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Fur. Description or tTHIs House ro BE Founp on Pace 37
Built and Used
by Poultrymen
A Book Describing and Illustrating
Practical Houses and Appliances
Built and Tested by Experienced
Poultrymen
THIRD EDITION
Chicago, Illinois
The Big Four Poultry Journal
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COPYRIGHT 1917
BY
THE BIG FOUR POULTRY
JOURNAL
ew
MAY 31 1917
O©ci.a462784
ENERO DU CT ORY
This is a revised edition of Built and Used by
Poultrymen, first published by the Standard
Company who sold all rights to same to the
Successful Poultry Journal Publishing Co., pub-
lishers of the Big Four Poultry Journal.
We have incorporated in this book many of
the practical, useful, easy-to-make houses and
equipment explained in the first edition of this
book as well as some illustrations and explana-
tions of houses that have since come into vogue
and have proven very satisfactory.
Every house or piece of equipment explained
_and illustrated herein has been built and used
by some practical poultryman and found satisfac-
tory. We are not advocating theory herein but
giving the reader tried and proven houses and
equipment.
If there is anything that is not understood, the
Editor of Big Four Poultry Journal will be glad
to explain, either by personal letter or thru the
columns of that publication.
THE Eprror.
Big Four Poultry Journal, Chicago, Illinois,
April £5, 1917.
ou Carrer e
FS ESS
Modern Breeding Houses
CHAR LERSL
MODERN BREEDING HOUSES
1. Situation of House. A poultry house should be apart from
other buildings. It should face the south, and be so situated that
the sun can shine on it throughout the day. It should be where
water is easily obtainable, and convenient of access during the
winter. If the house will have yards in front of it— and fowls
are usually confined in such yards or runs — there should be a
suitable space from 50 to 100 feet long immediately in front and
to the south of the house for these yards.
2. Site. In determining the site of the house, a well-drained
location must be secured, as dampness and filth around the house
are the causes of many poultry diseases. It is extreme folly to build
a poultry house in a hallow, or on soil that is naturally damp and
cold. It is preferable to have a porous, gravelly soil that will dry
quickly, and that will supply the fowls with natural grit.
3. Shade. Fowls require shade during the warmer months.
This is the primary reason why the poultry and fruit industries
can be combined to good advantage. The shade and protection of
thé fruit trees is beneficial to the fowls, and they in turn, protect
the trees from the ravages of many species of insects. However,
the house should not be placed under the trees, on account of
dampness and insufficient sunlight, but from 20 to 25 feet north
of the trees. The latter are then in the yards.
4. Converting Old Buildings. On many places, both in the
country and town, are to be found old buildings that can, at small
expense, be converted into practical poultry houses. If there is a
southern exposure the cutting of an opening, as shown on pages 8
and 21, will generally suffice. This is the age of fresh air and
these open-front houses give satisfaction, especially if they are 14
feet from front to back or from the opening to the roosts so the
fowls will not roost closer than 14 feet to the opening.
lz
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
5. Stationary Houses. The most popular class of modern breed-
ing houses is the stationary house, built from 10 to 100 feet long.
Many years ago it was customary to build poultry houses with the
south front of practically all glass. This fashion remained in vogue
until the early 80’s, when it was completely set aside, and houses
with very little glass in the front were thought ideal. The ten-
iif
SOR ee
SHep Convertep Intro FresH-Air House
These are the days of fresh air. Half the air is night air, why not use it. The
above depicts how many an old lean-to shed can be converted into a modern
fresh-air poultry house by cutting an opening in the front, and making a straw
loft overhead. Should such a shed face the south or east the opening can be
open most of the time, but if it faces north we would not recommend such a
change as poultry needs sunshine as well as fresh air.
dency of today is towards shortening the length of stationary houses.
Few are built over 100 feet long, and many breeders are now using
houses only 8 to 15 feet long.
6. Plans Have Been Changed. ‘Vhe construction of poultry
houses has been completely revolutionized in recent years. Up to
1905 it was thought necessary to board and cover with building
paper poultry houses inside and out — to make them as warm and
close as possible. In the following year the fresh-air style of house
was advocated, and this system is now conceded to be the best,
[8]
Modern Breeding Houses
because of the admirable results in egg production and_ healthy
birds it insures.
7. Outside Dimensions. Considering the house in detail, we
will commence with the outside dimensions. The length should
not be over 150 feet, and the width from 12 to 15 feet. “This width
refers particularly to houses with many pens, as a width of from
6 to 10 feet is suitable for small portable houses. If the long house
is to have a 3-foot alleyway along the north wall, the width is
15 feet.
8. Roof. There are two styles of roofs: (1) The shed roof;
(2) the double-pitch roof. There is little difference as to the cost,
and it is best to use the shed roof for houses up to 10 feet wide,
and the double-pitch style for wider buildings. In the shed roof
design, the height of the front studs is either 6 ft. 6 in. or 7 ft.,
and of the rear, 4 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. In the double-pitch plan, the
front studs are): ft., the center / ft. or 7 f{t:-6 in., and the-rear
4 ft.6in. Fora Hote 12 ft. wide, the center studs are placed 7 ft.
from the front wall.
9. Foundation. In building a poultry house to last, it is eco-
nomical to set it on a cement, stone or brick foundation. This need
not extend more than 2 ft. in the ground, and the top should be
3 in. above the ground level. Instead of the above foundation, 4-ft.
posts painted thoroughly with a hot coal tar last many years.
10. Sil/. In houses of moderate size, the sills of the frame may
serve as the foundation. Use a 4 x 4-in. sill for houses under 75 ft.
long and 4+x6-in. (with the 4-in. face horizontal) for longer
houses. The lumber for the sill should be painted with hot coal
tar. The studs are 2 x 4 in. and the sills 4x 4 in.
11. Sheeting the Frame. After the frame is erected, the studs
should be covered outside with one layer of boards on the ends and
back. The boards should be planed on one side, with the planed
side nailed against the studs, so that it will be easier to limewash
the interior. “Che front should consist mainly of windows and fresh-
air openings. The boards should be covered on the outside with
2-ply roofing paper; the roof boards with 3-ply roofing or shingles.
Don't use the shingles unless there is considerable slant to the roof.
12. Windows and Fresh-Air Openings. It is not necessary to
use windows in the south or front wall of the house. Large or
[9]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
small openings can be simply covered with 1-inch mesh wire net-
ting, and this plan under certain conditions has given good results.
We prefer, however, to have the openings smaller; to cover them
with heavy muslin (cotton) in addition to the 1-inch mesh wire,
and to have sufficient windows for light. The use of muslin is
advisable, because it prevents drafts in the house, but all the open-
ings cannot be covered with muslin, since it becomes dirty through
use and does not let in sufficient light.
A Hanoy Piece or Mire-Proor Equipment
Mites are nocturnal pests. They live in the cracks and crevices of the house, coming
forth at night to do their deadly work. The above equipment has many good
features. It stands out away from the wall and the only way that the mites can
get to the nests and roosts is to climb the table legs. This can be stopped by
wrapping a wick around each leg just below the nest line and keeping this wick
soaked with oil, as oil is deadly to lice and mites. The nests are on a shelf
under the dropping board. The front has a hinged cover, making a dark nest,
entrance being from the rear. The cover lets down easily for gathering the eggs
and the nest boxes are easily removed for cleaning. The table top is not nailed
down so it, too, can be easily removed for cleaning or burning if desired. The
toosts rest in sockets in which are laid oil soaked cloths so that no lice or mites
can get onto the roosts without crossing the oil, which is sure death. This equip-
ment is well thought of by those who have used it, is easy to build and easily
knocked down and moved.
[10]
Modern Breeding Houses
13. Mr. Endsley’s House. An admirable house in which the
front contains windows and smaller muslin-covered openings for
ventilation was built three years ago by Mr. Endsley. He says that
it has given the best of satisfaction, and describes its construction
thus: The house is 14x54 ft. The sills are two 2x 4’s placed
edgewise on posts 3 in. above the ground. The plates are set the
same way. A 2x 4-in. stringer runs half way between the sill and
plate of the rear wall. By using matched flooring (up and down),
it is necessary to have this stringer, and especially if you want a
good job of drawing your siding tight. There is no stringer in the
front wall, as the windows cut out most of it. The house has five
windows of 8 x 10-in. glass, and four openings 24 in. square. The
openings are covered with wire netting and unbleached muslin for
ventilation. The entrance door is double — the outside of wood,
and the inside of wire netting covered with burlap. “The wooden
door is only closed in severe cold weather. This system of ventila-
tion gives an abundance of fresh air.
14. Location and Interior Plan. This house is placed on ground
that slopes away from it. The inside is filled with 8 in. of dry
earth, and makes the inside floor higher than the outside surface.
This insures a dry house. The fowls can wallow and dust in the
ground floor of Mr. Endsley’s house. A dry floor is one of the best
vermin destroyers there is. It is divided into five pens. The
droppings board is at the rear 2 ft. 6 in. above the floor. It is 4 ft.
6 in. wide and runs the full length of the building. The three roosts
are raised 6 in. above the board.
15. Dividing House Into Pens. A poultry house over 10 ft.
long is divided into a number of pens. If you intend to make a
specialty of the table-egg trade, it has been learned that flocks of
twenty yearling pullets make a greater profit than smaller or larger
flocks. For twenty birds in a pen, divide your house into pens 12 ft.
wide (running length). If you intend to mate breeding pens of
standard-bred chickens, pens from 8 to 10 ft. wide are sufficient size.
16. Partitions and Alleyway. If you have males in the pens, it
will be necessary to board the partitions for 2 ft. from the ground
to prevent fighting. Above this 2-in. mesh wire netting should
extend to the ceiling for Leghorns, and 4 ft. for the American
breeds. The partition doors should be at the front of the house, or
[11]
oa ae Built S Used by Poultrymen
the highest point, and hung on screen-door, spring hinges. An al-
leyway is a convenience in a long house, but not necessary in any.
The partition between the alley and the pens is made the same as
the partitions we have just described, except the 2 ft. of boards at
the bottom is not required. ‘There is a door from the alley into
each pen, and the rest of the partition is wire netting. ‘The parti-
tions between the pens and the “alley” house have no doors in them,
but they are boarded 2 ft. above the ground.
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[12]
Modern Breeding Houses
17. Roosts. For interior fixtures, you require roosts, droppings
boards, hoppers, food and water dishes. The roost should be a
2x 3-in. scantling, with the corners rounded off on the 2-in. edge
on which the fowls roost. The top of the roost should be 10 in.
above the droppings board, so the fowls can pass underneath it
without having to crouch down and get soiled. It can either rest
in the wire support shown in Chapter XV, or in wooden cleats
nailed to the partition. It should be removable, and when there
are more roosts than one, all should be on the same level. The
roost nearest the wall is 10 in. from it, and the others 16 in. apart.
18. Droppings Board. For one roost the droppings board
should be 2 ft. 8 in. wide, and for two roosts, 3 ft. wide. It is best
made of 7-in. planed lumber to facilitate cleaning. It is usually
placed from 20 in. to 30 in. above the floor, and it is preferable to
have it hinged to the rear wall. It can then be raised out of the
way when not required.
19. Mr. Dick's House. Mr. Dick prefers a breeding house
16 ft. wide and of a suitable length for the number of pens desired
—each pen being 12 x 16 ft. The cross-sectional illustration gives
the dimensions. The front is all open above 3 ft.. from the floor,
which closed part will protect the birds from winds. “The open
portion is covered with l-in. mesh wire netting to keep out sparrows.
The door is in the east end. It has a window in the upper half which
portion is in the east end. It has a window in the upper half which
swings separate from the lower half, and can be shut on windy
days. By leaving the lower half of the door open, all foul air
escapes. Neither part is shut, however, except when the weather
is severe. Last winter Mr. Dick used a screen door covered with
unbleached muslin in place of the divided door. ‘Fhe muslin-covered
door was kept shut all the time and was all that was needed, as
the air circulated through the cloth, without creating a draft.
20. Equipment. ‘The roosts and droppings board are at the
rear, and a burlap curtain is hung so that it can be dropped in
front of the roosts on zero nights. It comes to within 6 in. of the
board. The nests slide under the droppings board and are all trap
nests. All the floor space is utilized by the fowls, except sufficient
room for a dust box. Mr. Dick states that he would no more think
of being without a dust box, than he would of letting the fowls go
[13]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
without water. It’s nature’s way of cleaning and keeping the birds
free from vermin.
21. The Roost Curtain. The burlap curtain which Mr. Dick
drops down in front of the birds on cold nights is extensively used
by poultrymen, and it more than pays for its cost. It is not in the
way in the daytime; can be brought into use whenever required,
and it is almost necessary when fowls with large combs are win-
tered in fresh-air houses. A most simple plan of arranging the cur-
tain is shown. The supporting wire is about 2 in. in diameter with
a round hook at each end. ‘Two round-headed screws fasten it at
Cross-Secrion or Mr. Dicx’s House
each side of the roosting compartment. The burlap has a hem at
the top, and slides back and forth on the wire like a light cloth
curtain in front of a book shelf. ‘This plan of fixing the curtain is
simpler and cheaper than tacking it to a frame, or having it drop
down from above.
22. Changes Suggested. We would like Mr. Dick’s house bet-
ter if it were not so wide. While the window space is high in the
front wall, the sun will rarely reach within 6 ft. of the rear wall,
and this is a disadvantage. In a perfect poultry house, the sun
should shine during the day on all parts of the floor, so as to dry
and help purify the litter. The closer we can approach this ideal
condition, the more successful will our plan of house become. Keep
the windows low. The lower edge of the sash should not be over
18 in. from the ground, so that the sunshine will fall on the front
[14]
Modern Breeding Houses
half of the house almost all day. This is where the fowls like to
exercise and dust. Hinged or sliding windows are advisable, as
they can be opened for ventilation or for removing the litter.
23. Low Windows Are Best. Another advantage of the low
window is that it does away with the necessity of small entrances
for the birds. These little 1-foot square holes with either sliding
or hinged doors and short pieces of studding necessitate consider-
able time in the making that could be used to better advantage.
A window sill 18 in. above the ground (and a window that opens
easily), is not only better than the “‘small hole’ in many respects,
but it is more satisfactory to the birds. We use the windows in
this way in our houses throughout the year, and the birds do not
give us any trouble.
24. Earth Floor. Vhe best floor for a stationary laying house 1s
earth. Many years ago when wooden floors were popular, we built
houses with them. It is necessary to have not less than 2 in. of earth
on top of the wooden floor to give the birds a pleasant ground to
scratch in, and as it is almost impossible to keep this earth perfectly
dry, the boards are soon rotted. Another trouble that we experi-
enced continually was the waste of grain and the loss of chicks by
rats. Although we owned a first-class Fox Terrier dog at the time,
and fought the rats continually, yet they had a harbor of refuge
under the wooden floor of the house from which we could not rout
them. When the floor was removed it was completely rotted, and
in an unsanitary condition.
25. Making the Floor. Vhe level of the earth floor should be
at least 6 in. above the outside ground. It is best made as follows:
Large, flat stones, or coarse coal ashes are first scattered on the
earth inside the house until it is completely covered. On the coarse
material place 2 or 3 in. of finer ashes or gravel. Then cover all
with 3 in. of porous garden soil. Over the soil have several inches
of straw or other litter.
26. Concrete Poultry Houses. Several readers of THE STAND-
ARD have built and used concrete poultry houses and found them
quite suitable. Mr. Dornan made a house 50 ft. long and 12 ft.
wide, inside measurement, of cement blocks. His house is 9 ft. high
in front by 7 ft. at the back. It faces the south; has seven windows
and a door in front; one window in the west end, and a half-sash
[15]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
window in the east end — which he left boarded, so he can add on
to the building when necessary. “he window in the east end Mr.
