INTERIOR FIXTURES FOR THE LAYING HOUSES
There are certain devices that save a great deal of labor for the
poultry man, and also give the birds a more contented atmosphere. We
will start in with the floor. I want to repeat here, briefly, what has
already been said in regard to the litter on the floor of the house.
Birds with cold feet cannot be healthy. If the floor is covered with a
six-inch litter of straw, or shavings, the floor will be warm, and they
can be given a scratching ration that will make them exercise for their
food. By all means do not fail to have a good litter of some kind on
the floor during the late fall and winter months.
The birds are rather peculiar creatures, when it comes to retiring for
the night. They do not seek a place to lay down, but they look for
something that will resemble a limb of a tree, where they can perch
during the night. Man has therefore supplied something along this
line, by erecting round poles, made of wood, so that the birds will
have a convenient place to rest for the night. A few precautions must
be guarded against here, however, as very few poultry men have given
their birds suitable perches yet. The perches should be round, about
two inches in diameter, and erected on the same level with each other.
Too many perches are arranged in a ladder formation, having the rear
perch the highest, and the front perch the lowest. When the birds get
ready to go to roost, there is always an argument as to which bird
will have the rear roost, as they all want the highest place to roost,
or perch. If the perches are all on the same level, then there is no
preference, and things are more peaceful at roosting time. We should
plan on allowing about ten inches per bird for perching room. Plan to
have a distance of about fourteen inches between each perch, or pole.
Arrange these perches at the rear of the house, running parallel with
the rear wall.
All modern poultry men have what is known as a dropping board under the
perches, so that the droppings will not fall in the scratching litter
and soil this part of the scratching area. These dropping boards are
usually placed about six inches under the perches, and extend as far
forward as the perches do. This makes the job of cleaning the poultry
house quite a simple operation. It is advisable to sprinkle some sand
over the dropping boards to absorb the moisture and bad odor.
We have to give the birds a comfortable, well secluded place to lay
their eggs. This is sometimes done by placing the nests, or the part
facing the front wall, covered over with a board, that can be raised
by means of a hinge, when collecting the eggs. The hen can be made to
enter the nest from the rear, and if conditions are so that the nest
is darkened, then the hen will prefer this place to any other place in
the house. Nests can also be placed along the front wall, underneath
the windows, or on either side of the house. However, up to the present
time, below the dropping boards seems to be the most popular place for
the nests with most poultry men.
Every poultry house should have a dust box. This is a box partially
filled with dust or fine soil, and placed in the front part of the
house, so that it will be in the sunlight. The birds appreciate such a
device, and will use it generously, as this aids them in fighting off
insects that prey upon them.
Suitable containers for food and water should be provided, and kept
clean. The drinking fountains are of various designs, and one can
buy these very cheaply. They are usually jars or cans inverted, so
that the water will come out in a small opening at the bottom, just
large enough for the bird to stick its head in. The food containers,
for the dry mash are generally of the hopper kind, having a box-like
container with a trough at the bottom, so that the food falls down into
the small trough by gravity as the birds consume it. Thus, in a good
sized hopper, a week’s ration of mash can be put in the hopper without
further attention.