Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-06-01
WHERE THE HENS
LAY ALL WINTER
colony Poultry House Will Keep
Flock Productive.
MORE EGGS FROM WARM HOME
Design illustrated Here viii Keep
Out the Winds and at Same Time
Permit Plenty Of Fresh Air
and Light.
BY WILLIAM A. RApFoRp

AAAs WAAAAdAu A. Will answer
questions and give advice FREE OF
COST on all subjects pertaining to the
subject Of building work on the farm, for
the readers of this paper. On account of
his wide experience as Editor Author and
Manufacturer, he is, without doubt the
highest authority on all these subjects
Address all inquiries to William A. Rad
ford, No. 1897 Prairie avenue, Chicago.
H., and only inclose two-cent stamp for
reply.
Owners Of poultry focks may gain
some worth while ideas about flock
housing and management from the
professionals who are about the only
ones who succeed in making poultry
pay a profit. To the average person
VINO owns chickens they are source
of pleasure and fresh eggs, with but
little actual knowledge of whether or
not they are an asset or a liability.
IN the first place, it is a pretty well
recognized fact that a flock of less
= q 100 birds cannot be made to pay
A feed bills and have anything left
: Ioi the labor of caring for them. Next,
the average poultry owner pays I tie
attention to the house the flock Gu
pies in winter-any old building that
has four walls and a roof is looked
upon as sufficient. The wind and snow
sweep through the cracks in the poul-
try house and the feed the birds con-
sumo is used up to keep them from
freezing rather than to produce eggs
And this, too, when everyone knows
that the time when eggs are worth
gathering is the time when the hens,
or a majority of them, are not laying.
The common, everyday hen of the
American farm and backyard flOcks
are natives Of tropical countries. True,
she has been acclimated to the colder
northern climate, but to do her best
work she must be kept warm and COM
Portable in winter. That's why sue
cessful poultrymen pay great deal Of
attention to the house for the flock in
winter, and farm building architects
have designed houses that will keep
out the winds, and at the same time
permit supply of fresh air and plenty
of light
For convenience in handling good
size hocks, there has come into gen.
eral use what is known as a colony
poultry house. Almost invariably these
houses are 20 feet wide and as long
as the size of the flock requires. This
size is gauged by providing four square
feet Of floor space for each bird. The
aslony house shown in the accompany
n illustration is 20 feet wide and
ga feet long. giving total Of 1920
scsvare feet Of floor space, or sufficient
fof 800 birds.
AS will be seen by the floor plan of
the house, the interior is divided into
four sections, each 16 feet by 20 feet.
In each of these sections so birds are
kept, although doors permit the own
er 10 throw the whole of the interior
together. But, as success with poultry
requires that the young pullets that
are Just beginning to lay should be
kent separate from the older hens, or
breeding stock. few poultrymen allow
the whole flock TO run together.
This house is what is known as the
saw-tooth roof type. It is Of frame
construction, set on concrete founda-
tiOn. The open. or saw-toOth roof
front faces the south so as to get ad-
vanteee Of the winter sun and the
warrh It provides The front Of the
lower half Of the building Is open to
provide good ventilation, but inside
are burlap curtains that are lowered
at night and on extremely cold days.
II the upright section Of the roof are
large windows. one over each section
81 the house. These allow light to get
% the back part Of the interior. How
the nests and roosts are arranged Is
shown on the plan.
There is a great deal more to insure
success with a dock Of poultry than a
yuse, Of course. This includes feed
ing. which is most Important. But