Dornan put low down “‘just above the sill and arranged to slide,
making a convenient door for the hens kept in this pen.” “The
upper half of the windows are covered with a cheap grade of un-
bleached muslin. Openings the size of half a block (8x8 in.)
were left in the rear of the building near the ground line, making
outlets for the three other pens. Mr. Dornan’s floor is “mother
FRONT VIEW -
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earth” and he throws a few shovelfuls of the earth from the floor
up on the droppings board, and does not have any trouble in keep-
ing the house smelling fresh and clean. Good hemlock lumber was
used for roof boards, laid on 2 x 6-in. rafters on plate of same size
— the plate being golted to the blocks. The roof is covered with
3-ply tarred felt roofing.
27. Cost. This poultryman had no patent block machine, only
a plain wooden mold that any handy man could make. He made
the blocks 16 x 8-in. face, and 8 in. thick — hollow, of course. The
builder says that the secret of good, hard, durable blocks is to keep
them wet for at least three days. A grout wall was made 16 in.
[16]
Woitern Breeding Houses
below the ground surface. There are about 600 blocks in this
poultry house, made in the usual “5 to 1” proportion. The cost
was: $60 for hired help in drawing gravel, laying up blocks, put-
ting on roof, etc.; $25 for lumber and $30 for cement, making a
total of $115. However, this would not cover the usual cost of
construction if one had all the work done by hired labor, as Mr.
Dornan is by trade a stone mason and made the blocks himself.
28. Stucco Houses. Concrete poultry houses can also be built
of stucco-work. Metal lath is nailed on the studs, and a scratch
coat $ inch thick is applied, and pressed partly through the open-
ings in the metal, roughing the surface with a stick or trowel. The
scratch coat is composed of 5 parts Portland cement, 12 parts
clean, coarse sand, 3 parts lime and a small quantity of hair. When
the scratch coat has set well, a finishing coat is applied 4 inch to
1 inch thick. This coat is composed of 1 part Portland cement, 3
parts clean, coarse sand, and 1 part slaked lime paste. Unless the
house is extra long, two coats are not necessary. The finishing
coat alone placed over the metal lath will give excellent results.
The finish can be smooth — made so with a wooden float — or
rough by rubbing with burlap. These houses could have concrete
floors and are then practically vermin and rat-proof.
29. Block Houses in Nebraska. Some poultrymen think that a
house built of concrete blocks is damp, and while several have
proven by actual experience that this is not so, a stucco-built poul-
try house will certainly be as dry inside as any building made of
wood — and more durable. Mr. Nelson of Nebraska has a num-
ber of 14x 50-ft., cement-block houses to accommodate from 500
to 700 Leghorns. He states: “I get an 80 per cent egg yield the
year around from my Single-Comb Brown Leghorns that are kept
in these houses.”” He adds that they are never damp and that the
floor is of dirt—filled 6 in. above the outside ground. He
strongly advocates their use on account of their resistance to cli-
matic changes. Any plan of poultry house in this work can be built
of cement blocks or of stucco, as well as of lumber.
30. Valuable Conclusions. Prof. Dryden of the Oregon Ex-
periment Station has thoroughly studied the question of poultry
house construction, and we will present some of his conclusions.
He believes that poultrymen have made a mistake in the past in
[17]
Built ۤ Used by Seer:
not recognizing the fact that the housing of poultry is an artificial
condition — for our domestic fowls still retain considerable of the
wild nature. This is shown when they persist in flying into the
trees to roost in preference to seeking the shelter of the houses
provided for them.
31. Evil Results from Large Windows. It has never been
demonstrated that fowls can be kept in warm houses without in-
jury to the constitutional vigor of the flock, and the vigor of his
birds must be the first concern of the poultry breeder. The ex-
periments at some of the Stations indicated that it is possible to get
a slightly better egg yield by artificially heating the house, but the
increased yield was at the expense of the fowls’ vitality. In a
warmly built house with large windows in the south, the tem-
perature will be high when the sun shines, and at night it will be
very low — the glass permitting the escape of heat as readily as it
entered. During the day, the warm air of the house is accumulat-
ing moisture, and at night, owing to the great fall in temperature
the air becomes very humid, often totally saturated, as is seen when
moisture condenses on the walls. However, it is not dampness on
the walls that is bad, but it is the moisture in the air, and the
dampness on the walls is a sure indication that the air is as damp,
or humid, as it is possible to be. Chickens would be better roosting
in the trees, than in a house where such conditions prevail.
32. Improving the Conditions. By taking out the windows
altogether, these conditions are improved. They would be still
further improved by cutting out a larger portion of the front, and
this would make what is generally known as an “open-front’’ or
“fresh-air” house. The open-front idea may be adapted to a small
house, or to a large one, a colony house or a stationary house. The
open-front house has been tried in all sections of the United States,
in the cold as well as in the warm. In cold sections some poultry-
men cover the opening with a curtain of ordinary muslin, and
when a large section of the front is thus covered, it is called a
“curtain-front” house. As the material is thin there are no drafts,
and the temperature of the house is nearly that of outdoors. Prof.
Rice of Cornell University found that there was only one and
one-half degrees higher temperature for the inside of a curtain-
front house than for a similar house with a wire front.
[18]
Modern Breeding Houses
33. Advice. Prof. Dryden is discussing the merits of a different
style of house than any we have referred to. A curtain-front house
is one in which the entire front is wire netting covered inside with
unbleached muslin. We would not advise poultrymen in a cold
climate to build such a house until they have had experience in the
business and have kept their fowls through several winters. The
amateur poultryman should by all means build a house like Mr.
Endsley’s with windows and muslin-covered ventilators in front.
Except for a southern climate with its warm winters, Mr. Endley’s
house will give the fowls all the fresh air they require. In the
summer the windows can be removed if thought advisable.
[19]
Built S Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER If,
MODERN COLONY HOUSES
34. The Terms Portable, Movable and Colony. Vhis chapter
will include the construction details and plans of all types of small
houses. Poultrymen use a number of terms to refer to these houses
— some call them portable, others movable or colony. The terms
are synonymous, in so far as the poultryman is concerned. ‘The
colony system of housing poultry is recommended for adoption
wherever possible. It consists of keeping the fowls in small flocks,
and providing suitable houses that can be moved to any portion of
the plant. Where the colony system of housing is used on farms,
more fowls can be kept as layers and more chicks reared annually,
than where the mature and young birds run in one large flock
around the farm yard door. Farm fowls kept in colony houses are
healthier and less inclined to attacks of contagious diseases; they
require less food; lay more eggs; destroy injurious insects, and, if
kept in large flocks, fertilize the land.
35. Value of Portable Houses. Every farmer or fruit grower
who keeps poultry is strongly advised to built portable houses, and
to maintain flocks of poultry in the fields and orchards. During
the summer the houses are placed on pasture land; in autumn,
when the grain is harvested, they are removed to the stubble to
pick up any fallen grain. Here, the laying fowls and larger chicks
will retain vigorous health and grow a rugged constitution with
practically no attention, except watering. If a stream or natural
water supply is convenient, the feed and water problems are solved.
The flocks should not be crowded, or contain a great number of
birds. Large flocks are invariably less satisfactory, and they will
yield smaller profits. If one house is placed in a corner of the field,
another near the shade of a clump of trees, etc., fences are un-
necessary, as the birds quickly learn where their quarters are. No
portable house should remain long in one place, or the advantages
of the colony system are annulled. When the ground around the
house becomes soiled, the latter should be hauled a few yards away.
[20]
Modern Colony Houses
36. Points on Construction. A portable poultry house should
be strongly made, so as to withstand the strain of being hauled
from one place to another. It should be well ventilated, while at
the same time free from drafts, and built so it can be readily
cleaned. ‘The number of fowls the house will accommodate de-
pends, to some extent, upon the ventilation provided. In a well
ventilated house 14 sq. ft. of floor space is sufficient during the
Oruer Converted Fresu-Atr Houses
Above are depicted two other old sheds that were turned into satisfactory fresh-air
poultry houses by opening up the south side or end and fitting these openings
with a muslin covered frame so that they can be closed when the wind beats
in on them. Many an old building can be converted by this method and with
very little expense made into attractive and comfortable houses.
summer for each adult bird; in the winter a more liberal space
allowance is advisable. Wooden floors are not necessary, but the
chief objection to them is their cost. Personally, we would not
build a portable house without a wooden floor, as it makes the
bottom of the house tight and warm, and prevents drafts blowing
on the fowls from below. A wooden floor is an advantage, also, in
that you can close the house and move all the birds — confined in-
side — to the new location. Without a tight wooden floor in the
house, this could not be done, as the fowls’ legs would get caught
under the sill and broken,
37. Three Portable Houses. A practical type of portable house
is used by Mr. Brown of Oregon. This house is 6 x 12 ft. in size,
3 ft. high in front and 5 ft. at the rear. The peak of the roof is
8 ft. high. This plan of double-pitch roof house is very popular in
[21]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
the eastern states. Mr. Brown has a number of them, and he
moves them between the rows of hops. They have wooden floors.
The Krebs’ house is built along similar lines, and is also used on a
An Oprn-Front Cotony House on THE Kress’ Farm
hop farm. The Utah house was designed and tested at the Utah
Experiment Station, and gave admirable results. Instead of the wire
front, a muslin curtain is added for protection in windy weather.
38. Inexpensive Houses from Old Style House. In Para-
graph 5 we told of an old style poultry house 800 ft. long being
torn down and the lumber used to build modern houses. An
illustration is shown here of the inexpensive houses Mr. Miller
‘built from the old lumber. The dimensions of the new houses are
15x 20 ft., and the openings in the front are each 3x 6 ft. Im-
mediately under the openings you will notice a small slanting roof.
‘This is to keep the rain from the food hopper below.
[22]
Modern Colony Houses
39. Colorado Houses. Colony houses are used at the Fairmont
Poultry Farm. They are located among the peach trees, and are of
the following dimensions Length, 8 ft.; width, 5 ft.; height in
Tue Utran Hovse with Musin Curtain
front, 5 ft. 6 in.; height at back, 4 ft. 6 in. Mr. Smith, the owner,
has a scratching shed communicating with each house. The shed
is 10 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, 3 ft. high in front, and 2 ft. at the rear.
Here in the morning, the hens scratch out their breakfast of
wheat, barley and cracked corn. The addition of a moderate size
scratching shed is a good idea, and especially when a number of
birds are kept in each flock. Mr. Smith has each building in a
run 300 yards long by 10 yards wide.
40. The Best Canadian House. Mr. Elford of a Canadian Agri-
cultural College says that an 8 x 12-ft. movable colony house has
given him the best satisfaction during a two years’ test. The house
is 8 x 12 ft. in size, built on two runners, so that a team of horses
[23]
Built F Used by Poultrymen
can move it from place to place with ease. he runners are 6x 8
in. and 14 ft. long. This allows 12 in. at each end for hitching a
hook, or clevis. Ihe runners are 3 ft. apart; upon these 2 x 4-in.
scantlings are placed 2 ft. apart, as sleepers for the f-in. matched
floor. ‘The studding is cut 6 ft. 6 in., which allows 4 in. for the
support of the ceiling, and leaves 6 ft. 2 in. head room. The siding
Mr. Mirrer’s INExpeNnsive House
This poultryman tore down an old-style house 800 feet long, and used
the lumber to build a number of the houses shown above.
is single-board matched lumber. The roof is double-pitch, rough
boarded and covered with roofing paper. In the west gable there
is a small door for ventilation, and for putting straw into the
attic. ‘he ceiling is made of narrow boards placed 1 in. apart, and
the attic is filled with straw.
41. 4 Large Breeding Pen. Vhe illustration shows the door
in the end; this is quite satisfactory for summer use, but if it is
desired to haul the houses close together in the winter, a door in
the side is more convenient. In that case, the window and door
would be interchanged. The floor space of Mr. Elford’s house is
[24]
Modern Colony Houses
96 sq. ft., and 25 hens and three cocks are kept in it during the
breeding season. The eggs from these birds have been quite fertile.
42. Twenty Below Zero Inside. During the winter the tem-
perature goes down to 35 and 40 degrees below zero at times, as
the poultry plant is exposed to prevailing winds. Mr. Elford adds
Mr. Errorn’s Porrasre Corony House
The above house was given a severe test for two winters in a temperature
of 35 to 40 degrees below zero, and gave the best of satisfaction.
that the house is by no means warm — last winter the tempera-
ture dropped to 20 degrees below zero inside, yet none of the hens
had frosted combs (American breeds.) The reason for this is that
the hens were healthy, and the house dry. A curtain is let down
in front of the two roosts to within 18 in. of the floor on cold
nights. The straw loft absorbs the moisture, and the window is
[25]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
open almost every day throughout the winter. No droppings boards
are used. The roosts are hinged to the wall and a chain from the
ceiling supports the outer side; during the day the roosts are
closed up against the wall. The house is cleaned once a fortnight
in winter, and once a week in summer.
ONS_
ENO ls
BOARDED
Sorte
WirRE NETTING FARER
SO
ZEON
This inexpensive but practical house was built by Mr. Roberts in Massachusetts.
43. Method of Feeding. Probably it would be well to say a
few words about Mr. Elford’s method of feeding. During the
winter months there is a constant supply of dry wheat bran in a
hopper —this is shown in front of the door in the illustration. A
small hopper contains grit, oyster shells and beef scraps. Between
two and three o’clock each afternoon mixed grain is fed in the
[26]
Modern Colony Houses
litter. Roots of some kind are fed regularly. In the summer the
houses are hauled into the fields, where the twenty-eight fowls of
each house have a yard of several acres. At this time the bran is
taken away and grain is put into the hopper. The feed is brought
around in a cart once a week, which, in the summer months, is the
only feeding done.
44. Houses From Dry-Goods Boxes. It is not necessary to
have a carpenter build a special colony house, as large packing
boxes and a few hours’ work, and roofing paper, will make a small
RICE Bs Ss
WTR AL GEO) COVERED
e “ ca Yak TS WiTH
"x3" FRAME DS COTTON
COVERED with EAS
"Mes wd
WIKE NED a
A Cueap Crry-Lor Houser
Mr. Roberts built this house of packing boxes. The wooden floor is 18 inches
above the ground. Note the inexpensive cotton (muslin) covered run.
house that will be quite suitable for a breeding pen, or flock of
chicks. Mr. Pease made such houses of old lumber from dry-goods
boxes and found them both satisfactory and inexpensive. He uses
them for rearing chicks, and has a brooder heater in each. A fire-
less brooder would be admirable, and would be less work to at-
tend to.
45. A House for 25 Cents a Fowl. Mr. Roberts of Massachu-
setts has designed about the cheapest poultry house we have seen.
It costs less than 25 cents a fowl, and can be built with very little
labor. It will accommodate from ten to twelve mature birds, and
the owner uses it both in the summer and winter time. In con-
structing it, two frames of {x 3-in. lumber 10 ft. long and 6 ft.
[27]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
wide are first made. These frames are covered with 1l-in. mesh
wire netting to keep out the sparrows and smaller animals. “They
are fastened together A shape, 6 ft. apart at the bottom. One end
of the house is then boarded up to form the back of the roosting
compartment. The other end is covered. with I-in. mesh wire
netting and a full-size door is made, so that the attendant can
easily enter the house to feed the fowls. In the boarded end there
8: se SS
Ww: FR
[e>)
1: GRIT
; \ AND SHELLS
2: SCRAPS
3: DRY MASK
Roosts
CURTAIN TO LOWER,
OVER SCRATCH PEN-
SoS
<2
PII SOS
LS
ay
<2
Soren
zx
Sew
RS
<2
HAYS VHA ~ Ty = 23 TAA YE 0mm LOR Ym een we
A Practicat, INexrensive House
(a) Ground plan. (b) Elevation. This house was made from packing boxes by
Mr. Roberts and covered with roofing paper. Nineteen hens laid well in it last
winter.
