South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-02
HENS NEED FRESH
AIR TO GET EGG5
Ventilation is Important Fac
tor in Winter Production
of Healthy Fruit"

Pure air IS as necessary for fowls
as clean water and good feed. When
hens are confined to badly ventilated
houses in winter they lose vitality
produce fewer eggs and often be-
come sick and stop laying.
Coed ventilation Is needed also 10
keep the house dry. When the cir
culation OF the air ia "a poultry
house is poor i'm cold weather. mois-
turc collects on the inside OF walls
and roof AT freezing tempera-
ture. under such conditions. there
is a rapid accumulation OF frost
on these surfaces, which makes the
house very uncomfortable.
When the temperature rises above
freezing again, this frost melts and
runs down the walls and trickles
from the roof First the air in the
building becomes saturated with
moisture. then the litter on the floor.
If the house is not overcrowded
and is insufIiciently ventilated for
only "a day in cold weather, no great
harm is done In an overcrOwded
house conditions become insanitary
in a few hours Even i'm q house
properly stocked conditions at the
end OF one day Of 4mpure air are
noticeably bad, and, unless prompt
ly corrected, grow steadily worse.
Regulating Ventilation.
Ventilation to provide pure air
and dryness in a poultry house is
simply a matter Of keeping doors
and windows open as much as is nee
essary TO keep the walls dry Few
poultry keepers have any difficulty
in this until the temperature goes
low enough TO freeze water in the
house. Then the tendency is 10
close doors and windows TO keep
the house warm.
This is the right idea, subject 20
the practical limitation that the
house must not be closed so tight
that the supply Of fresh air is re-
tarded 10 such an extent that mOis-
ture collects on the walls. The
proper regulation or ventilation in
sures pure air and dryness and
keeps the house as warm as is prac-
ticable without the use Of artificial
heat or special provision TO absorb
an excess Of moisture. The adjust
meut,of doors and windows 10 pro-
vide the conditions required must be
learned by observation.
The general rule is 10 open doors
and windows as much as is necessary
Go keep the house dry in cold
weather. and 10 keep them wide
open when water in the house will
not freeze
Nentilating Through Cloth.
Cheap cotton cloth and common
burlap are often used i'm some OF
the windows OF poultry house in
place OF glass. Cotton cloth is to
be preferred for this purpose be-
cause 10 is cleaner and admits more
light When both cloth and glass
windows are used the most COM
mon practice in cold weather is TO
Keep the glass windows closed ali
the time; 90 open the cloth window
wide on clear days and close il as
much as seems necessary at night
and ON stormy days. When the
winters are generally mild cotton
cloth is sometimes used i'm all win
dows.
Reducing Moisture With Low Ven
tilation.
Usually a house can be run with
a good deal OF ventilation In all but
the very coolest weather. Birds
can stand quite low temperatures
provided their combs do not get
frosted. Where there is much hard
freezing weather the most effective
way that has been found to keep a
poultry house warm and dry is 10
place dry straw or hay To the depth
of foot or more. overhead on a
floor Of boards laid as wide apart
as may be and still hold the straw.
Dry straw will usually absorb all
moisture. and So when IL is used.
the poultry keeper must judge by
the air in the house how much 10
keep doors and windows open. A
breed that viii not stand the tenn
perature when ventilation is regu-
lated I'm this way is not suited TO
the climate.
Male Birds Need Special Care.
The hens OF all breeds. having
smaller combs than the males. can
stand much lower temperatures. As
the proportion OF Females TO males
kept is usually about 10 20 one IL
is not economical. under extreme
weather conditions. To regulate the
house 20 suit the males. When the
house as operated FOR the hens is
600 cold for the males. the usual
practice is either % put the males
temporarily i'm a warmer place. or
90 put them ut night i'm small COops
i'm the same house. As "a rule. the
occasion % do this arises only
few times in a winter.
CONTRASTING ASSOC ATOMS