=POULTRY DEVICES=
POULTRY HOUSE
A portable house placed on runners is shown in the following cut. It
can be easily moved by four men carrying it, or be drawn by hitching
a horse to the ends of the runners. A house of this type has many
advantages over the stationary house because it can be moved into the
field after the grain is cut, into the orchard, and into the different
fields where the chickens can get plenty of fresh green food.
MATERIALS:
Use Size No. of Length Board
pieces measure
Sills (runners) 4” × 6” 2 12’ 48’
Joists 2” × 4” 3 14’ 28’
Studs and braces 2” × 3” 13 12’ 78’
Rafters 2” × 4” 3 16’ 32’
----
Total 186’
⅞” Matched flooring (floor and sides) 340’
⅞” Sheathing, surfaced one side 100’
Roofing paper, 1 roll.
Windows, hardware, etc.
DIRECTIONS:
A good location is the first consideration in the building of a
poultry house. Select a well drained spot, facing the southeast
and large enough to make comfortable quarters for the chickens.
The house is built of any kind of durable and well-seasoned
lumber. The kind of material used in making the floor will
depend largely on the soil and the money to be spent in the
construction of the house. Board floors are often used but they
are more susceptible to rats. Cement floors are more easily
cleaned and more sanitary, and not so expensive in a locality
where plenty of gravel is available. A board floor must be
raised several inches from the ground as a protection from rats
and to allow for runners to be placed underneath the house.
[Illustration: A portable poultry house, showing the exterior and
interior]
Roosts are placed on the same level with each other next to the
end or back walls and from 6” to 10” above the dropping boards,
which are 2½” from the floor. Roosts may be stationary as in the
cut, or they may be fastened by hinges to the walls and raised
to clean the dropping board.
Roost spacing will depend upon the size of the fowls, but a 10”
space to each fowl is usually sufficient. They must be put 15”
apart.
Nests made 14” square are built under the dropping boards around
the walls of the house as shown in cut. A 4” piece of wood is
placed on the side, which drops as a door in front of the nests.
Windows as shown in the cut are more expensive and not as good
as a front made of wood extending about 2’ from the bottom. Wire
screening, admitting better ventilation and more sunlight, is
tacked over the rest of the opening in the front. A curtain may
be made of unbleached muslin and fastened on a pole at the top
of the open front, which may be lowered as a protection in bad
weather.
Make the roof of some water tight material and cover the walls
on the inside to protect the fowls from draughts.
_Nests._--Comfortable and convenient quarters must be furnished the
sitting hen. The location of the nest must be in a quiet, dark place
to keep the hen from becoming restless. A box fifteen inches square
and twelve inches high, with a narrow strip four to five inches wide
at the bottom of the open front of the box, makes a comfortable nest.
Barrels or half-barrels or nests made of a piece of sod will also be
comfortable quarters for the sitting hen. The nests must be well lined
with hay, straw, or excelsior. Both the nests and the hen must be
thoroughly dusted with insect powder before the sitting time comes.
_Hatching and Rearing._--There are two methods used in the hatching
and rearing of chickens--the natural, when the chicks are hatched
and reared by a hen, and the artificial, when they are hatched in
incubators and brooded in houses indoors or out-of-doors. The natural
method will be found to be more satisfactory when dealing with a small
number of chickens. A small number of hens, if managed with system and
care, will produce a large number of chickens at a very small cost.
Care must be taken in the selection of the eggs to be used for hatching
purposes. Select well-formed eggs which are regular in shape and size
and which are neither too large nor too small. They should come from
healthy hens of one breed and should be smooth and of one color. Eggs
must be kept in a dry, cool place and at a temperature of from fifty
to sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The fertility of an egg weakens with age;
so they must be kept only a few days before they are to be set. The
number of eggs to be put under each hen will vary with the season, the
size of the hen, and the size of the eggs; but it is usually safe to
put about thirteen eggs under a hen of average size.