[28]
Built & Used by Poneman
is a large board on hinges, out of which the litter, etc., is thrown.
The nest boxes are made from two orange cases, fastened to the
boarded end 3 in. above the ground. A piece of $x 3-in. stuff is
nailed on each side of the nest box to support the ends of the roost.
An Enciisu Portrasre House
View of a common style of an English house built on wheels.
House A, SHowinG ENTRANCE
46. Arranging it for Winter. Four feet of the roosting com-
partment is covered with roofing paper, and this makes a house
and exercising pen all in one. It can be moved from place to place,
so that the fowls can be kept on clean grass all summer. Before
winter sets in, Mr. Roberts makes a frame
of 2x 6-in. plank (set edgeways) on the
ground. “Phe frame is the same size as the
ground dimensions of the wire frames, and
the house is then set up on this plank
foundation. A floor is built under the roost,
and the north side boarded up. (The
AN cre Porrazte house faces east and west.) On the south
j oes side, Mr. Roberts has a cloth curtain that
Section of roof showing the 3 : z
ventilation at the ridge. drops down over the wire at night, or in
[29]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
stormy weather. He has learned by experience that by keeping a
foot of straw in the coop, the fowls will be happy and contented
and lay well. We can recommend this house to poultrymen who
wish to keep a few chickens in the back of their lot and do not
ee y
SS Su ro oe
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Stipa HEHE
REEK FIXEO hen “f) iti i A
Ns
An EncuisuH PortasLte House
The details of the frame.
care to spend any more money on buildings than is necessary. It
is also a light house that can be easily moved from one part of
the city to another, when necessary.
47. Another Cheap House. Mr. Roberts also made and used
another inexpensive house which we illustrate. It was made of two
dry-goods boxes each 5 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft. One end of each box
was removed. and the two were fastened together. “The house was
built up to 5 ft. at the front and 4 ft. at the back. The front was
boarded a little more than half way — the remainder was covered
with muslin. The entire house was then covered with roofing
paper, and set up on posts 18 in. above the ground. One end was °
made into a door. ‘The house standing so high, made the work of
cleaning and placing litter in it very simple.
48. Cheap Houses Bring Returns. For winter use a lean-to
scratching shed was made of = x 3-in. stuff. The frame was 10 ft.
[30]
Modern Colony Houses
long by 8 ft. wide, and was covered with 1-in. mesh wire netting.
It rested against the front as shown in the illustration. The sides
of the run were covered with heavy muslin (oiled with boiled oil),
and one side was a removable curtain. The top was covered with
An Enctuisn Portasre House
Two views of the nest box.
a muslin curtin, also oiled, that could be rolled down in pleasant
weather and raised at night and on stormy days. In this lot sixteen
hens were kept for three years at an annual profit of $1.25 per hen.
49. House With a Low Run. Mr. Roberts describes a third
inexpensive house that he built and used. He is a believer in the
fresh air plan, and always allows his birds an abundance of pure
air to breathe. Last winter he kept nineteen hens and a male in a
poultry house made of boxes. This house is also illustrated. It is
7x5 ft. in size, covered with roofing paper, with a outside scratch-
ing pen 6x4 ft. wide. The pen is covered with cloth during
stormy weather and nights, and the sides are made of cloth and
painted. From the nineteen hens, Mr. Roberts received from 40
to 45 per cent of eggs during the cold weather. There was not a
sick hen in the flock. The dimensions and details of the house are
included in the illustration.
[31]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
50. dn English House. A number of illustrations are intro-
duced herewith of an English style of portable house. Poultrymen
on the other side of the water practice the colony system of housing
chickens in the fields much more extensively than we do. Their
Ae tein: Sor mourmng house
("ee
An Enciisu Portasre House
Flow the axle, wheel and hook are attached to the house.
An EncGiisn Portasre House
The simple dust box that is used.
houses are frequently mounted on iron wheels, and made so that
they can be hauled by one or two men. Such a house is shown.
The two ends are bolted to the side frames, so that the house can
be taken apart, when necessary. ‘The next box is outside the house,
so that the eggs can be gathered without entering. There is a small
window in one side; a door in front and a ventilator at the ridge
of the roof. This is not sufficient ventilation for American condi-
[32]
Modern Colony Houses
tions. In place of the small window we would cut an opening
2x4 ft. and cover it with muslin and wire netting. We would
replace the wooden door with a frame covered with muslin and
netting. This would allow fresh air to purify the house when it
was used in warm weather for from twenty to thirty fowls.
¥
yl hicks Main Foor sean fo = ursery ae
ved XS ‘v2 ‘o Winiow on Ages
-
Urs ee
Burlap cover Ing space
Fremorah/e hooss
slanting for dr -oppings
70 fal Info DP 3 wer below
"Scantling wilh holes to atlach rope Leal lL Chamber
A Piano-Box Cotony Houser
The cross-section of the house that Mr. DeGraff built from two
piano boxes and a few extras.
51. Piano-Box Houses. Colony houses of innumerable styles
have been made out of piano boxes. ‘These boxes are of a con-
venient size to work with, and as they can be purchased for about
$2.00 each, materially reduce the cost of the house. Mr. DeGraft
builds from two piano boxes, a house with about 130 sq. ft. of floor
space under the roof. All you need besides the two boxes — which
should be as near alike as possible — are two 2 x 4-in. scantlings
16 ft. long, one board { in. by 10 in. wide by 12 ft. long, and five
t-in. matched boards 10 in. wide by 12 ft. long, to use in filling
the space between the boxes. By placing the boxes 5 ft. apart, you
can make a much larger house with but little more lumber. With
two pairs of hinges and a window 3 ft. by 28 in. (hotbed sash
construction) you are ready to build a house.
52. Mr. DeGraff's House. ‘The house is built as follows:
Place the two scantlings, or runners on the ground, leveling them
up for the foundation. Cut them the required length, and use the
part cut off for the front connection of the raised box. Remove
the back and top of the rear box and the front and bottom of the
[33]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
front one. Raise the front box and lay it on its back 10 in. above
the scantling, which space is closed by the extra boards.
53. Used for Chicks. Mr. DeGraff uses this piano-box house
with an indoor brooder for raising chicks, and considers it an ideal
method. The chicks having lots of room, best possible ventilation
TWOrtSTORY POULTRY HOUSE
WiLL: H- FLAGG MARNSVILLE-/ND ~
THE STANDARD
®
“
LenarH 20-8" tp, 8B-¥
HeienT Fr. 8-4"; Bk.7-4"
as
+ HRKOOH
‘ EK XX
aes DOO
A House ror a Smarty Lor
This two-story poultry house has two pens, and gives double floor space
under the roof. Mr. Flagg has tested and recommends it.
day and night, protection from all damaging conditions, grow
rapidly to maturity, and they will make either early broilers, layers
or exhibition birds, as desired. Suitable brooders for this house
are described later.
54. 4d Breeding Pen in a Piano-Box. It remained for Mr.
Beecher of Illinois to adapt a piano box in such a way that it
could house a breeding pen of Reds an entire winter. When we
saw the house, it was not covered with roofing paper, and there
was only a dollar or two of expense involved in its transformation.
At about one-third of the height, the upper floor was laid. Six
inches above the floor the roost extends from one end to the other.
At one end of floor, at the back, there is a 10x 15-in. opening
(long way opposite length of box) with a 10-in. slanting board
extending to the lower floor. The fowls use this slatted slanting
[34]
Modern Colony Houses
board in ascending or descending from their upstairs sleeping room.
The nest box is at one end of the upper floor, and there is a dust
box on the lower floor.
55. How It Is Done. Mr. Beecher has not forgotten ventila-
tion, but has a muslin-covered opening 12 in. square at one end.
DESIGNED For
THE STANDARD
L]
C-M- BEECHER,
ABINGDON-|L-
A Novet Piano-Box House
The latest plan of utilizing the piano-box is to make a two-story
poultry house of it as Mr. Beecher has done.
[35]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
There are two hinged doors in front, and in warm weather both
are wide open. The position of the doors shown in the illustration,
is the way they are propped open during a rain or light snow storm.
It is remarkable how poultry will thrive when housed in these
small, yet well ventilated houses. This pen of Rhode Island Reds
(six hens and a male) laid well, and came through our past severe
winter without so much as a spike frozen. In their upstairs sleep-
ing room huddled together in a few feet of space — which they
would warm by natural heat — it can be truthfully said that they
were ‘‘as snug as bugs in a rug.” It you have a small yard at the
rear of your house and wish to keep a pen of fowls, adopt Mr.
Beecher’s piano-box plan. You can obtain pleasure and profit by
owning a pen of standard-bred chickens, and there is a very small
outlay required in beginning the business in this way.
56. Mr. Flagg’s Two-Story House. Another two-story poultry
house was built and found to’ give good results by Mr. Flagg of
Indiana. This house is 20 ft. 8 in. long; 8 ft. 4 in. wide; 8 ft. 4 in.
high in front, and 7 ft. 4 in. at the back. A solid board partition
runs through the middle (up and down), making two pens each
10 ft. 4 in. by 8 ft. 4 in. These dimensions were taken because
the builder had steel roofing sheets and cheap lumber that he
wished to use. The house has a floor 4 ft. above the foundation —
making it two-story. The lower story has an earth floor, and 1-in.
mesh wire netting along the entire front. “This makes two ideal
\
scratching sheds, when kept covered with straw. There is a wire —
gate into each pen at the ends of the house. The upper story is
reached by a ladder, kept in a convenient place. There is a door at
each end and a wire-covered window in each pen besides.
57. The Fowls Roost Upstairs. The four doors are covered |
with l-in. mesh wire netting, and the two upper doors have muslin
curtains that fasten on outside. “The curtain has eyes that go over
buggy buttons; these eyes are an even distance apart, so that the
curtain can be raised or lowered, and an opening left at the top or
bottom. ‘The fowls go up a ladder to the upper room where the
nests and perches are. “hey roost near the partition between the
upper pens, which keeps them out of all drafts. In the back wall
of each scratching pen, there is a small door hung on screen-door
hinges, so that when the door is open it will not blow shut in a
[36]
iy Colony Houses
storm, and when shut, it will not blow open and let the fowls out.
These doors lead to the yards behind the house. Mr. Flagg did
not make the stories higher because he has several children that
like to work among his chickens; and in fact, he does not like a
high roosting pen. He built a two-story house because he has no
ground to spare, and this plan gives them double floor space under
one root.
AN ATTRACTIVE HOUSE FOR THE RENTER
The illustrations on page two are almost self explanatory. This
house is 6 x 9 feet on the ground, 6 feet high at the peak and 3 feet
high on sides. It can, of course, be built any size desired. Back
and sides are boarded with matched lumber. The roof is covered
with some good roofing material, hinged at peak to allow opening,
as shown in the lower illustration. Roof should have a wire covering
about four inches below roofing so fowls cannot escape when roof
is opened. The front is of wire as shown in illustration. Droppings
board, roosts and nests are located inside at rear. In winter the
space between the roofing and wire covering should be stuffed
with straw or some such material and the two lower oblong panels
in front filled with glass, the balance of the front being covered
with muslin.
This house can be built in sections and bolted or screwed to-
gether thus making it easy to take down and move.
For a fresh-air house in a mild climate or for a summer house in
any climate, we have never seen its equal.
In a house of this kind, 6x9 feet, one can keep a dozen fowls
and get the very best of results. “The builder can use his own dis-
cretion in regard to putting in a board floor. Personally, we prefer
to use the dirt floor as the fowls are kept confined and it gives them
a place to scratch and the house is easily moved to get them on
fresh ground.
Built SF Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER Tit
MODERN BROODER HOUSES
58. Necessity of Pure Air. Brooder houses for rearing chicks
have been in use by poultrymen for a number of years. Many of
them have given, and continue to give, entire satisfaction, while in
others it seems to be a difficult problem: to regulate the tempera-
ture and supply a sufhcient amount of fresh air. We cannot em-
phasize the fact too strongly that all ages of poultry require pure
air constantly, as it is the lack of this natural agency that has
worked more havoc among the owners of large poultry plants
and caused them to say “there is no money in poultry” than any
other condition. We illustrate herewith an admirable hot-water
heating system of moderate cost for an up-to-date brooder house,
and later we will refer to a plan of one prominent poultryman in
which he pipes pure air to each individual hover of chicks.
59. Hot-Water Heating System. The designer of the hot-
water heating system is Mr. Rathbun, an expert heating engineer,
and for over two years the chief draftsman in a leading firm that
deals in heaters of this kind. In writing the description of the
system, Mr. Rathbun stated that he would illustrate and describe
the most reasonable and best brooder house heating system he was
acquainted with, and one that an experienced poultryman or lay-
man could easily install. The illustration and text refer to a house
25 ft. long, 7 ft. wide in the hover yards, and 3 ft. in the walk —
making a width of 10 ft. over all —and 7 ft. high at the highest
point. “he walk and floor under the hovers can be constructed of
concrete or plank, as may be desired, while the hover platform,
which should be from 10 to 12 in. higher than the walk, can be
built of boards with a 3-in. rim around to allow the filling in of
the same with garden dirt for scratching. The hover platform is
20 ft. long, which gives 5 ft. of space for the setting of the boiler
or tank heater. ‘This can be set on a level with the walk, or a few
steps lower in a pit as shown.
[38]
Modern Brooder Houses
60. 4 Modern Hover. Let us suppose the hover platform to
be divided into ten rooms, or yards, for the different grades, varie-
ties and ages of chicks. Each yard should have a hover made of
canvas hung under the 1-in. coils in folds, with drops or curtains
on all sides. ‘This makes it as warm as a mother hen. In using
canvas in this way, Mr. Rathbun has the same method as the fire-
less brooder advocates, and we indorse his advice, instead of the
orthodox brooder cover made of wood with a few tin pipes for
ventilation. “he canvas (outing flannel would be warmer) would
retain sufficient heat for the chicks, and there would be a working
outlet for the impure air.
61. Double-Deck Hovers are Not Advised. Mr. Rathbun
also states that in some cases where more room is required, a
double-deck hover floor can be constructed midway above. In such
an event, care must be taken in installing the heating coils, and
only two coils run for the first hover, so that there will not be too
much heat to rise and warm the floor of the upper hover. Unless
this precaution is observed, the excessive heat of the upper floor
will cripple the little chicks’ legs. For the second floor hover,
three coils should be run, so that there will be plenty of heat to
protect the chicks from the cold that is transmitted from the roof
above. However, unless it was necessary to greatly economize
space, we would not place hovers on two floors.
62. Installation of Heating System. Vhis heating system will
give by an even running fire, just the right amount of heat and
the best of satisfaction in weather not more than 10 degrees below
zero. The installation of it, together with the material required,
is as follows: Place a tank heater of sufficient capacity (which
for the plan as shown would be 150 gallons) and locate it where
shown at the end of the brooder house.
Connect to one of the flow openings (left-hand pipe at top of
heater) a 14-in. main and run same to hover coil manifold, con-
sisting of three l-in. pipes. From the manifold at the far end of the
house, carry 14-in. return pipe back to the side opening of the
heater. From the other flow opening (right-hand pipe at top of
heater) a 14-in. connection is to be made to an auxiliary coil run
around the side of the hover platform in the walk, with a 1+-in.
return from the manifold at the far end of the house back to the
[39]
Ratupun’s Hotr-Water Hrarinc SysTEM
The above illustration shows the best hot-water heating system for brooder
houses. It can be extended to any reasonable length.
