The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-09-27

~~~S>~-~~~~~~~e.~~~~se.~ ~se.~~~~~es~se~es~-~~-~
extensively for two-st4tyy buildings. for
brooder houses, ana for incubator eel
lars. This style of roof Is usually
ceiled at or slightly above the caves,
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 wall 18 inches high, pro
vides a large amount Of floor space
with a minimum amount Of lumber,
but increases the roof surface, which
is the most expensive part Of the house,
A large amount Of glass In the front
Of the house makes 1t warm during
the day and cold at night, as glass
radiates heat very rapidly. Unbleach-
ed muslin. or a light weight or duck
cloth. is used for curtains In the front
Of poultry houses. This cloth should
be thin enough to allow a slow cir
culation Of air without a draft. which
object is defeated by using too heavy
grade Of duck or by oiling or painting
the cloth. The front Of the house
should be high enough 80 that the win
dows or openings will allow the sun
to shine well back during the winter.
Coed Floor important.
The best kind Of a floor depsn1a
upon the soil and the use Of the house.
On light, sandy, well-drained soils .
dirt floor IL satisfactory, especially
for small or colony henhouses. Such
floors should be from two to six inches
higher than the outside ground sur
face, and It is advisable to renew them
each year by removing the contain
mated surface down to clean soil. and
and earth. 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 port
able houses on land which is not well
drained. Board floors harbor rats and
rot quickly, and should be raised some
distance of the ground so that cats
or dogs can get under them. which
also allows free circulation Of air to
prevent the wood from rotting. Ce
ment floors are adapted to long per
manent buildings, broOder houses. In
cubator cellars, and to all permanent
houses where an artificial floor is re-
qulred and can be built on the ground
level. These floors are easy to clean,
very sanitary. rat proof. and compare
lively inexpensive. II one has q sup
ply Of gravel or sharp sand.
The interior fixtures Of the pens
ehD,,ld hn al foh and lnAX,
pensive. Roosts are usually placed
next to the end or back walls, six to
ten inches above the dropping boards,
while the latter are from two to two
and one-half feet above the ground.
They should all be on the same level,
otherwise the birds will crowd and
fight to get on the highest roost. Scant.
ling two by three inches or two BY
four inches, with the upper edges
rounded OF, makes good roosts With
either the wide or narrow surface up.
space per fowl. according to the size
of the bird. Roosts should be placed
about Is inches apart, but the out
side ones may be within ten inches Of
the edge Of the dropping boards.
Nests may be placed under the drop
ping boards. on the partition walls. o.
In any convenient place whore they
do not take up foor space. and should
be arranged so that the birds can 81
into them easily. They should be II
to II inches square and IL to 16 inches
high. with a strip about four inches
high on the open side to retain the
nesting material. Provide one nest
for every four or i've hens. Trap nests
are essential In any careful bresdins
work. such a. pedigree breeding. o.
the breeding Of exhibition poultry.