HOUSING POULTRY FOR PROFIT.
In discussing plans for a modern poultry house, let it be mentioned at
the outset that this does not necessarily mean that our modern house
will be expensive, any more than the one that is built on old ideas. In
fact, many of the older houses were much more expensive than the modern
houses of today. As long as the poultry building includes the necessary
principles for the birds’ well-being, and this can be accomplished with
little added expense, that is all that is necessary.
In commenting upon the common faults of most poultry houses in the
previous chapter, we found that they generally lack one, or all of
such items as ventilation, dryness, sunlight, adequate floor space,
protection from rats, protection from extremes of temperature, and
simplicity of design. In arranging for a better house for our birds,
let us plan to keep these factors in mind, so as to get the most from
our birds.
Whether we are to build a new poultry house, or to remodel an old one,
we can design it so that all of these factors will be in evidence. If
we have an old poultry house, or if we can buy cheaply an old poultry
coop, that has fairly good lumber in it, we can probably do the
remodeling somewhat cheaper than if we have to buy all new lumber. If
we do purchase all new lumber, it is not advisable to get cheap lumber,
but buy the first grade, because it is necessary that the walls of the
house be air tight, and this is seldom possible with cheap lumber.
We will first consider briefly the possibilities of remodeling an old
poultry house. Probably the first thing that we will do is to cut some
openings in the front of the house for windows and curtains. From
one-half to two-thirds of the front should be devoted to window lights.
The remainder should be left for the muslin curtains to allow for fresh
air to enter, and for foul air to pass out. These should not be cut
up too high, but start at least a foot below the roof, and have the
window lights extend at least half way down the front of the house. The
curtains should extend quite a bit further down to the bottom of the
house, to allow the foul air sufficient opportunity to escape.
We should next examine the other walls and roof to make sure that they
are not drafty, nor leak water. Usually these walls can be patched
up with other boards, or heavy roofing paper, so that no draft is
possible. In northern climates, where weather below zero is common,
best results will be obtained by having two thicknesses of walls, to
protect against cold nights. Roofing paper is excellent to put between
the two walls, or even on the outside to aid in this matter. If the
roof leaks, it might be advisable to re-shingle part of it, and here
again roofing paper helps in making it weather tight.
We must next examine the floor. If a wooden floor, then it is advisable
to raise the house up from the ground about six inches, supporting it
with posts. Some people follow the plan of placing old tin pans or
plates upside down at the top of these posts and then setting the house
on, thereby eliminating the danger of rats, as the rats cannot climb
over the tin pans. If the house is to be a permanent structure it will
be found best to lay a concrete floor, as this floor will last for all
time, and will not need repairing. Such a floor is rat proof, but must
be covered with a good litter.
If a new house is to be constructed, then it will be best to follow
the principles laid down for a remodeled house to the extent of the
open front, weather tight walls and roof, good floor, and dry living
conditions. Wood is the most popular material that is used in building
chicken houses. Generally, 2 by 4s placed about two feet apart are
used for studding. Matched lumber or rough lumber aided by battens or
roofing paper compose the walls, this making them free from drafts. The
matched lumber is generally placed on the studding horizontally. The
lumber should be dry and free from knot holes, and well nailed together.
For the roof, shingles can be used, or some of the prepared roofing
paper on the market now has given good results. For quite flat roofs,
two or three ply roofing paper is preferred to the shingles.
We will now discuss the common types of poultry houses. The most
popular type and the cheapest, is the shed roof house. This house is
usually about eight feet high in front, slanting gradually to the rear
to a height of about five feet. It just has one slant, and, as has been
said, is cheaper to build than other types of houses. It is also much
easier to keep warm in the winter, because of the low roof, which means
less space has to be heated by the birds. Instead of curtain front
houses in such a type of poultry house, many poultry men are using
bafflers to let in the air. These bafflers are similar to a blind used
to shade living houses in some parts of the country. They are composed
of slats less than an inch apart, and placed in a slanting position,
rather than vertical or horizontal.
The gable roof house is another popular type. This differs from the
shed roof type of house in that its roof comes to a peak, with two
pitches, such as most modern bungalow dwelling houses have. This system
leaves a larger space at the top of the house, and is not as warm as
the shed roof type. It also costs more to build. However, it possesses
the advantage of allowing a straw loft to be placed at the top of the
house, which is an excellent way to get rid of excess moisture, when
it can be expelled no other way. The straw has the power to absorb the
excess moisture during the winter, but should be removed in the spring,
as it furnishes an excellent hiding place for mites, an insect that we
will discuss more thoroughly in a later chapter.
The half monitor type is not so popular as the two types already named,
and costs considerably more than either of the two previous types
discussed. This type of house has an arrangement similar to two shed
roof houses, facing each other, the rear house being somewhat higher
than the front house. Of course, such houses have their advantages, but
for the one who would start with moderation in the poultry business,
the shed roof, or the gable roof type will be far more attractive.
We have discussed the types of houses in this chapter. The fixtures,
or chicken furniture, has so far been omitted. Let us go inside of
our modern chicken house now, and see what is needed in the line of
equipment to complete our efficient egg production.