Mr.
NS
Sess ae ee ay mre one N
. s
x
\ ss
a
tetany
:
Modern Brooder Houses
side opening of the heater. On both of these auxiliary mains,
valves should be placed, so that they can be put into commission
whenever the temperature demands their use. 4-in. drain pipe
will have to be run from the auxiliary coil down to the floor to
the sewer, so that when the valves are cut off the coil can be
HO KELLOGG ~
Cross-Secrion or Mr. Kexrrtoce’s Brooper House
drained to prevent its freezing. From the manifold at the far end
of the house, run a 2-in. air vent at least 3 ft. in the air, to keep
this end of the heating system from becoming air bound.
Pitch all coils and mains down in the direction of the boiler at
least 1 in. in every 8 ft. Take from the return at the boiler, as
“shown, a 2-in. expansion line to an expansion tank placed on a
shelf, or brackets, as near the top of the building as possible, or at
least 12 in. above the highest point of the system. The tank can
be either of the open or closed pattern. If closed, an air vent will
have to rise 2 or 3 in. above the overflow line, which is carried out
to the side of the building, or down to the sewer. This heating
system can be filled with a funnel attachment to the side of the
expansion tank, or with city water pressure into the return at the
boiler. 4-in. drain connection should be taken from the lower
part of the system to the sewer.
63. Complete Cost. For all the materials complete, including
a 150-gallon tank heater, the cost has been estimated at the present
market prices for the heating goods required at $25.60. This price
will probably be exceeded later, as at the present time these ma-
terials are at their lowest cost. “Those required are: Tank heater,
expansion tank, water gauge for expansion tank, gate valves, drain
and feed stops, manifolds, cast 1ron elbows, right and left couplings,
assorted nipples, the necessary black pipe and a can of cement for
making joints. For $2.50 additional, a hot water thermometer and
[41]
| Built &F Used by Poultrymen
damper regulator connections to check and draft doors, can be in-
stalled. The regulator will not only mean an economy in fuel, but
will keep the house at an uniform and satisfactory degree of heat.
64. Pointers From An Engineer. Mr. Rathbun ‘gives these
pointers. ‘he heart of the brooding house is the heater, and this
must be large enough to furnish sufficient heat to warm the chicks.
® FRESH-AIR BROODER HOUSE. bd exeavsion Tann
DESIGNED BY = f
GEO. H NoRTHUP 1
7
6" DRAIN PIPE FOR SUPPLYING FRESH AIR TO THE CHICKS
LONGITUDINAL AND Cross-SEcTIONAL Virews or Mr. Norruup’s
Broopver House
GEO. H. NOoRTHUP-
Mr. Nortruur’s Heatinc System
Notice the small cross-section of the hover showing the inflowing 11-inch pipe
and return 1-inch pipe, also the top of the ventilating tile in the floor.
As neither too much, or too little heat should be furnished, a regu-
lating device to automatically open and close the drafts should be
considered. ‘The several regulators on the market at the present
time, are unlike thermometers that work from the temperature in
the hovers only; a regulator positively opens and closes the drafts,
while the thermometer is insufficient to control any fire, especially
in the large heating plant required for houses from 50 to 100 ft.
long. When the fire is at its height, it takes more than a check
draft door to control it.
65. Filling the House at Once. Mr. Kellogg uses his brooder
house in an original way. Instead of placing in it chicks of all ages,
[42]
Modern Brooder Houses
he has sufficient incubators to entirely fill his brooder house with
chicks from one hatching. After these are three or four weeks old,
they are removed to colony houses and the brooder house is filled
with the second batch. This is an admirable move, and one that
we can heartily recommend. A small half-tone illustration of the
brooder house is shown. The house proper is 88 ft. long and 16 ft.
wide; it will house from 1,000 to 2,000 chicks comfortably. There
four 14-in. flow pipes and four 14-in. return pipes. The heater is
controlled by a thermostat and electric regulator. In addition to
the eight pipes under the hovers, there is a flow and return pipe
on the rear wall of the building — the lower about 12 in. above
the floor.
66. The Common Hover Top. The eight hot-water pipes are
near the center of the building as shown in the cross-sectional il-
lustration. The hover cover consists simply of a {-in. door 3 ft.
6 in. wide by 4 ft. long, which rests on the pipes. From the front
and back edges, two pieces of slitted blanket extend to the floor.
This hover cover is the ordinary wooden top that we referred to
when discussing Mr. Rathbun’s canvas hover top. We prefer the
latter. Mr. Rathbun’s plan for the installation of the heating
system is applicable to Mr. Kellogg’s system, or any one that a
poultryman would select.
67. Mr. Northup’s Brooder House. Mr. Northup gives the
details of a brooder house that he had used for a number of years,
and of which he said: “It is the best brooder house I have ever
seen or used. I have hardly any. deaths with my chicks, and in
fact, I have placed chicks in.the house that seemed to be afHicted
with white diarrhoea, and I have had them recover and do well.”
Mr. Northup’s house is two stories high — brooder house on the
ground floor and four pens above for keeping surplus stock. It is
78 ft. long, 14 ft. wide and 6 ft. high to the ceiling. It cost $800.
68. How Fresh Air is Supplied. Vhe heating system is the
simplest of any we have described, but the main feature, and the
one to which we wish to direct your attention, is the manner of
supplying fresh air to the chicks in the hovers. As is shown in the
larger illustration of the house, a 6-in. drain pipe conducts fresh
air from outdoors to each hover. The drain pipe is 3 ft. in the
ground, and at the center of each hover, another pipe extends up-
[43]
Built & Used by Poultrymen _
ward from the supply pipe. The tops of the upright pipes are 6 in.
above the concrete floor, and covered with 4-in. wire netting caps,
to prevent the entrance of dirt or the loss of a chick.
69. The Interior Fresh-Air Flue. The outside end of the
supply pipe extends above the ground, and has a right-angled
coupling at the top to keep out the rain. The other opening is at
GASOLINE BROODER HOUSE
DESIGNED FOR
THE STANDARD BY
J. M. WILEY- ELMWoop JLL-
@ |
ee
a "| 8
A Gaso.ttne-Heatrep Brooper House
The letters in the illustration of Mr. Wiley’s brooder house refer to the following:
A—Longitudinal section of house. B—Cross-section of house.
the far end of the house, and enters a fresh-air flue 12x 15 in.,
which extends through the roof. A galvanized iron stove pipe
could be used in place of the wooden flue. There are openings in
the flue covered with adjustable slides near the ceiling and over
the hover, so that it will act as an efficient ventilator of the house
in warm weather.
70. Heating System. The heater is in the center of the build-
ing in a pit 8 ft. wide. Each pen for chicks is 5 ft. wide, and there
are seven on each side of the heater. The smaller illustration
shows the simple method of piping used. The flow pipe that leaves
the top of the boiler is 14 in., and this is reduced to 14, and then
to 1 in. There is a drop of 9 in. in the piping. The hovers are
5 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and 2 ft. high. They are simply boxes (with
[44]
Modern Brooder Houses
loose covers and no floors) that rest on the concrete floor, with
the front of slitted cloth. The back of the box should have a
hinged door, so that the chicks can be more easily examined from
the 3-foot alleyway. The house rests on a concrete foundation and
the entire floor is of the same material. The raised concrete floor
(11 ft. wide) on which the hovers rest is 14 in. above the level
of the alleyway.
71. A Gasoline Heated House. Mr. Wiley uses a gasoline
heated brooder house that is ideal for a poultry plant of moderate
size. It is 24 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, 7 ft. high to the eaves and 10 ft.
to the apex of the roof. It has been in use for two years and Mr.
Wiley says he is delighted with it, and that it always raises the
chicks. From one to two gallons of gasoline will supply each
burner one week. The gasoline tank is outside the house 3 it.
above the ground, and connected to one end of the supply pipe.
The temperature of each individual hover can be easily regulated,
and labor is saved by having no lamps to trim or fires to feed coal to.
72. Two Stories. If you examine B in the illustration, you
will note that the house is built in two stories. The cellar is used
for running the incubators, and the structure above is the brooder
room. The rear concrete wall of the house is made with a “‘step”’
in it. This step (lamp pit) extends from one end to the other.
It is 30 in. wide by 16 in. deep, inside measurements. E shows the
end view of this pit with the heating arrangement in place — C
and D the front view of the same.
73. Concrete Parts. We will consider the concrete work.
When the walls and lamp pit are finished, it is necessary to divide
the pit (4) by seven concrete piers (16) into eight pens 3 ft. wide.
The piers are 16 in. high, 30 in. long and 4 in. thick. When the
seven piers are in position, extend 2 x 12-in. sills across the house,
the rear end of each sill (20) resting on the concrete pier. These
sills form the foundation of the house, and they also serve as par-
titions between the pens of chicks.
A concrete floor (15) 4 in. thick is made between each pair of
piers. This floor has a 6-in. opening in the center to fit the out-
side flue of the heater (7). A door of 3-in. boards that just fits
between the piers with a 6-in. piece of stove pipe at the center,
[45]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
can be supported at the proper height and used to mold the con-
crete floor on. The concrete work is now finished and the wooden
brooder house is built. There are six windows (1) in the south
wall, each with six 8 x 10-in. lights. —Two pens have no windows.
The window (5) in the east end has twelve 8x 10 lights —
double sash.
74. The Gasoline Heater. The heater (7) is 6 in. in diameter
and 16 in. long. Four inches of pipe extend below the concrete
floor and 8 in. above. The inside flue (8) is 2 in. in diameter at
the top and about 5 in. at the bottom. It conducts the gasoline
smoke and vapor to the heating tank (9), where it leaves the tank
as shown at (18) in E. The pure air enters between the two pipes
at the bottom of the heater, and as it is warmed, rises and flows
into the brooder at (19) in E. The outside pipe (7) of the heater
fits smoothly into the concrete floor (15). The upper end of the
inner flue (8) enters a removable heating tank (9) 10 in. wide,
30 in. long and 2 in. thick. There is a small drawing of this tank
at E among the parts. D shows the heating tank and brooder cover
(10) removed from the heater.
75. Fumes Do Not Enter Hover. You will notice in E where
the gasoline fumes are escaping at (18) that the brooder cover
does not extend to the rear wall. There is a f-in. wooden parti-
tion immediately below the back edge of the brooder cover. This
construction is necessary in order to allow the fumes to escape
into the house. If the brooder cover extended to the rear wall, the
gasoline fumes would all enter the hover and injure and poison the
chicks. At the front of the brooder cover there is the usual slitted
blanket to retain the heat.
76. Burner and Piping. Among the parts shown in E (11) is
the gasoline burner. It is a gasoline torch burner complete, and is
supplied with two regulating vales. It is commonly used by fruit
peddlers, “‘fakirs,” etc., and costs 80 cents. As shown in D and E,
the +-in. pipe (14) that brings the gasoline from the outside tank
to the burners (11) runs along in front of the concrete piers.
Other 4-in. pipes extend from the supply pipe to the burners. It is
necessary to have two valves on the short supply pipes, so that the
burner can be lowered free from the heater and swung around to
[46]
Modern Brooder Houses
the front, when it is necessary to clean it. When the gasoline
burner is in operation, it stands up a couple of inches inside the
flue (8). This explains the necessity for lowering the burner, be-
fore it can be brought around to the front for examination.
77. Advantages of Gasoline Heater. On account of the un-
common construction of this gasoline-heated house, and the number
of details it is necessary to give, it appears somewhat more com-
plicated than a hot-water house would be, but it is really not so.
When we consider that the principal parts are built of concrete,
and that the heating equipment is inexpensive, practically inde-
structible and placed where it can be easily reached; that it can be
simply regulated and operated at small expense, then the great
value of this house for the moderate size poultry plant is apparent.
This is the ideal house for the average poultryman. If he wishes
to economize in construction, he can omit the incubator cellar and
concrete work, but this would make it necessary for him to get
down on his hands and knees when he wanted to regulate the gaso-
line burners. This, however, is not an important objection, as the
operators of most brooders understand.
[47]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CEUAPARIGR= LV:
HOUSES FOR INDOOR BROODER
78. Special Houses for Chicks. Although any style of colony
house or building can be used as a shelter for brooders and chicks,
and there are a number of such houses in the preceding chapters,
we describe and illustrate two houses that have been especially
designed for the purpose. The first portable house is inexpensive
and simple to build. It can be used in the spring months for one or
two brooders, and later on it can be hauled to a field for the larger
chicks. It is built of Z-in. lumber planed on one side with the
smooth side placed against the studs. This method of construction
is recommended instead of having the smooth side out, for the
reason that the interior of the house can be limewashed much
easier. If minimum expense is a desideratum, the house can be
built of lumber taken from large dry-goods boxes. A small amount
of 2-ply roofing paper will cover the outside, but not less than 3-ply
roofing paper should be used for the roof.
79. Construction of the House. In the lower part of the illus-
tration the frame is shown before it is covered with the siding.
The two runners are made from a 2x4, 16 ft. long cut in two
diagonally. On these runners a floor 6 x 7 ft. is laid. For the front
and back edges of the floor, 2 x 4-in. sills are nailed securely to the
runners. On these sills the four corner and middle-front studs
rest. The studs at the right of the door and at the center of the
west stand on the floor boards. On top of the six end studs pieces
2 in. square by 8 ft. long are fastened. These are made from a
2x 4, 8 ft. long, cut in half.
80. A Pointer on Muslin Frames. The west half of the front
is covered from top to bottom with 1-in. mesh wire netting 3 ft.
wide, stapled directly to the studs. “The remainder of the frame is
then covered with the siding. There are three wooden strips ¢ by
2 in. by 6 ft. long covered with three strips 7 by 4 in. by 6 ft.,
that form the three runners for the oiled muslin frames. “These
[48]
Houses for Brooders
six strips are nailed at the top, middle and bottom of the front of
the house, as shown in the upper illustration. The sliding frames
are then made (see the small drawing of one frame) and covered
with muslin. This is painted with boiled oil so as to render it
waterproof. It can be stated here that the muslin-covered frames
used in ventilating poultry houses are not treated with boiled oil,
or any other paint. When the muslin is oiled, it not only. renders
it waterproof, but practically air-tight. In this brooder house, the
frames can be air-tight because they are always kept ven open
for ventilation.
81. Object of House. ‘The main object of a house of this kind
is to have a bright, well ventilated, dry and safe pen for little
chicks. Any indoor brooder can be operated inside, and by standing
a 10-in. board on edge across the middle of the house, with the
brooder near the wire front, the little chicks can be kept in the sun-
light during the first few days. The floor of the house should be
covered with clover chaff, and prepared chick food, cracked wheat,
millet seed, oatmeal, etc., should be thrown in the chaff several
times daily. When the chicks are one week old they can be given
the entire house to exercise and feed in, and allowed to enter and
leave the brooder at their own pleasure.
82. Further Good Features. Other advantages of having the
oiled muslin frames in front are that the wire openings can be
closed when a driving rain is beating against the house; that
either the upper or the lower frame can be closed while the other
is open, and that the frames can be partially open at night to
supply sufficient ventilation. The slanting board in front of the
chick door is hinged and should be raised and fastened at night
to prevent the entrance of rodents. With this door closed, the 1-in.
mesh wire front effectually keeps out any animals that would
harm the chicks.