_Egg Tester._--Test the eggs in a dark room on the seventh and
fourteenth days for the removal of infertile eggs. This may be done by
a very simple home-made tester made of a pasteboard or wooden box, with
a hole the size of an egg bored in the front, and an opening in the
top through which the smoke is to pass. If a wooden box with a bottom
is used, an opening must be made in front, with a door so as to put
the lamp in. A box without a bottom may be used and simply set right
over the lamp. Either a lamp, candle, or lantern may be used on the
inside of the box. Holding the egg in front of the box and letting the
light shine through it will show the condition of the egg. An infertile
egg will be clear, while a fertile egg has a spider-like center with
threads leading out from it. All infertile eggs must be removed.
[Illustration]
Poultry is classified as the egg breeds, the meat breeds, the
general-purpose breeds, and the ornamental breeds.
The egg breeds are small fowls which mature quickly. They are very
active, but not good chickens to be used for setting purposes. They
are good layers, and they lay a great many white-shelled eggs, for
which there is a great demand on some markets. The age of maturity
for this breed is from four and one-half to five months. The Leghorns
and the Minorcas are the principal representatives of this breed. The
single-combed white Leghorn has been the most popular.
The meat breeds are large fowls with long necks and heavy coats of
feathers; and they lay a comparatively small number of brown-shelled
eggs. They are slow in movement, with little desire to forage. They
make fine mothers, and for this reason they make good fowls to be used
for setting. The Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshanks are the principal
fowls of this breed.
The general-purpose breeds occupy a medium place between the egg and
meat breeds as to size, egg production, and meat production. For these
characteristics they are especially recommended to the farmer who
wishes both egg and meat fowls. They lay a number of brown-shelled
eggs and they make splendid mothers. The Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes,
Orphingtons, and Rhode Island Reds are the best varieties of this breed.
The ornamental breeds are ornamental both in character and purpose, and
for this reason they are not practical for use on the farm.
_Feeding._--The farmer has often become discouraged by the elaborate
rations which are recommended by poultrymen to be used in feeding the
chickens. While some of the by-products of industries, such as Linseed
Meal and Meat Meal are necessary, most of the feed used in poultry
raising may be raised on the farm. It is well to be familiar with the
different values of foods fed to the chickens, for they like a change
in their rations, and it is necessary that they have it. If the food
contains too much fat, the hens will become too fat, which will lessen
their usefulness as egg producers; while if the food contains too
much protein, some symptoms of indigestion will result. It is hard
to determine the right amount of fat and protein to be fed to the
chickens, for this varies to suit conditions and the purpose for which
it is fed.
Broad Ration Food Available
Protein Fat
2 parts wheat bran .244 .906
1 part wheat middlings .128 .607
1 part cornmeal .079 .764
⅒ part meat meal .066 .033
----- -----
.517 2.310
Ratio 1: 4.4
Narrow Ration Food Available
Protein Fat
2 parts wheat bran .244 .906
1 part wheat mids .128 .607
⅒ part linseed meal .029 .048
⅒ part meat meal .066 .033
----- -----
.467 1.594
Ratio 1: 3.4
Young chicks should be fed a dry or wet feed forty-eight hours after
they are hatched. Nature has already provided them with yolk of egg,
which must be digested before they are given more food. Their first
feed must be fine grit or a drink of sour milk. In two hours after
the first feeding they may be given dry oat flakes with an egg which
has been boiled for an hour, or a Johnny cake made of ten parts of
cornmeal, two parts of wheat middlings, two parts of wheat bran, mixed
with skimmed milk and baked. Change this diet after a week to a dry
ration--for example, two parts of cracked wheat, two parts of oat
flakes, four parts of cracked corn, one part of rice, and one part of
millet. Plenty of green food and sour milk should be fed to them. Feed
them often, but in small proportions. Let them take plenty of exercise.
It is important to keep the hen up and allow the chicks to run out
until they are weaned.
DRY MASH HOPPER NO. 1
There are many kinds of dry mash hoppers on the market but it is
difficult to find one that is not wasteful. This hopper which is made
of poplar is easily made and it has been found to be very successful.
