The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-05-25
WHERE THE HENS
LAY ALL WINTER
Colony Poultry House viii Keep
Flock Productive.
MORE EGGS FROM WARM HOME
Design illustrated Here viii Keen
Out the Winds and at Same Time
Permit Plenty of Fresh Air
and Light.
BY WILLIAM A. RAoFoRp

Mr.. William A. Radford will answer
questions and give advice FREE OF
COST or all subjects pertaining to the
subject of building work OF the farm, for
The readers of this paper. On account of
his wide experience as Editor, Aathor and
Manufacturer, he is, without doubt, the
highest authority on all these subjects.
Address all inquiries to William A. Rad
ford, No. 1927 Prairie avenue, Chicago.
Ill.,, and only inclose two-cent stamp for
reply.
Owners Of poultry iOaks may gain
some worth while ideas about lock
housing and management from the
professionals who are about the only
ones who succeed in making poultry
pay a profit. To the average person
who owns chickens they are a 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, il is a pretty well
recognized fact that a flock of less
than 100 birds cannot be made TO pay
their feed bills and have anything left
for the labor Of caring for them. Next,
he average poultry owner pays little
attention to the house the flock occu-
pies in wlnter-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 fiocks
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 a great deal of
attention TO the house for the flock in
winter, and farm building architects
have designed houses that will keep
u the winds, and al the same time
permit a supply of fresh air and plenty
of light.
For convenience In handling good
size fiocks. 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 gagged by providing four square
feet of floor space for each bird. The
colony house shown In the accompany
ing illustration Is 20 feet wide and
ga feet long. giving a total of 1.280
square feet of floor space, or sufficient
for $50 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
err 70 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 poulfrymen allow
the whole flock Il run together.
This house Is what is known as the
saw-tooth roof type. II Is OF frame
CONSTRUCTION. sci On d concrete founda-
tion. The open. or saw-tooth roof
front faces the south so as to get ad-
vanrage OF the winter mi and the
warmth II provides. The front Of the
lower half Of the building Is open 10
provide good ventilation. but inside
are burIap curtains thar are lowered
al night and on extremely cold days.
In the upright section of the roof are
large windows. me over each section
Of the house. These allow light TO get
to the back part Of the interior. How
the nests and costs are arranged IL
shown on the plan.
There Is a great deal more 10 insure
success with a flock Of poultry than a
house. OF course. This includes feed
Ing. which y most important. nat