The poultryman should build several portable houses of this
kind. They will easily repay their cost in the saving of chicks in
cold, rainy weather. While the chicks in coops outdoors will be
cold, wet and insufficiently nourished, the colony-house chick will
be happy and contented from morning to night, searching for small
grains among the litter. Besides, it is a great convenience to a
poultryman to be able to quietly look after his chicks and brooder
[49]
Poultrymen
Used by
ja
i)
Built
SE FOR CHICKS
)
A COLONY HOU
CHICK DOOR
GROUND PLAN
SECTION
THE O/LED-MUSLIN
FRAMES ARE 32
y
36
x
eaese ee
FRAME SET UP
A Pracricat, Inexpensive House ror SHELTERING BrRoopERsS
[50]
Houses for Brooders
inside a dry house in inclement weather. A fireless brooder in a
house of this kind would make an ideal outfit for raising fifty
chicks to maturity.
83. d Colony House Brooder. Mr. Harris’ colony house is
5 ft. long, 4 ft. wide, 4 ft. high in front and 3 ft. high at the rear.
The entire front is glass so as to admit lots of sunshine. This is a
great germ destroyer and is essential on cold, wet days. During
the summer time it would be well to stand boards in front of the
greater part of the windows, to prevent the interior of the house
becoming too hot. In the end facing the east are the doors. The
outside door is wood; the inside is a screen door made of l-in. mesh
poultry netting. When the wind is not against that end of the
house, the wooden door is left open, when it is, the wooden door
is shut and the window behind the door opened. The latter is
covered with unbleached muslin and makes a good ventilator with-
out any draft, so long as the wind is against it.
84. Mr. Harris’ Brooder. he brooder is 4 ft. long, 2 ft. 6 in.
wide and there is a partition in the middle. ‘This makes a double
brooder or a single brooder, as Mr. Harris used it the first year.
Each compartment has a hinged window in front; the roof is also
hinged, so that it is easy to get at the brooder to clean it. The
hover is 2 ft. square. It is made of 4-in. pine boards, and the under
side is covered with flannel hanging loose (like a fireless brooder),
and the front is of flannel cut and fringed. The heater is 12 in.
in diameter; placed in the middle of the hover to prevent the
chicks from crowding into the corners, as they are very apt to do.
It is made entirely of sheet iron. In the center of the bottom is a
hole 3 in. in diameter, and this is where the lamp chimney is
placed. “wo inches above the bottom (horizontal) there is a piece
of sheet iron 11 in. in diameter. It is supported by wire rods, and
is used to spread the heat and make the heater more efficient. ‘The
fumes of the lamp escape above the center sheet by the 4-in. space
around the edge. In the center of the top of the heater there is a
pipe | in. in diameter and 4 in. high. The lower end of this pipe
enters the heater | in. and the fumes of the lamp pass off through
it. As the pipe reaches above the hover, the fumes do not hurt the
chicks. The total height of the heater is 5 in. and the hover top
rests on it.
[51]
Built F Used by Poultrymen
A COMBINATION BROODER AND COLONY HOUSE
JessE R. Harris, UNIONTOWN, Pa.
Ii |
atl il '
= > Se ve wears. ‘we pe
rr
——=
Bers
SCRATCH PEN
FOR BABY
Hicks
ro)
ae SCREEN DOOR.
‘
Wood Door VENT. * Grass Doors”
~ (MUSLIN)
Mr. Harris’ Corony Housrt anv Broopver
Houses for Brooders
85. Feed and Attention of Chicks. The floor is kept well
covered with clean litter, and the chicks are fed by hopper after
they are eight weeks old. The first year Mr. Harris only used one
side of the brooder to hover the chicks; the other side he had for
a scratch pen until the chicks were three weeks old. ‘They were
then admitted to the scratching room of the colony house. The
second year he used both sides of the brooder to hover the chicks,
and admitted them to the colony house when they were one week
old. He let the two flocks run together and separated them at
night. In the far right-hand corner of the house where the sun
seldom strikes, is the drinking fountain. In the other corner of
the same end where the sun shines most of the time, he has a dust
box. He fills the box with ashes and mixes a little potash with it
— this keeps the lice off the chicks.
[53]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAR EERY.
HOUSES FOR MALES OR SMALL PENS
86. The Use of Male Houses. As soon as a breeder of stand-
ard-bred poultry gains a reputation for high quality stock, it is
necessary for him to keep a supply of male birds on hand to fill the
requirements of his customers. Females can be penned together, but
male birds for sale or for exhibition purposes should be kept
separate. Many of the successful breeders of the best strains of
standard-breds mate a number of breeding pens of one male and
one or two females. These pens are mated after careful study of
the features and parentage of the birds, and it is from them the
breeder expects his choicest offspring.
87. A Convenient Male House. One of these male houses is
shown. It is 12 ft. wide, and any multiple of 3 ft. long. There is
a passageway 3 ft. wide along the north side, and the remainder
of the house is divided into narrow pens 3 ft. wide. Each pen
houses one male, so that a house 60 ft. long would take care of
twenty. The sills are made of 4-in. square stuff, if the house 1s
not over 30 ft. long, and 4 x 6-in. lumber for a longer house. They
should be painted with hot tar and placed on stones, or short posts.
The lengths of the studs are: Center, 7 ft. 6 in.; rear, 6 ft.; front,
5 ft. The studs are set up 3 ft. apart.
88. Labor Saving Devices. The partitions between the pens
are boarded solid for 2 ft. The remaining 4 ft. is covered with
2-in. mesh wire netting on every three partitions. Each fourth
partition is covered with unbleached muslin (instead of the wire
netting) to prevent drafts blowing through the house. When the
muslin is up, it can be painted with boiled linseed oil to preserve
it. In the wooden part of every other partition, a hole 9 in. wide
by 6 in. high is cut. The lower edge of the hole is 6 in. above the
sill, and the north edge is 6 in. from the center stud. A {-in.
board 9 x 12 in. is nailed on the lower edge, and on this board a
galvanized iron pan 8 in. in diameter and 4 in. high is placed for
water. One pan waters every two pens. In order to minimize
[54]
Houses for Meales
the labor of feeding, the pans for the mash are in the lower part
of the doors. The same size round pan is used as for water, and
the construction of the shelf is similar. he pans are filled with
mash from the passageway.
89. Doors for Several Purposes. ‘The doors to the pens are
- 3 ft. wide —the entire width of each pen. This simplifies the
cleaning, and it also has the additional advantage of closing the
passageway when any door is fully opened. Thus, if it is necessary
to change a male from one pen to another, by opening two doors
he can be driven into the desired pen with ease. If you wish to run
one male with half a dozen hens, each in a separate pen, you can
easily do it with this style of a house. “That would eliminate the
use of trap nests. The upper portion of all the pen doors is covered
with 2-in. mesh wire netting.
90. Wire and Muslin Frames for Windows. here is a 1-in.
mesh wire covered frame 2 ft. wide by 3 ft. high in the front of
each pen. The upper edge rests against the plate. There is also an
inner frame of the same dimensions covered with unbleached mus-
lin. The inside frame is hinged and can be raised to the roof and
fastened up on pleasant days. The frames are made of £ x 2-in.
stuff. The 2 x 3-in. roost is 2 ft. long, and supported by two pieces
ix3 in. These are hinged to the wooden part of the partition
15 in. above the sill. The roost is 10 in. from the partition, and
rests on a front leg when in position.
91. Glass Windows Can Be Used. The frame of the house
should be covered with l-in. lumber and heavy roofing paper. In
a cold climate it would be advisable to substitute windows for the
hinged muslin frames, when the males belong to a breed with large
combs. Do not have small openings in the front wall, for the
birds to enter or leave their pens. When they can exercise outdoors
the wire frames should be removed, and the birds can pass in and
out through the window openings. The small openings commonly
used damage a male bird’s tail and plumage. ‘This house is a con-
venience where the poultryman will keep many males in condition.
It is excellent for other purposes, such as sitting hens, fattening
chickens, keeping young chicks, ete.
92. Mr. Burhans’ Male House. Mr. Burhans has designed
a similar house which we will next refer to. It is the result of a
dozen different ideas worked out in the past, and he finds that for
[55]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
SEO Sires
CENTER, 7-6
REAR e-oO
FRONT 5-O*
|
UNBLEACHED | FRAME
—————————————————————
A House ror Mares or SMALL PENS
Upper —- Cross-section of the male house showing one of the muslin covered par-
titions. Three-fourths of the partition are covered with wire netting above, in-
stead of muslin.
Lower — Ground plan. Note that one water pan supplies two pens and that the
feed pans are in the doors. All doors have spring (screen door) hinges.
[56]
= Houses for Males
being cheap, convenient, and adapted to other uses, it comes nearer
being his ideal than any house he has ever seen. He uses it for
matings during the early part of the spring, later for chicks and
hens, then for summering over male birds after they are through
with the season’s breeding, and finally for fitting his show birds.
93. Advice Thrown In. “It is time and money gained to mate
a couple of real good hens to a male, rather than to place eight
more with him which do not happen to be suited to his characteris-
tics.”” This statement is absolutely true, and the longer a breeder
ENOS AND BAcKk ARE BoarRbeo-
*“NOILD SS
ssOyd
wood
9343A0)
NinsoW
2 a a
¥lE 7-5°
eee: MUSLIN (OILED) ON BOTH SIDES OF FRONT -
Pian anv Cross-Section oF Mr. Burnan’s House ror Mates
follows the standard-bred poultry industry, the more firmly is it
implanted in his mind. Another statement of this author is also
borne out by the facts. ‘Give the chicks from two hens the room
that the chicks from ten would take up, and the produce of the
two good ones will cash in in the fall for more than all those
raised from the pen.” This, of course, applies only to high-quality
standard-bred poultry, where the quality of type and plumage
determines the value of the specimen. In chickens sold for table
purposes, it would not apply.
94. The Front is Made of Oiled Muslin. Yhe Burhans’ house
has a muslin front (oiled) tacked on inside and outside the studs.
The ends and back are boarded. The floor space of each pen is
4x6 ft. The doors in the partitions are on double spring hinges.
An exhibition coop for a single bird may be placed on the droppings
board and two birds fitted in each pen. Going through the pens
makes the birds very tame, and the size of the pen enables one to
handle the birds easily, without having to chase them. There is a
yard in front of each pen. The house is 6 ft. wide, 7 ft. high in
front and 5 ft. at the back.
[57]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER VI.
ADAPTING BARNS FOR POULTRY
95. A Practical Question. In the fifth issue of THE STANDARD
the following question was asked “THE STANDARD CLUB of poul-
trymen. “A beginner wants to obtain the greatest number of
winter eggs, and is not particular about meat or fancy points.. He
has room for twenty birds in a remodeled stable that is bright, and
can be made warm if necessary. Tell him what birds to buy, how
to feed them so they will lay well, and give him any special pointers
that will be helpful.”
Mr. Jensen obtained the prize award for his answer to this
question, and his plan of adapting his barn for the purpose is so
excellent that we include it here. He has followed it with success
for the last three seasons, and it has met all his expectations. Last
year he cleared $26.96 from twenty-four birds that he wintered
and sold on March 22nd to a farmer at 10 cents a pound.
96. Mr. Jensen’s Answer. Starting with the supposition that
your barn is at least 16x 16 ft., we advise your dividing it into .
two compartments of 8x16 ft. each. Buy 2-in. mesh netting
reaching clear to the ceiling. The west half arrange as follows.
Make a crate 12 in. from the west and north walls; also along
the dividing netting to reach about 8 ft. from the north wall. Then
take a couple of boards and place them on top of the crate — this
need not be more than 5 ft. high — and fill the space with straw
up to the ceiling. This gives you a straw inclosure 6x7 ft. x5 ft.
high. In this inclosure put your roosts not to exceed 2 ft. from
the ground; also your nests and drinking water, if there is room.
The other half use as a scratching room. Put in 12 in. of straw,
which should be renewed every two or three weeks, also a dusting
bath. Use fine sand, in which you can place insect powder or
sulphur every eight or ten days. Although the care and feeding of
poultry is rather out of place in a book of this kind, we will refer
to Mr. Jensen’s system, because it explains how the adapted barn
had best be used.
[58]
_ Adapting Barns
97. His System. He recommends the selection of twenty Ply-
mouth Rock pullets hatched early in March. Those are selected
that stand high on good, heavy legs, clear eye and bright comb,
with long, straight back and glistening plumage. They are placed
in their home not later than November Ist, and fed sparingly dur-
ing the first half of that month on equal parts of wheat and oats
(one-eighth gallon twice a day) and 10 to 16 ounces of green
bone every second day. ‘They are allowed to run outside as long
as the weather is fit. Cold will not hurt them as long as it is dry.
If they are inclined to stay inside, they are chased out and the barn
shut. This is absolutely necessary in order to have the pullets
laying during the winter months. If you have to chase them out,
see to it that they can get out of the wind. A canvas screen 3 x 8
ft. put on the ground in L-shape is about as good as anything Mr.
Jensen has found. He is very positive on keeping the pullets out-
side and adds: “Don’t let them into the scratching part of the barn
as long as they don’t lay, and it is not too wet outside.”
98. Feeds Heavier in November. ‘Toward the end of the
month start to increase their feed, adding corn on the cob to the
same — from four to six fair-sized ears ought to be sufhcient —
given at noon each day. A hopper should be filled with grit and
oyster shell, 2 parts grit and 1 part shell. On December 10th to
15th the first eggs should appear, each pullet laying four to six of
the first cluster, when she will probably stop until December 20th
to 30th. They should be laying ten to twelve eggs every second
day if it is cold and stormy. If cold weather, twelve to fifteen each
day from February Ist to April Ist. On the first day of April
they should be sold to the butcher as they have about outlived
their usefulness.
99. Method of Feeding. Mr. Jensen feeds these laying birds
as follows: Morning 2 quarts of warm skim milk, 1 quart of
shorts and 1 of bran, well mixed. At noon they receive from 10 to
16 ounces of green cut bone. At 4 o'clock $ gallon of whole corn
in the litter. After the birds have gone to roost, $ gallon of wheat
and oats is scattered in the scratching shed to start them to work
the minute they can see. A cabbage head, a few red beets, or a
mess of boiled potatoes once or twice a week in place of the bone
gives variety and is appreciated. When the birds show evidence of
too much forcing, the mid-day meal is cut out.
[59]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
BEBE) Ge
ca
WOODEN
A
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STRAW
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ROOM,
STRAW ON TOP,
SiICES And BACK
Mr. JeENsEN’s Barn ror WINTERING PULLETS
The upper illustration is the ground plan, showing the roosting and scratching rooms
divided by a wire partition. One large door gives entrance to both pens. The
lower is a cross-section showing the straw on the sides, back and roof of the
roosting quarters more clearly. Note the strips on the back wall to hold the
straw in place.
[60]
Adapting Barns
100. d Perfectly Dry House. Mr. Rondeau has a ventilating
system for poultry houses which he says cannot be beaten. He can
leave straw on the floor for three months if he wished, and it would
be as dry then as when he put it in. The house as illustrated is
30 ft. long and 12 ft. wide. It is divided into four pens; has a
cement floor and a double-pitch roof. The ventilating is done as
Mr. Ronpveavu’s VENTILATING SysSTEM
This can be used in a barn or any style of poultry house and gives good results.
follows: Light wooden frames are made to fit in the four openings
(a) where the chickens enter and leave the house. These openings
are 12 in. square. The frames are covered with muslin and they
are set in the openings during the winter. Overhead the boards
are 2 in. apart, and 12 in. of straw is kept above them. Next, a
hole is cut in each gable end. These holes are 2 ft. square covered
with muslin (4). The house has three windows in the front, and
one each in the east and west pens. The latter windows have mus-
lin in the lower part of the sash (c) instead of glass. “The door is
in the west end near the back of the house. The droppings boards
are along the north side. This is Mr. Rondeau’s system complete
and he kept twenty White Wyandotte and ten Single-Comb White
Leghorn pullets in the house from October to December 31st last.
These birds laid 1,823 eggs during that time.
[61]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER V.IT.