It may be built of the desired length and made to hold the required
amount of dry mash. The most important detail in the building of
this hopper is the slope of the bottom which must be at an angle of
forty-five degrees with the wall of the henhouse. It must be built
well off the floor with a roost placed for the hens to stand on while
they are feeding. This will keep the litter out of the hopper. The
wire netting must be of one-quarter inch square mesh which is fastened
to the hopper and stretched to the bottom of the trough at its lowest
point.
MATERIALS:
12½’ poplar.
1 lb. 6-penny nails.
16 ¾” No. 8 screws.
32 No. 10 screws.
2 pairs of 1½” (butt) hinges.
1 piece of ¼” mesh wire.
2” × 2” gate hooks.
DIMENSIONS:
_Body_: 2 pieces 1” thick × 5” wide × 26” long, to be used as the
ends of the hopper.
2 pieces 1” thick × 9” wide × 19” long, to be used as the top
and the bottom of the hopper.
1 piece 1” thick × 19” wide × 26” long, to be used as back of
the hopper.
1 piece 1” thick × 19” wide × 17” long, to be used as front of
hopper.
_Trough_: 1 piece 1” thick × 4” wide × 19” long, to be used as
front of trough.
1 piece 1” thick × 5” wide × 19” long, to be used as the lid in
the front of trough.
2 pieces 1” thick × 4” wide × 9” long, to be used as sides of
trough.
_Roost_: 1 piece 1” thick × 2” wide × 21” long, to be used as
front of the roost.
2 pieces 1” thick × 2” wide × 15” long, to be used as sides of
roost.
DIRECTIONS:
Take the two end pieces (1” × 5” × 26”) and cut the tops at
an angle of 60 degrees and the bottom of these ends at an
angle of 45 degrees. Nail the bottom piece (1” × 9” × 19”)
to these end pieces and then nail on the back (1” × 9” ×
26”).
[Illustration]
The front piece (1” × 19” × 17”) is then nailed on the
hopper.
The two end pieces (1” × 4” × 9”) to be used on the trough
are cut at an angle of forty-five degrees at one end and
nailed on each side of the bottom of the hopper as shown
in the illustration. Then the front of the trough (1” × 4”
× 19”) is nailed to the sides. Tack the wire mesh over the
opening in the trough and hinge the front piece (1” × 5” ×
19”) on the front of the trough with one pair of 1½” (butt)
hinges. The other pair of hinges is used to fasten the top
(1” × 9” × 19”) on the hopper.
Make the roost by nailing the two sides (1” × 2” × 15”) to
the front (1” × 2” × 21”). Fasten this frame on the sides
of the hopper with two two-inch gate hooks as shown in
illustration.
The hopper when completed is fastened to the sides of the
wall of the henhouse with thirty-two number ten screws at a
convenient height to the chickens.
[Illustration]
DRY MASH HOPPER NO. 2
This model is constructed very much like the hopper already described
with the exception of the four compartments which provide for a
balanced ration for the chickens. It is not nailed to the wall but
rests on the floor.
MATERIALS:
12½’ poplar.
1 lb. 6-penny nails.
8 ¾” No. 8 screws.
1 pair of 1½” steel butts.
1 oz. No. 16 wire staples.
12” of No. 4 mesh wire 36” wide.
DIMENSIONS:
_Body_: 2 pieces 1” thick × 6” wide × 2’ 8” long to be used as
sides of the hopper.
1 piece 1” thick × 6” wide × 16” long to be used as bottom of
the hopper.
1 piece 1” thick × 1’ 8” wide × 2’ 8” long to be used as back
of hopper.
2 pieces 1” thick × 2” wide × 1’ 8” long and 1” thick × 6” wide
× 1’ 8” long to be used as the lid of the hopper.
1 piece 1” thick × 1’ 8” wide × 2’ long to be used as front of
hopper.
3 pieces 1” thick × 6” wide × 2’ 6” long to be used as partitions
for making the equal compartments in the hopper.
_Trough_: 2 pieces 1” thick × 4” wide × 10” long to be used as ends
of trough.
2 pieces 1” thick × 4” wide × 1’ 8” long to be used as front and
back of trough.
