Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1918-09-27

extensively for twO-story buildings, for
brooder houses, and for incubator cell
lars. This style of roof is usually
ceiled at or slightly above the caves,
or the gable may be filled with straw
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 a wall IS 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
radlates 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 slow cir
culation of air without a draft, which
object is defeated by using too heavy a
grade Of duck or by oiling or painting
the cloth. The front of the house
should be high enough so that the win
dows or openings will allow the sun
to shine well back during the winter.
Good Floor Important.
The best kind of floor depends
upon the soil and the use of the house.
On light, sandy, well-drained soils
dirt floor is satisfactory, especially
for small or colony henhOuses. Such
floors should be from two to six inches
higher than the outside ground sur
face, and 1t is advisable to renew them
each year by removing the contain
mated surface down to clean soil, and
to refill with fresh sand or fine gravel
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 off the ground so that cats
or dogs can get under them, which
also allows a 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-
QuIred and can be built on the ground
level. These floors are easy to clean,
very sanitary, rat proof, and compare
lively inexpensive, If one has sup
ply Of gravel or sharp sand.
The interior fixtures of the pens
should be simple, portable, and mex
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 r0ost. 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.
Allow seven to ten inches Of rOost
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, or
IN any convenient place where they
DO not take up floor space, and should
be arranged SO that the birds can get
INTO them easily. They should be ~
10 IA 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
or every four or five hens. Trap nests
ire essential in any careful breeding
work, such as pedigree breeding, or
he breeding Of exhibition poultry.