 8 inches thick, built deep
enough to prevent heaving by frost
action, and extend about a foot above