3 pieces 1” thick × 4” wide × 4” long to be used as partitions
in the trough, making four equal compartments.
DIRECTIONS:
Nail the two end pieces (1” × 6” × 2’ 8”) to the bottom piece
(1” × 6” × 16”). Then nail the back piece (1” × 1’ 8” × 2’ 8”)
and the front piece (1” × 1’ 8” × 2’ 4”) to the ends of the
hopper. Nail the partitions (1” × 6” × 2’ 6”) to the back and
front of the hopper making four equal compartments.
The trough is made by nailing the two end pieces (1” × 4” × 10”)
to the side of the hopper. Nail the front (1” × 4” × 1’ 8”)
and the back (1” × 4” × 1’ 8”) to the ends of the trough. The
partitions (1” × 4” × 10”) are nailed to the front and back of
the trough, making four equal compartments. Cover the opening in
the front of the trough with 12” of No. 4 mesh wire 36” wide.
Hinge the two top pieces (1” × 2” × 1’8” and 1” × 6” × 1’8”)
together with one pair of 1½” steel (butt) hinges. Then nail
this top piece to the back of the hopper with the narrow strip
even with the edge of the top end of the back.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
RACK FOR OAT-SPROUTING TRAYS
The importance of giving poultry green feed throughout the year cannot
be over-emphasized. This sprouting tray is very convenient in order
that this food be furnished the chickens. It is a simple construction,
made of yellow pine, and a device that can be made by any farmer at
a minimum cost. It is advisable to lay off all the material before
beginning to build the rack, to avoid confusion in the measurements.
MATERIALS:
23½ feet of yellow pine.
28 lbs. of 28-gage galvanized metal to make sprouting trays.
1 lb. 8-penny nails for building rack.
DIMENSIONS:
_Top_: 2 pieces 1” thick × 2” wide × 2’6” long.
_Bottom_: 2 pieces 1” thick × 2” wide × 2’6” long.
_Corners_: 4 pieces 2” thick × 4” wide × 6” long for upright
corners.
_Brace_: 1 piece 1” thick × 2” wide × 6’6” long.
_Cleats_: 14 pieces 1” thick × 2” wide × 2’6” long, to hold trays
of same proportions.
DIRECTIONS:
Take 2 upright pieces (2” × 4” × 6”) and nail to bottom (1” × 2”
× 2’6”). Measure a distance of two inches from the top and nail
on first cleat (1” × 2” × 2’6”). Cleats are nailed on the back
of the frame even with the ends of the upright pieces (2” × 4” ×
6”). Nail brace (1” × 2” × 6’6”) diagonally from one corner to
the other. Nail the first cleat 9 inches from the bottom edge of
the upright piece. All the other cleats must be nailed 8 inches
apart. In each of the sprouting trays a hole ¼ of an inch in
diameter is bored to allow the water to drain out from the tray.
[Illustration]
_Dust Boxes._--Dust boxes are necessary during the winter months to
keep the chickens from wallowing in the dirt, as this is the method
used by them to cleanse themselves. A box four feet by four feet
will be large enough to accommodate fifty chickens. Fine, light, dry
dust should be kept in these boxes, and they should be placed in the
sunlight and where they may be easily reached by the chickens.
_Drinking Vessel._--Should be large enough to hold sufficient water to
last twenty-four hours. They must be elevated in some way to keep the
dirt from getting into them. A practical drinking vessel is made of a
Mason glass jar. Make perforations in the top of the jar with a nail
and tack two strips of wood across the top crosswise to raise the jar
from the saucer or plate. This allows the water to flow freely from
the jar as fast as the chickens can drink it from the saucer, and the
covered jar keeps the drinking water clean.
[Illustration]
_Brooder._--A simple and convenient chicken brooder may be made of
an old wooden tub which is turned upside down on a platform with
the bottom of the tub knocked out, and a covering placed over the
top. This, with windows cut in the sides of the tub, gives a better
ventilation for the chickens. A door through which the chickens enter
is cut in the front. Outside of the brooder and on one end of the
platform is a simple watering device supplying the chickens with fresh
water.
[Illustration]