Year: 1874

Cor. Of the Maryland Farmer


The question of houses and yards or
runs, is one that discourages many
would-be fanciers. They have an idea
that certain expenditure of money
must be made, and the great problem
with them is how to expend it, The fact
is that the simpler the house and yards,
provided only that it shelters the fowls
from the storms, the better the general
health of the flock and the more salts
factory the result.


A simple lean-to, against barn or
other outbuilding, with a window in
the south or east side, or little peak
ed-roof house that one can place on q
wheelbarrow and move around at pleas
ure, is all that is necessary when but
one variety is bred, and even when sew
eral breeds are kept and the fancier has
abundance of land, these small houses,
scattered about the place in different
fields, far enough from each other to
prevent any mishaps, are very condu-
Give to health and success. Where the
room is limited, house divided into
compartments opening into separate
yards or runs will be necessary.


The simpler such house the better,
and | know of no more convenient ar
rangement than the one | have now in
use in my own yard. This is forty
feet long by eleven feet wide; nine feet
high in front and six and one-half at
the back. An alleyway or passage
four feet wide extends the whole length
of the house on the back side. The
space between this and the front may
be divided into five rooms each eight
feet wide; the center one being used
for setting-room, or for penning sur
plus cocks. Doors open from the pass
age into these rooms. The front of
each room is lighted by large win
dow six feet square, composed of two
sashes, the upper sash being hinged on
the lower side and opening inward, at
intervals; along the back, just under
the caves, are grated openings which
are provided with shutters so as to be
closed in cold weather. This allows of
perfect ventilation, and yet no draft on
the fowls The door or doors are at
each end, opening into thepassage-way.
This building will accommodate four
kinds of fowls, forty of each variety !;
provided the yards are large enough.
My yards are each one quarter of an
acre in size, with few evergreens and
fruit trees dotted here and there around
them


The advantages of house of this
style are, that it is cheap to construct,
very convenient, and can be made as
large or as small as may be desired
1t can be built ten feet long, divided
into two rooms, one for the fowls and
the other for setting hens; and extend
ed to any desired length to accommo-
date more fowls and other varieties


Another style of house much in
favor with some breeders is to reverse
the slant of the roof making the front
which should face southeast or south,
if possible-about one and one-half
feet high, and the back about eight feet
high, the windows being made like hot
bed sashes and placed in the roof
This house is much cheaper built than
the preceding but is apt to be hot and
close under the midday sun and does
not admit of as good ventilation as the
former.


The perches for the fowls l prefer to
have movable. Take four pieces of
wallstrip or joist, each eighteen inches
long, for the legs On each pair of
these nail a piece of furring or fence
strip four and one half feet long,
placing the legs about nine inches
from the ends; across these nail the
perches, four in number, and four, five,
or six feet long, according to fancy and
the number of fowls to be accommo-
dated These can be taken up and
moved around at will, and greatly ex-
pedite the work of cleaning When
perches are constructed upon an incline
One above the other-the fowls are
always striving for the highest roost;
but by the above arrangement, there is
no choice and consequently no crowd
ing or fighting. | have used board
floors for fifteen years, and as yet see
no reason to condemn them.


The arrangements of the yards must
be governed by the formation and loca-
tion of the land If there is room only
for runs, it will necessitate little more
attention to, and care of the fowls, for
when in limited space they should daily
have little green fruit of some kind,
and the ground should be occasionally
turned over with a spade or fork to
remove any sourness or foulness accu-
mulating on it. A run six feet wide
and twenty feet long, will, with ordi-
nary care, be large enough for cock
and five hens. The fences of these
runs may be of wire or lath, the height
will depend upon the variety of fowls
kept The Asiatic, Plymouth Rock,
and Crevecoeurs require only three
or four feet fence, which Hamburgs,
Spanish, Games, Leghorns and some
other kinds, need one six to seven feet
high. A. NJ. HALsTED.


Brooks,de Poultry Yard, Rye, N. Y.