MOVABLE FENCES AND FENCING
101. Fences Built From Wire Netting. The most popular
poultry fence is made of 2-in. mesh wire netting 4 ft. wide, nailed
above 2 ft. of boards at the ground. The latter is necessary, as we
referred to in inside partitions, to prevent the male birds fighting.
Do not, therefore, use wire on your poultry fence at the ground,
if there will be a male bird on each side. This fence (6 ft. high)
is sufhcient for Muinorcas and probably Leghorns, but for the
American breeds 5 ft. high would be satisfactory, and for the
Asiatics 4 ft. high. A woven wire picket fence 4 ft. high with
building paper tacked along the lower half is excellent for the
Asiatic breeds. Building paper can be tacked over wire. The top
of the fence must not have a scantling or board of any kind run-
ning along it, otherwise the birds will fly up on the board and
escape. A piece of wire 4 to ;3; in. in diameter strung along the
tops of the posts, with the top edge of the netting wired to it, will
prevent the fence from sagging between the posts. The latter
should be about 3 ft. in the ground and 16 to 20 ft. apart.
102. A Better Fence. A more durable and handsome fence can
be made of the regular wire fencing that is about 14-in. mesh at
the bottom and gradually gets larger toward the top, the top mesh
being about 4 in. wide. This fence is made of much heavier wire
than the common netting, and it will hold its shape under all con-
ditions. There is also a fencing made with diagonal meshes that
some firms call “poultry and hog fencing.” ‘The mesh in this fence
is about 2 x 4 in. and it is made of heavy wire that will last.
103. Portable Fencing for Chicks. Mr. Fuller has an original
idea for confining small chicks that illustrates how larger sizes of
poultry fencing could be used. He says that the best portable fence
for growing chicks is 24 in. wide poultry wire fence. This can be
bought at almost any hardware dealer at a lower cost than a fence
can be built from other materials. The fencing is l-in. mesh at
[62]
Fences and Fencing
FuLtier’s Desicn oF PorTaBLE FENCING
Mr.
/RON
ROP TO
SUPPORT
FENCE
&
LACED
THROUGH
MESHES
Cruzan’s Fence Mave or NETTING
Mr.
arger until the top mesh is about
in any desired length, and attach it to
s 3 ft. long. The fencing is fastened with
small wire staples, and the cleats are sharpened at one end to drive
gets |
into the ground. The cleats are nailed to each side of the brooder
Ss
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[63]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
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[64] Mr. BarcHerpver’s Fence wirn [ron Posts
Fences and Fencing
or colony house, after being driven 12 in. in the ground. Other
wooden stakes can be driven down where it is necessary to keep
the fence in position. This fencing will make a square or round
run of any shape or size. When not in use, pull up the stakes, roll
WH OOOO
COLO VVOCCOCE,
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Mr. BatcHetper’s FeNcEe witH Iron Posts
Showing the convenient gate made without hinges.
up the fencing and store it away in a dry room. Mr. Fuller adds
(and justly, too) that the straight wire fencing with perpendicular
cross ties will stand erect, look well and is not expensive, whereas
the common mesh poultry netting is too flimsy to stand upright.
104. Netting Held Up By Rods. Mr. Cruzan has devised a
way to use the l-in. mesh poultry netting 2 ft. wide, so that it can
be kept in shape by iron rods. As in Mr. Fuller’s plan, the netting
is attached by staples to 1 x 2-in. end pieces 2 ft. long. Near the
top and bottom of each end piece insert two screw eyes, of sufficient
size to accommodate a #-in. iron rod. This iron rod is 3 ft. long
and pointed at one end (C). For every 8 ft. of fence have a 4-in.
iron rod 3 ft. long, pointed at one end and with a hook at the
other as shown in (B). This hook will hold up the fence. ‘To set
it up, take one of the 1 x 2-in. end pieces, stand it upright and put
[65]
Built &* Used by Poultrymen
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Mr. Ruesner’s Portrasre Fence 1N SECTIONS
the $-in. iron rod through the screw eyes. Then drive the rod
about 12 in. into the ground. Erect the other end similarly. Now
take the }-in. rods and lace them through the mesh. Drive them
into the ground; attach the top strand to the hooks and the fence
is complete.
105. Iron Pipe for Posts. Mr. Batchelder uses a portable fence
set up with iron pipe, except the wooden post where the gate is to
hinge. One-inch pipe is cut into suitable lengths, after allowing for
the height of the fence and one foot to enter the ground. At the
corners, and where the gate opens, the pipe should enter the ground
18 in. If the ground is hard, use an iron bar to make the post
holes, otherwise the posts may be driven. Use a hardwood block
[66]
;
Fences and Fencing
with a hole bored part way through, to cap the iron posts while
driving (F). Having set all the posts, make from heavy wire as
many l-in. pot hooks (C) as there are posts, and hang a hook on
top of each. Have base-boards of the desired width and set them
on edge around the yard outside the posts. Bore a hole in the
boards opposite each post (B), except at the corner, where they
should be bored 2 in. back from the ends (A). Pass a loop of soft
iron wire around the posts and bring both ends through the hole
in the board. Place a heavy nail across the hole outside (B), and
draw the ends of the loop around this and twist the wire taut with
pliers. At the corners a right-angled piece of galvanized iron is
put over the ends of the boards as a protection for the wire (A).
106. Erecting the Fence. Take a roll of 2-in. poultry netting;
wrap one end around the iron post where the gate is to open, and
fasten it with its own wires (D). Carry the netting around the
yard and hang the top strand on the pot hooks, keeping it as taut
as possible. Arriving at the wooden post where the gate is to
hinge, drive the staple to hold the netting in place. Then draw
the wire down to the base-boards all around (except at the gate-
way) and fasten by small nails or staples, preferably the former as
they are more readily removed. Fasten the netting with staples
to the wooden posts in a straight line. Cut it where it meets the
iron post on the left-hand side of the gate (D), and tack the end
to a l-in. square stick 12 in. longer than the netting is wide. Six
inches of the stick should extend beyond the netting at the top and
bottom. Drive a large staple (G) into the base-board where the
gate will open. Place one end of the stick in this, and allow it to
enter an inch or so. Drive an L-shaped hook (E) near the upper
end of the stick to engage the top of post, and the yard is finished
— gate and all.
107. A Sectional Wire Fence. Mr. Buttle has designed and
used a sectional wire fence that is practical and inexpensive. The
sections can be made almost any size, but a convenient size is 8 ft.
long by 4 or 5 ft. high. To build the fence you require 2 x 4-in.
uprights for posts; ¢ by 8-in. by 8-ft. lumber for the bottom rail,
and ¢ by 2-in. by 8-ft. lumber for the center rail. Do not have a
wooden rail at the top. The illustration gives the details, and you
will notice that the sections are lap-jointed. A nail or a screw is
all that is required where each rail laps, to fasten the fence se-
[67]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
SSS
See eee aes. “yy
Bao jes i
REFENING ATTACHEC TO BOARD cL.
Mr. Jensen’s Portasie SECTIONS
The style shown in (A) was abandoned as the fowls flew over. Style (B) was
satisfactory. (D) shows a unique idea for fencing a city-lot poultry plant.
curely. As shown in (D) the sections may be hooked together, if
preferred.
108. Mr. Jensen’s Sectional Fence. The following fence Mr.
Jensen has found satisfactory for confining Barred Plymouth
Rocks, even when they were full grown. Illustration (A) was his
earliest attempt at building a movable fence, but he had to aban-
don it as the chickens always flew over. He then built the fence
(B), and after he had pointed the end pieces, they never flew over
again. The section is 16 ft. long by 4 ft. 6 in. high. The higher
or brace board is 2 ft. 6 in. above the bottom edge. The two
[68]
Fences and Fencing
brace wires are twisted in. Use a straight wire poultry fence, and
stretch and fasten every wire —a claw hammer will draw it tight
enough. You can drive stakes in the ground to hold it, but for
greater convenience Mr. Jensen made pieces (C) out of 2-in.
plank. Iwo of these are nailed to the bottom board of each sec-
tion, 2 ft. from each end. If you fasten them closer to the ends,
you cannot join the fence and turn a right angle. For greater
security, drill holes at the ends of the piece, and drive two iron
rods into the ground. This is hardly ever necessary unless the
fence is placed in an exposed position.
109. A Short Cut. Mr. Jensen’s yard is 50 ft. wide by 150 ft.
long. During the breeding season he divides it into three different
lots. The posts are set permanently, but the fence is used when
needed and stored when the breeding season is over. He has a
short-cut that fellow poultrymen in a similar position on a city lot
will find useful. Forty-eight feet of poultry fencing is fastened to
a board at each end. This strip of fencing is then laid across the
lot (D) from a post at one side to the near post of the 2-foot gate.
The two boards at the ends of the fencing are fastened by two
nails to the posts. There are two other posts set 16 ft. apart be-
tween the division fence and the gate. The fencing 1s laid up
against these and laths are nailed over it with a couple of small
nails. Not a staple is used, and as the nails are not driven in far,
the fencing is easily detached and rolled up for storing in the
hay loft.
110. A Simple Fence. Mr. Ruebner has used a simple style of.
fence that is illustrated. A piece of 2 x 4-in. stuff 6 ft. long is cut
in two slanting, as shown in (A). This makes two posts, where
the netting is 2 ft. wide. Now you need a {-in. board 12 in. wide
and 8 ft. long. Fasten the two posts to this board, and make two
_ braces from 1 x 3-in. stuff, 4 ft. 9 in. long. They should be fitted
and set down in the posts, with the other ends meeting at the
center of the lower edge of the base-board (B). It is necessary to
have the braces reach to the bottom of the base-board, as this makes
a stronger fence and prevents it from warping.
[69]
Built @ Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER VIII.
NESTS AND TRAP NESTS
111. Location and Size of Nests. The nests in poultry houses
are usually placed under the droppings boards. This is done for
two reasons: (1) to economize floor space; (2) to keep the nests
dark and the curious birds away. The droppings board forms the
top of the nests. Five or six are usually built together, and they
are made without a floor and not fastened to the house. The in-
side dimensions are: 11 in. wide, 12 in. deep and 19 in. high.
There should be a door 10 in. wide in the wooden front from
which to collect the eggs. Common boxes of suitable size make
good nests. The open side should be about a foot in front of the
wall to keep the nest dark.
112. Trap Nests. Nests are called “trap”? nests when there is
some device by which the hen is confined to the nest after she has
laid. By using trap nests, the poultryman is positive how many
eggs each hen is laying, and also the eggs of each individual hen.
We want to first refer to a nest used by Mr. Roberts, because it is
the simplest trap nest we know, and it is not necessary to visit the
house two or three times a day in cold weather to release the hens.
This Roberts’ nest does not distinguish the eggs of each hen — it
simply separates the laying hens from the non-layers — and in
the majority of cases that is sufficient.
113. 4 Simple Trap Nest. Mr. Roberts has used this home-
made trap nest with good success. He builds a box 15 in. high,
12 in. wide and 3 ft. long. One end is left open with a teeter
board extending 16 in. into the box. Just above the board a piece ©
of poultry netting is stretched across the box. This netting is
sufficiently wide to prevent the hen from coming back, but narrow
enough to let her put her head under when entering the nest.
Just in front of the nest proper there is an “exit” hole, out of
which the hen walks into another yard or pen.
114. Operation of Nest. The hen walks in on the teeter board
which lets down as she goes in, and rises into place as she steps off.
[70]
Nests and Trap Nests
After she has laid she cannot return to the original pen, but must
go out the side hole into another yard. At night all the hens that
have laid are in one pen, and those that have not are in another.
This method does away with the necessity of watching the birds
that enter the nests. Above the nest, Mr. Roberts has a hinged
door (not shown in the illustration) which allows him to gather
the eggs and remove the nesting material with less trouble.
Mr. Roserts’ SimpLte Trav Nest
115. Nest With a Wire Trap. The following plan illustrates
a trap nest that can be made from three pieces of wire, staples,
hinges, and a box. This nest retains the hen until she is released.
The box is 15 in. square and 2 ft. long. The top should have a
door in the front half, by which the hen is removed to learn the
number of her leg band. At the front end of the box, there should
be an opening 10 x 12 in.
116. The Trap. For the trap you will need three pieces of
heavy wire. One piece about 5 ft. long is bent as shown in (1).
This is the wire door. It is attached by staples or screw eyes to the
front of the box, inside and near the top, as is shown in the lower
right-hand illustration. The shape of the wire door is governed
by the size of the opening, provided you wish to install this trap
in nest boxes already made. The two lower angles of the wire
door should be sufficiently long to rest against the inside of the
front, as shown. (2) shows the wire door resting in position, when
it prevents the hen leaving the nest.
117. The Trigger. The wire door is held up, so the hen can
enter the nest, by another piece of wire (3) called the trigger. It
is hung out of plumb at the side of the nest, say 9 in. from the
[71]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
VENT'LATION HOLES -
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Mr. Atrsecx’s Five-CompartTMENT Nest FoR SITTERS
(A) Front view of nest showing the sliding boards to confine the hens. (B) Draw-
ing of the nest. (C) Top view of nest with the runs in position. (D) End view
of the runs.
[72]
Nests and Trap Nests
front at the top and 8 in. from the front at the bottom — in other
words, it is hung so that it will fall and lay against the side of the
nest when not in use. When the trigger is set it stands out at
right angles to the side and extends three-fourths across the box.
In the lower left-hand illustration, the wire door is seen supported
by the upper wire of the trigger. When the hen enters she pushes
the trigger aside and it falls back against the side of the box. This
releases the wire door and it drops on the hen’s back. As she con-
tinues forward it falls to a vertical position and closes the nest.
118. The Lock. However, it is necessary for us to have the
other wire shown in (4) and called it lock, or it would be possible
for several hens to enter the nest at the same time. The lock is
wider than the opening and is attached to the front by four screw
eyes, as you will see in the lower right- hand drawing. When the
wire door is set, the lock rests on it, and when the door falls the
lock must fall also. By referring to the two lower illustrations,
you will note (a) the lock resting on the wire door, and (b) after
it has descended and locked the door. Although it has required
considerable space to explain this nest, it is easily built. Anyone
can bend the three pieces of wire to the proper shapes, and have
the nest working with not over an hour’s work. A packing box of
suitable size can be used, and the wires made to conform to it.
119. Nests for Sitting Hens. Nests that are used for sitting
hens should be made without a wooden floor and placed around
the sides of a pen reserved for this purpose. By all means keep the
sitting hens by themselves, or they will be a continual source of
trouble to you. The floor of the pen for the sitters should be earth
properly leveled, and slightly moistened with water. A packing
box 30 in. long, 16 in. high and 15 in. wide will make two nests.
A wooden partition is placed in the center, and either a sliding
board or hinged door is used in front, so that the sitters can be con-
fined when necessary. Remove the entire top and the upper half
of the boards of the back, and tack a piece of burlap on instead.
This will give the hen sufficient air when the front is closed, and
it will also keep the inside of the nest dark —a necessary point.
120. Five-Compartment Nest. Mr. Albeck in describing his
five-compartment nests for sitting hens says that many failures in
hatching chicks are due to setting the hens in the same house with
[73]
"Built & Used by Poultrymen
the other fowls. This results in broken eggs, a poor hatch and
lousy hens. His plan of placing the sitting hens by themselves has
given him great success and is thus described. The nests are built
18 in. high in front, 12 in. at the rear and 15 in. square. The runs
A StmprLe anv Rerias_e Trap Nest
The upper views are of the wire parts: (1) The trap. (2) The trap in position
behind the opening. (3) The trigger. (4) The lock. The lower left-hand shows
th nest with the trap set. The right-hand shows the trap down and locked, so
that no hen can enter or leave the nest.
are 5 ft. long, or can be as long as you wish. A 6-in. board is
placed at the bottom in front and a 4-in. board on the partitions,
making openings for the hens of 11 x 12 in. A 12-in. board full of
l-in. holes for ventilation and made to slide up and down, makes
the door to shut the hen in the nest. The top is hinged, so as to
have an easy way to examine the hens on the nest, and to care for
the broken eggs and chicks. We would recommend that the hinged
top be made of a ?.x2-in. frame covered with burlap, instead of
solid wood.
