Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-04
HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVENESS
DURING WINTER MONTHS
Floor Space Per Hen and Other
Important Housing Details.
Ventilation Required to Pre-
vent Moisture: Litter and
Dust Bath.
BY J. RAYMOND KESSLER
Practical Potiitrynan

The health and productveness Of
the hnck depend To a great extent
upon housing details, especially dur
ing the winter months. Overcrowd-
ing and improper ventilation are often
traced to the outbreaks Of disease.
Such outbreaks are costly. not only
In loss of production and stock. but
frequently they account for poor
fertility, small hatches and weak
Cocks the next season. Some pouI-
fry raisers seem 10 think that some
trouble with sickness is a Necessary
evil each winter season, but in truth
such condition is only due to neg
, Ierf
The first consideration should be the
amount of floor epace necessary hrs
depends upon local conditions and the
size Of the flock 4 liberal allowance OF
floor space is necessary TO keep the fowls
in health and to obtain a maximum egg
Weld Unnecessary floor space will gam
nothing, and may, as many Toultrymen
believe, lower production.
II is a fact that the closer n hen Is
confined the larger will be her egg pro-
duction, other conditions being equnl.
However, there is limit beyond which
destroying the health Of the fowls
When large Goeks Of layers are kept
in one house, say from 900 to 500
birds, from three to three and one-half
square feet of floor space per hen IS The
smallest area possible
FLOOR AREA REQUIRED.
II must be remembered that in
flock Of this size each hen has the en-
N
dividnal allotment IS only three square
feet Of space consequently, she really has
more room for exercise than the hen in
smaller flock with double the allowance Of
floor space per bird
Flocks containing from 100 TO 200
hens require from four TO five square
feet Of floor space per hen for best re-
suits, while focks Of fifteen or twenty
should have six or seven square feet per
bird
One single hen could never be housed in
the amount Of space mentioned without
access TO d yard II is having q large floor
space over which the birds can roam
which makes confinement possible.
The smallest amount Of floor space that
n single hen could be confined tc for anv
length Of time - about eighteen square
feet, but in this same area three birds
could be kept with equal success
The above statements are suited n
the flock that is closely confined, at least
during the winter, 10 secure large egg
production For building pens it IS far
better TO give each hen from ak to eight
square feet Of floor space, besides large
Yards, and to keep them in small units
II IS apparent that the more birds al-
lowed TO the hundred square feet of floor
Onaa. po rrora fxYYfalrE.- hps4as xtylil
become dirty; and the closer the confne-
ment and the larger the flock the greater
the sanitary precautions necessary.
CLOTH CURTAINS FoR VENTILATION.
Ventilation Of the quarters IS the next
important consideration. To great ex-
tent it is dependent upon the amount of
floor space allowed.
One OF the first indications OF improper
ventilation Is the appearance OF moisture
on the ceiling Of the poultry house 1t
means overcrowding or 4 stuffv interior,
or both Il is 4 danger signal, and It
should be needed at once. In short time
the litter will become damp and wet from
the condensed moisture dripping of the
ceiling This dampness is almost sure to
breed disease, especially chicken poX.
True, it IS q hard matter to keep
the poultry house bone-dry during some
of the long spells of RAINY weather fire.
qu,nt IN the late fau and winter but II
can be done.
Moisture first starts when the house
Is closed too tightly at night, causing
the moist heat rising from the fowls To-
condense upon the ceiling. II the days
are sunny this moisture sooE evapcrates
In rainy q cloudy weather the moisture
accumuiates unless there Is an adequate
circulation Cf fresh air.
Every poultry house should have cloth
screens IN the front wall. These are term
ed curtain frames; they are made from
muslin or buTlap. In a house sixteen by
twenty feet average height slX feet, hous-
iug from SO to 100 birds, We find 1t necee-
sary TO have two openings protected hv
curtains, each four by three feet. No'
more than one of these screens IS closed
at night, except in the most severe wealth
er, otherwise moisture gathers.
In house ten by twelve feet, con-
tanning twenty-five fowls, one cloth
screen of the size mentioned is sufficient,
although it may be found necessary to
leave this screen open few inches at
night.
frequently curtains are used in front
of the roostIng compartments, in uddI-
ton to the regular wall curtains.
SENuLAToRs UNDER CONTROL.
Windows should be constructed SO that
they can be used for ventilating when
driving storms require closed curtains
If the windows can be left open all the
time, without danger Of drafts, all the
better
Another method Of ventilation is to
cut hole one foot square III the back wall
of the poultry house, over the roosts aud
as near the roof rs possible. From this
hole construct tight chute TO carry the
air over the heads Of the fowls and iffuse
it over the ceiling \ hinged door, con
trolled BY a rod passed down the chute,
should be placed over the opening. For
ten by twelve foot pen one such ventilator
Is sufficient These ventilator chutes are
great help in cooling off the house in hot
summer weather
The next step in keeping the flock in
the pink of condition Is absolute cleanli-
ness and the frequent use of disinfectant.
Litter for the floor should be supplied
without stint 1t should be Of material
that vii not break up and powder too