Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-03-09
Housing The Hen

ChO OCuClII VI ICbu6IS Vi Tue OUTOllclS,
L pointed out the necessity of the
choice Of suitable hens for the pro-
duction Of eggs during winter; but,
important as this choice is, the hous
ing and feeding of winter layers must
be suitable or good results can not be
expected. The best Jersey COW will
not give rich flow of milk if poorly
housed and injudiciously fed and the
same conditions hold good as to the
prOductiveness Of hens, especially dur
ing winter. One may hatch chicks
from the most prolific winter layers
obtainable anywhere, and if the pullets
or hens are neglected during fall and
winter, they will go on the strike in
spite Of their good breeding unless
properly housed and judiciously fed.
Biddy uses better judgement than
many Of us use in her requirements,
since she is no stickler for style but
insists strenuously on comfort. The
house in which the hen is to pass the
winter must be comfortable above all
things; it must be warm, dry, roomy,
and well ventilated. No matter how
we'll bred your hens may be, if they
must walk in the snow or on wet
ground or mud, if they must spend
their nights in cold room, if they
must sleep in a poorly ventilated
house, do not expect them to lay.
To avoid the above named condi-
tions must be the effort if eggs are ex-
pected during fall and winter But
how avoid them, that is the important
question. Of course, snow can be
avoided by building on hill side or
filling the space the house is to &C.
cupy with clay or sand. and bank
ing the foundation with the same
material, but warmth and ventilation,
chat is where the difficulty begins.
The house could be made warm enough
by doubling the walls and placing
building paper between them, but
where would the ventilation come
in at? And ventilate we must to
keep the fowls healthy and vigorous.
Ventilation is as necessary to the
fowls as it is to human beings and
even more so since SO many breathe in
the same warm room during the
night. Shall we construct an air
shaft through the roof, or open the
windows somewhat at night? No,
that will not do, as it would subject at
least a part Of the birds to the cold
draught coming down the shaft or in
at the window. A hen may roost in
tree during severe weather without
catching cold and thereby DESTROY
her usefulness for some time, if not
forever. Many diseases to which
fowls are subject are caused by moth
ing but cold draughts which
gave the fowl cold. From this it
will be seen that the problem of proper
ventilation is not only an important
but also difficult one. How are we
to solve it?
10 begin with, the roosting place
and the scratching pen must be sepa-
rate. But let me give description
Of an inexpensive, ideal hen house
which will accommodate from IS to 100
hens, and those who care can, adinst
their buildings to comply with the re-
4uirements as near as may be. The
roosting place should be 14x8 feet and
should invariably face the south.
The north wall should be not to ex-
iced 6 feet high and the south wall
not to exceed 10 feet, the roof sloping
coward the north. If the floor is l 1-2
eet of the ground, the space below it
will serve the hens as a place to take
adjust bath which they need in the
winter as we'll as in the summer. The
-oom should have floor and the
costing place should not be more
han 2 IL feet above the floor. An
opening about half the size of a win
low should be left on either side east
Ind west for ventilation. On either
ide of these openings a board six or
light inches in width should be fas- !
ened perpendicularly with one edge
Igainst the wall, and another board of :
he same width nailed to the board on
'ither side of the opening so as to :