[74]
Nests and Trap Nests
121. Runs in Front of Nests. The wire runs are frames 18 in.
high by 5 ft. long covered with 1-in. mesh wire netting. ‘They are
held in place by stakes driven in the ground every 15 in., or just in’
front of each partition of the nest box, with another row of six
stakes 5 ft. away (C). The ends are sliding pieces of boards
12x 15 in. After the frames are set up, cover the runs with 1-in.
mesh netting 6 ft. wide.
[75]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
CHAD EE RX.
BROOD COOPS, RUNS AND PENS
122. A Practical Coop. Rearing chickens by natural means
can be greatly simplified by having convenient, safe and easily
cleaned brood coops. A practical coop should be so built that the
chickens can be closed in at night and still have sufficient ventila-
tion. It should be large enough to shelter the chickens during cold,
wet weather. We include a brood coop described by Mr. Albeck
which is convenient, safe and easily cleaned. The coop is built
without a fioor, but it rests on a wooden floor 3 ft. wide and 4 ft.
long. The coop can, therefore, be lifted off the floor and the latter
readily cleaned. We would prefer to have the floor fit inside the
coop — and removable — so that the rain would not enter between
the sides and the floor of the coop, as it would do in Mr. Albeck’s
coop. The roof is hinged at the front, and by raising this you can
see how the chicks are doing and clean and limewash the inside
without trouble.
123. Construction of Mr. Albeck’s Coop. The front is built
about half wood and half a wire-covered door. The wooden top
and sides prevent rain beating into the coop — the sides protect the
chicks in bad weather. The door is covered with 4-in. wire cloth
and it is impossible for mice, rates or other rodents to enter when
the door is closed. The door can be held up in place by a heavy
wire hook, or by a wooden leg hinged at the lower inside edge.
When the top is raised the leg will drop into position and keep the
door up. When the door is shut, the leg is folded up against it and
rests between two of the slats.
124. Coop in Use for Six Years. Mr. Jensen has used the
brood coop next described for the last six years and says he does
not know how it could be improved. The frame is built of ripped
2x 4’s, and the coop is made of matched lumber from old boxes.
‘The dimensions given are not always suitable for this kind of lum-
ber, but they can be worked to as near as possible. ‘The coop is
3 ft. long, 2 ft. 6 in. wide, 2 ft. 6 in. high at the front and 18 in.
[76]
Coops, Runs, Pens
high at the back. The floor is made of good matched lumber as is
also the roof, it being covered with roofing paper. The roof is
arranged so that it can be taken off for convenience in cleaning.
Mr. Jensen has it with cleats on the inside and fastened down
with two hooks, but you can hinge it, if you prefer. The door is
8x12 in. The slide clears a 4-in. opening 21 in. long. He also
7SG-
Mr. Arsecx’s CoNVENIENT AND SAFE Broop Coop
The coop is not attached to the floor, but can be lifted and placed to one side. The
wire-covered front door is a protection against rodents at night, while allowing
ample ventilation.
uses wire screens like the screen doors and windows in dwellings.
When the door and slide are closed, the coop is rodent-proof. The
slide is used when you want to keep the hen in and let the chicks
run; also when in the yard with the big chickens, you can shut the
door and feed the little chicks without the larger ones being able
to get at the food.
125. A Lawn Screen. Mr. Jensen also sends a plan for a lawn
screen, or inclosed chick run. Two screens are made 8 ft. long by
2 ft. 4 in. high, and one screen 3 ft. long by 2 ft. 4 in. high. They
are made of | x 4-in. stuff ripped for the end and top pieces. Halve
them together and cover with 1-in. mesh wire netting. By putting
hooks on the top and bottom you can hook them together, and with
the coop for one side form the inclosed run.
126. Coop Made of Roofing Paper. Mr. Roberts has made
quite an ingenious coop from netting and roofing paper. “wo
frames of 1 x 3-in. furring, 10 ft. long and 2 ft. wide are made;
also two end frames 5 ft. long and 2 ft. wide. The end frames
[77]
Built (F Used by Poultrymen
could be 3 ft. wide for a smaller coop. These four frames are
covered with l-in. mesh wire netting. The top is also covered with
the netting, with a door to lift up at one end. At the other end
a shelter is made of a few extra pieces of furring and 2-ply roofing
Mr. Jensen’s Broop Coop
(A) Front elevation. (B) Side elevation. The front of the coop consists
mainly of screens covered with common mosquito netting (wire).
eve ©)
("Mesh Wire Net,
Mr. Jensen’s Lawn Screen
(C) Side elevation. (D) End elevation. The screen can be hooked to the front
of Mr. Jensen’s coop and makes a good sized run for the chicks.
paper. This coop will accommodate from 10 to 50 chickens and
costs about $3.25 complete. Furring, 80 cents; roofing paper, 68
cents; netting, $1.60, and nails 20 cents.
127. Roberts’ Portable Fence. Mr. Roberts. also illustrates a
portable fence made of the same strips of furring. ‘The frames are
8 ft. long by 4 ft. wide covered with 2-in. mesh wire, and fastened
together with hooks and eyes. The fence is easily moved and it will
stand alone without any posts, if slightly offset, as shown in the
illustration. ‘Two sections can be built for $2.34.
128. dA Well Made Outfit. Mr. Vandervort, on account of
being very much troubled by his neighbor’s cats and by hawks
catching his young chickens, constructed several movable runs as
illustrated. ‘They consist of frames of 1 x 2-in. pieces securely
[78]
Coops, Runs, jae
nailed together. ‘Che sides and one end are covered with 1-in. mesh
netting and the top with 2-in. mesh netting. A hinged door is
placed in one end for feeding and watering the chicks. “The runs
are 12 ft. long, 3 ft. wide and 3 ft. high. This is sufficiently large
for a flock of chicks until they are old enough to be out of danger
of the cats, when they can be removed to colony houses. As the
ROOFING ——
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runs are light they are easily moved from place to place every few
days. This gives the chicks fresh ground and insures good health.
Mr. Vandervort believes that they grow as well as if they are
allowed to roam about, and he is sure that they are always safe
and sound from marauders.
129. Mr. Crosby's Inexpensive Coops. Mr. Crosby and Mr.
Roberts have both the same idea of a practical, inexpensive coop.
For a square coop, Mr. Crosby makes the sides 12 in. high and 6
ft. long — the end should be width of the coop. He also places a
section on top of the run, and covers it entirely. ‘The netting is
fastened to slats 14 in. wide and # in. thick. This makes a satis-
factory run (B). If you use A-shape coops, the runs are even
easier to construct. Take wire netting the same width as the side
of the coop and attach it to a frame. The two sections are then
[79]
[80]
Built && Used by Poultrymen
ORY
min
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Mr. THoRNHILL’s Coop MaApE FROM A SHort Box
: Coops, Runs, Pens
set up on the same slant as the sides of the A coop. Build an end
the same size as the front of the coop. A yard is formed in this
manner, without having to use a special frame for the top (A).
130. 4 Coop Made From a Shoe Box. Mr. Thornhill has
made an economical and suitable outdoor coop for a sitting hen, or
a hen and brood of chickens in the following manner. The coop is
Mr. THornuitt’s Coop Openep Up
built from a shoe box, of which the inside measurements are:
Length 48 in., width 20 in., depth 14 in. The coop contains a
little over 64 sq. ft. of floor space and its depth is ample for the
hen to move about in.
131. Construction of Coop. Examine the top and bottom
boards of the box and take off the worst, so as to have the best
lumber in the floor of the coop. Next turn the box bottom side up
and nail a strip of wood —an old plaster lath will do — across it
to keep it from falling apart. Now take out the front end board
— drawing the nails with a nail puller — and nail strips on the
[81]
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Coops, Runs, Pens
inside, flush with the front ends of the box. This will keep the
sides together and serve as front cleats to keep the front wire
screen in position. See that the box is nailed together securely and
especially at the coop end. Next take a piece of board 6 in. wide
and 18 in. long, and saw it across diagonally from corner to corner.
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Fasten these slanting pieces to the rear end of the box so as to slant
the roof. Now make your roof of the lid boards, cutting them
about 22 in. long and cleating them at each end with 2-in. strips,
so as to fit the roof end of the box. Hinge it to one side so as to.
facilitate cleaning, etc.
Make a frame upon which fasten l-in. mesh wire netting for
the front of the box —to slide up and down as required. “Then
make a frame covered with l-in. wire netting for the top of the
[83]
Built éy Used by Poultrymen
box and hinge it to the side. If a little care is exercised in making
these fittings, you will have a coop that is roomy, dry, comfortable
and safe for the hen and her chicks. “Take a board 12 to 15 in.
wide and hinge it to the front of the roof, letting it rest on the
PORTABLE RUN FOR CHICKS.
F.F AUSTIN: WoODBRIPGE: Nd:
¢ ‘2 oe.
SoH Re
Beek HS
Mr. Austin’s Run For CONFINING CHICKS
Old carriage rims or saplings can be covered with 1l-inch mesh wire
netting and made into serviceable runs.
wire frame on stormy days, and turning it back over the roof in
pleasant weather. Nail roofing paper over the roof and your coop
is complete, unless you wish to paint it as I did.
132. Cost of Coop in Cents. Box 174, hinges 15, wire netting
7, hooks 3, nails 2, rubber roofing 64 —a total of 50 cents. The
boxes may be bought from your own shoe dealer. The uses are:
(1) You can place the coop outdoors in the garden and set your
hen in it. She will be dry and comfortable and free from molesta-
tion. (2) When the chicks are hatched and after the hen has been
well dusted with insect powder and the coop thoroughly cleaned
and disinfected, the hen and chicks can be returned and they will
have a shelter and small yard all to themselves. Here they can
scratch around until they are strong enough to have the run of the.
garden. (3) The hen and chicks can be confined on threatening,
stormy days, or on any morning when you wish to prevent them
running in the wet, dewy grass. (4) When the chicks are weaned
the coops may still be used on the colony plan for small bunches
of growing chicks in the absence of more roomy quarters; assum-
ing, of course, that the coops are kept thoroughly clean and disin-
fected. (5) They are admirable coops to use. with fireless brooders.
[84]
Coops, Runs, Pens
133. Mr. Cavanaugh’s Coop for the Garden. An excellent
coop for confining the mother hen and allowing the chicks the run
of the garden has been built and used by Mr. Cavanaugh, the Gen-
eral Agent of THE STANDARD. ‘The dimensions of the coop are
given in the illustration, and its original feature is a sheet-iron
front that slides up and down. This sheet can be held at any de-
sired height by inserting a pin or nail into one of the center holes.
The nail rests on the roof of the coop. It is well to fully lower the
front at night and partially in wet weather. Notice the ventilator
in the front, for use when the iron is lowered to the ground. This
makes a dark coop in which the chicks will rest quietly until the
attendant opens the front in the morning. If the front were glass,
the hen would probably tramp some of the chicks in trying to
escape before the poultryman came. Instead of the solid door at
one end, we would prefer a hinged frame covered with burlap.
This would increase the ventilation, and the coop would then be
perfect for its purpose.
134. Coops for Early Spring. When chickens are hatched in
early spring it is desirable to have outdoor coops that will protect
them from sudden changes in the weather. Such a coop is illus-
trated, and it will be seen that half of the front can be covered by
an ordinary window. The right-hand compartment of the front
should be covered with 1-in. mesh wire netting (not shown in the
illustration on account of wishing to depict the interior more
plainly). The window is pushed up flush with the left-hand edge,
and makes this side of the coop warmer than the other. The
sleeping chamber is exposed by pushing window to right.
135. Another Cold-W eather Coop. A second style of sheltered
brood coop is also shown. In this a 4-glass cellar window forms
the most of one end, while the front is lathed. It would be well to
have a frame covered with l-in. mesh wire netting, and the same
size as the front, to confine the chicks at night.
136. 4 Run From Carriage Rims or Saplings. Mr. Austin has
made a portable run for rearing chicks, and has found it very use-
ful. Four old carriage rims are fastened together 4 ft. apart by
three 1 x 2-in. strips 12 ft. long. Two strips are nailed at each
end of the rims near the ground and the other at the top. Place
your wire over the rims and cut it the right length, so as to have
[85]
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CAVANAUGHS BROOP COOP
FOR THE GARDEN ~
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Run 30'*60"* 24"41G¢H
DIMENSIONS —
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Coops, Runs, Pens
just enough to tack on the strips. One-inch mesh wire netting 6 ft.
wide and 14 ft. long is used — the extra 2 ft. to close up one end.
A coop of a hen and chicks is placed at the front or open end. A
similar portable run can be made from four saplings 8 ft. long.
CAVANAUGHS FEEDING PEN FOR CHICKS —
THE STANDARD
QUINGY, TELS
ROOFING PAPER @
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A Pen tHat Protects THE Cuicxs’ Foop
Get these in the woods; sharpen each end, stick one end 6 in. in the
ground, and then bend the other end down and stick it into the
ground. Keep the four ends on each side in a row and cover the
saplings with wire netting in the same way as the carriage rims
were covered. No strips are required when the saplings are used.
137. Another Use for the Rims. A feeding pen for small
chicks can also be made from carriage rims. Use two rims and
nail a few plastering laths on them, keeping the lowest lath 4 in.
above the ground. Cover the upper portion of the pen with roofing
[87]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
paper. In fastening the laths to the rims, do not drive the nails in
the full way, so that the run or pen can be taken apart in the fall
and the parts stored until the following.spring. Mr. Cavanaugh
illustrates and describes in the following paragraph the construc-
tion of a feeding pen of this kind that will show you how to use
the saplings.
138. Protecting the Chick’s Food. Mr. Cavanaugh’s feeding
pen was used for chicks that run with old fowls. The food trough
is kept full at all times, and the chicks reach it by going under the
bottom sill 4 in. above the ground. ‘The top is covered with roofing
paper and is, therefore, rain-proof. ‘This is necessary, otherwise the
food will be spoiled and wasted. he sides and end of the pen are
covered with 2-in. mesh wire netting. This prevents the grown
fowls eating the higher priced food intended for the chicks alone.
It also allows the smaller chicks to obtain their share of food, with-
out taking chances of being trampled by the larger ones. The only
dimension in the pen that need be followed is the height (4 in.) of
the bottom sill above the ground.
[88]
Modern Fireless Brooders
CHAPTER X.
MODERN FIRELESS BROODERS
139. Advantages of These Brooders. Fireless brooders are very
rapidly increasing in popularity, and there is no doubt but that in
a few years they will be the favorite type of brooder for raising
chicks. It has been learned by experience that the chicks can be
kept sufficiently warm in cold weather, and at other seasons of the
year the fireless brooder is more easily attended to than a brooder
heated by hot air or hot water. They cost nothing to operate; do
not overheat or chill the chicks unless misused, and are get-at-able
and easy to clean and disinfect.
140. Mrs. Hinton’s Desirable Brooder. One of the simplest
styles is used by Mrs. Hinton. She believes that fireless brooders
are all right even in very cold weather, if the chicks have sufficient
cover. For the older chicks a hover 36 in. square is made of three
boards 3x 4 in. wide. The four legs are 2 x 4-in. stuff 8 in. long,
nailed securely in each corner. On top of the boards three thick-
nesses of cloth are tacked. This cloth sags down in the middle so
it will touch the chick’s backs. Other pieces of cloth are tacked
around the edge, so they will hang down to the floor. These are
slashed in the customary way, to enable the chicks to go in and out
of the brooder easily.
141. “Growing Like Weeds.” Mrs. Hinton places her fireless
brooders in colony houses, either 3x 6 or 6x8 ft. From forty to
seventy-five chicks are in each hover, and they grow like weeds.
These brooders are well liked, because they are easier to clean
than lamp brooders. A nest of straw is made under the center
of the hover, and in cleaning, all that it is necessary to do is to
raise up the hover, replace the straw with fresh, put down the
hover, and the job is done.
142. 4 New Wrinkle. For very young chicks the hover is
covered with a larger dry-goods box. In one side of the box saw
out an opening 6 in. square. The box is then placed bottom side
[89]
Built & Used by Pouttrymen
DIFFERENT Styres or Fireress Broopers
[90]
Mod ern if tireless Bro od ers
up over the hover with the opening to the front, and there is then
no danger of any of the little chicks getting cold — even with the
temperature down around the 40’s. In addition, when the weather
is cold, Mrs. Hinton puts more cloths on the brooder, just the
same, she says, as you put more covers on your bed when it is
necessary.
‘There is no excuse for one not having brooders in plenty, and
these are something us women folks can make — I make mine. If
one can’t get boxes, they can be made from lumber, but it requires
more work.”
143. Another Style. Mr. Clark’s brooder is 18 in. square by
12 in. deep. The cloth cover shown leaning against the wall in the
illustration, fits into the brooder and can be fastened up by pegs
at any desired height. There is a hinged wooden top to the
brooder, which, when closed, protects it from the weather. Ven-
tilating slides made of galvanized iron are on each side and in front,
so that the brooder can be ventilated. It will be noticed the slides
on the sides are at about the center of the box, while the front
slide is near the top. There are three 6-in. square, hinged doors in
front. For young chicks, one door is all that is necessary, and using
only one keeps the interior warmer. The cloth top is made by
tacking strips of old woolen material to a wooden frame. Several
thicknesses of cloth are used, and-the strips extend about 4 in.
below the frame.
144. Mr. Jensen’s First Brooder. Mr. Jensen first makes a
frame 2 x 2 ft. 6 in. out of 1 x 2-in. stuff, then he takes plastering
laths and nails on the frame an inch apart. Old sacks or woolen
goods of any kind are torn into strips 1 in. wide and long enough
so that they will hang down over the laths 3 or 4 in. The frame
is placed into one of the compartments of a 3 x 6-ft. brood coop,
so that it leaves a space of 6 in. around the hover on three sides.
This makes it impossible for the chicks to crowd. Mr. Jensen ad-
vises the use of two hovers, as in this way you can clean and sun
one while the other is in use. Raise up the frame as the chicks
grow larger.
145. A Fireless That Had Admirers.. Mr. Schultz used a fire-
less brooder for the first time this year and was so successful with
it that he induced several of his friends to use them. He gets a box
of suitable size — about 14x 20 in. and 6 or 8 in. deep —at the
[91]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
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Modern Fireless Brooders
store, and cuts a 4.x 4-in. hole in one side | in. from the bottom of
the box. The piece cut out is made into a door, by using a scrap
of leather for a hinge, so that the door opens down and forms a
bridge for the chicks to get into the brooder. A wooden button
at the top holds the door shut if desired.
146. Further Details. A frame of inch-square pieces is made
to fit loosely into the box and a small nail is driven into each inside
corner of the box, 5 in. from the bottom, on which the frame rests
when in place. Next, a piece of heavy outing flannel is tacked on
the frame so that it will bag down an inch or more. One-half
yard of outing is what Mr. Schultz uses. Plenty of fine straw is
put in the box to make a nest, so that the cloth will rest on the
straw. With the cloth-covered frame in place, cloth side down,
the brooder is ready for the chicks. This size is sufficiently large
for twenty-five to fifty chicks. Do not crowd them,
147. What the Fireless Did. Mr. Schultz gives his experience
with fireless brooders as follows: “I took twenty-eight chicks from
the incubator March 27th and put them into a box made as de-
scribed. I placed this box inside a large brooder box outdoors and
raised every chick, although we had freezing weather nearly every
night for several weeks. Since then I have used the fireless brood-
ers exclusively, and now have my third lot in the brooder with-
out any loss.
“These brooders have not cost to exceed 10 cents each besides
my work, and I would not accept a lamp brooder as a gift, except
to throw away the lamp and use the fireless hover. As the box has
no cover except the cloth it must be put inside a larger box with
a tight roof to protect it from the weather.
“T also put feed hopper and water inside the large box, so that
the chicks need not go outside in bad weather. They require
watching the first day until they learn to run into hover when
cold, but it is surprising how soon they learn it and how comfort-
able they are when snuggled under their cloth mother. On cold
nights when the chicks are young, I close the door of brooder to
be sure they do not get out and also lay an extra thickness of cloth
on the hover. Try this plan and you, too, will throw away your
old lamp brooder.”
148. Another Opinion. Mr. Roberts says: “The fireless, or
lampless brooder has come to stay. I believe that more chicks have
[93]
Va
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FIRELE SS
PR OODER: ;
Mr. WEROBERTS
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Mr. Roserr’s Firreress BrooperR
[94]
a
Modern Fireless Brooders
been lost by smoke and overheating in lamp-heating brooders than
by being chilled. Accompanying is a sketch of a lampless brooder
which I made and tested out to my satisfaction, and no more old
hens or smoky lamps for me.”
149. 4 Fireless That Can Be Heated. Mr. Roberts had a box
48 x 324 in. He made the roof in two parts, hinged at the top of
each with sufficient slant to shed the water. The brooder was
then covered with roofing paper, and a window and door put in one
end. Inside, he divided the box 21 in. from the rear end, the
wooden partition extending from 5 in. from the floor to | in. from
the top. From the lower edge of the partition a hover curtain
reaches the floor. The hover frame is made of two boards 30 in.
long and 6 in. wide. One board is nailed to the.back 5 in. from
the floor, the other at the same height 114 in. from the back. Two
pieces of 44x I-in. stuff are nailed even with the bottom of the
hover frames for hover supports. A hover curtain is tacked to the
hover frame.
150. Arranging for the Heater. A box 4 in. wide is made to
fit into this frame. To this box nail the hover blanket of flannel
so that it will hang down on the chicks’ backs. (In very cold
weather an extra piece of flannel may be laid in on top of this.)
Now get a piece of sheet iron 12 x 13 in., or wide enough to spring
in tight to lay the heater on. This can be a soapstone, two bricks
or a jug of hot water, either of which will keep hot for twelve
hours. The wooden hover cover is made 114 in. wide, 30 in. long;
bore 2-in. holes for the regulator.
151. Thermostat and Regulator. Mr. Roberts uses a wafer
thermostat and regulator in the cover. This controls the damper
which lets off the surplus heat through the 2-in. hole. The regu-
lator is set so that the damper will lift at 90 degrees. He also uses
a piece of soapstone to increase the inside temperature of the
brooder in very cold weather. The soapstone is heated on the
kitchen stove morning and night. He gives his experience with the
tireless in cold weather in the following words:
“T started mine the middle of last March with fifty-five chicks.
I lost three the first week, two the second week. The rest of the
fifty are all alive (except those that I sold for broilers) at this
date, and a finer lot of chicks I never had. I have had three lots of
[95]
e
Built &§ Used by Poultrymen
FIRELESS BROODER:
AND COLONY HOUSE:
Mrs. FM. Dosping
epg RS
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A Practica, Brooper anp Corony Howse
[96]
Modern Fireless Brooders
chicks in my brooder this spring — 181 in all —out of which I
have lost twenty-two, which is good enough for me. Last year I
hatched 154 chicks with hens and raised only seventy-three ot
them. As I said before, ‘no more old hens for me.’ ”
152. Another Simple Brooder. Mrs. Dobbins’ fireless brooders
are 18 in. square and 12 in. high. hey are made just like a box
and then sawed through 6 in. from the bottom, and hinges fastened
to the two parts at the back so that the top raises up like a lid of a
box. There are six holes 1 in. in diameter in the sides at the top,
three on each side, for ventilation. A door 4 in. square is cut in the
front of the lower half of the box for the chicks to run in and out
of the brooder. There is a frame made to fit inside the lower box
just even to where it is sawed through. There is then flannel tacked
over the frame so it drops 2 in. in the center. This is used for the
hover. Then strips of wood are nailed on each side of the box for
this frame to rest on.
Mrs. Dobbins tells how she operates the brooder and how she
likes this system of brooding: “I keep hay chaff in the bottom part
of the brooder, the amount depending on the coldness of the
weather. If it is cold, I put in more than in warm weather. At
night I put chaff over the door in front, leaving about an inch
space at the top for ventilation. In very hot weather it isn’t neces-
sary to bank the doorway. You can tell by the way the chicks look
when they come out in the morning, whether you are giving
enough ventilation or not. If they come out damp, you may be
sure you are covering the doorway too much. After the chicks are
three weeks old the hover can be taken out.
“T think fireless brooders would be suitable for brooding chicks
early in the spring, if they were placed in a building where one
could have a little heat from a stove on cold, damp days and nights.
I have used them outdoors, placed inside of a colony coop as early
as March, with good success. I put twenty-five chicks in a brooder.
The floor fits inside the colony coop, so water does not run in.
It is loose from the coop so the box can be turned back, and the
floor cleaned and sunned. I place a wire run in front of this coop
8 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and 1 ft. high. This keeps the chicks con-
fined until four weeks old, then I turn them out to range.”
153. Changing Outdoor Brooders Into Fireless. Mr. Vander-
vort explains how he converted a number of outdoor lamp brooders
[97]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
VENTILATOR.
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“Four years
. They had
been used considerably, and that season became infested with lice,
which I found were very
ing manner:
Three of them I used
A outdoor brooders
dificult to get rid of. The next season
He did this in the follow
ss.
I tore out the whole inside of them and applied a good coating of
hot white wash and got rid of the lice.
ago I purchased six Cyphers style
into firele
for brood coops and the others were made higher and used for
colony coops.
[98]
_ Modern Fireless Brooders
“Having heard much about fireless brooders, I thought I would
give them a trial last season, so I took one of the old brooders
which I had used for brood coops, and converted it over into a fire-
less brooder. In one half of it and about 7 in. from the floor, I
built a platform of matched $-in. lumber. In the center of this I
fastened the wire cylindrical chick-guard from one of the old
brooders. ‘Then I took one of the old circular hovers and tacked
rows of slitted felt over its entire surface and about | in. apart.
This was placed in position on the cylindrical chick-guard as in
the old brooder.
“The holes in the top of the hover gave a good supply of ven-
tilation. The other half of the brooder makes good space for
feeding and exercising. From this to the top of the platform is
connected a runway, which is fixed on hinges to close at night.
This brooder proved very satisfactory; in fact, so satisfactory I
am converting the other old brooders into fireless brooders.
“The first brood I tried in it was a brood of thirty Brown Leg-
horn chicks. They were hatched with hens, and after two or three
days old were placed in the fireless brooder. I never saw chicks
grow better and I only lost one of the thirty. In cold, damp
weather the hover is taken out and thoroughly warmed, and also
given a good sunning every day.”
154. Mr. Jensen’s Second Fireless. Mr. Jensen has also made
a simpler style of fireless brooder than the one we previously
described. In his latest model it is not necessary to use narrow
strips and plastering laths, as can be seen in the plan of the illus-
tration. Four pieces | x 2 x 24 in. long are nailed together to form
a frame, on top of which is tacked a piece of building paper. Over
the building paper are nailed thin matched boards. Under this
frame are four legs so as to raise it 5 in. above the floor. Heavy
outing flannel is then tacked underneath the frame so it would
lack 4 in. of touching the floor in the center. Strips of flannel
are tacked all around the edges of the frame, and afterwards slit
every 3 in.
155. Mr. Jensen’s Opinion. “Fireless brooders or hovers have
come to stay at our place. We have several of them and they all
work satisfactorily. During the month of March we had fifty-four
chicks in a colony house 3x 6 ft. and all the heat and hovering
[99]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
they got after they were four weeks old was from a fireless brooder.
‘The main thing to observe with this kind of hover is to set it away
from the wall, especially a corner, so as not to give the chicks a
chance to pile. When the chicks are eight weeks old or more, I
use the lath hover described earlier. In that hover every bird can
have his back covered and still have his head out in the open.” (If
the lath hover is to be principally used for the larger chicks, the
laths should be about 2 in. apart instead of 1 in.)
[100]
Hot-Air Brooders
CHAPTER Xt.
HOT-AIR BROODERS
156. Artificial Rearing is Preferable. It is so simple to attend
to several brooders, and especially when they are placed in portable
houses, that even if we hatched our chicks under hens, we would
much prefer to raise them by artificial means than by natural. It
is a great convenience to have thirty-five chicks in one flock and to
fully satisfy their wants in a warm, cosy brooder. While the sitting
hen has her whims like any other animal, and sometimes refuses to
hover her chicks when they are cold and tired, the hover of the
brooder is always ready for them to run in and warm up. It is
interesting to know how soon little chicks understand where the
hover is, and what it is for. Even when they are a few days old,
their instinct seems to tell them to run back where it is warm when
they wish additional heat.
157. 4 Good Hot-Air Brooder. Mr. Deering uses an inex-
pensive brooder that gives him Satisfaction. In our drawing we
represented the upper section with a muslin top, although Mr.
Deering has a wooden top to-his brooder. The muslin is preferable
in that it gives light to the interior and allows the foul air to pass
out of the hover chamber. A special brooder lamp can be bought
from companies that deal in poultry supplies, or an old-fashioned
hinged burner will do. Buy the best burner you can with a 1-in.
wick, and have a tin chimney 5 in. high made to fit it. A 14-in.
hole should be punched in the chimney and covered with mica in
order to see the flame. The top of the chimney is placed directly
under the lard pail and not less than 1 in. from the sheet iron.
If the top of the chimney is close to the iron, the lamp will smoke
and there is danger of its setting fire to the brooder.
158. Construction of the Brooder. A good stout box of a suit-
able size is purchased. The height of the lamp to be used (includ-
ing the chimney) is measured, and the box is sawed in two, by
sawing through the four sides. A section 2 in. higher than the
lamp is cut off — measuring from the top of the box. This section
[101]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
AN INDOOR BROODER
DESIGNED BY S. H. DEERING, MissouLA, Mont.
LOWER SECTION 7
SHEET /kON lo!
= ee
[cea )
LAMP
Molen Tor.
ee
!
HOVER.
FRAME
SS Ano [oP
(Poet 0 She ®
* “PovER FRAME
oom,
aca
aa ie
Mr. Deerinc’s INpoor BroopvER
[1021
Hot-dir Brooders
when removed will be open at the top and bottom. “The exact
length and width of the section is measured, and a piece of sheet
iron is bought that will just cover the top. Nail the sheet iron
around the four edges of the section. On top of the sheet iron nail
a strip of wood | in. square —through the iron into the sides
of the box.
159. The Heating Arrangement. A wooden floor is then nailed
to these strips forming a hot-air chamber | in. high under the floor.
After you have the floor boards fitted, and before nailing them to
the box, saw a round hole in the center floor board into which the
open end of a 5-pound lard pail will fit tightly. This conducts the
warm air from the hot-air chamber to underneath the hover. Be-
fore fastening the pail in place, punch a number of small holes in
the bottom of the pail to allow the warm air to escape. Now fasten
the wooden floor securely to the box. There should be an opening
of 2 in. on one side of the hot-air chamber, in the 1-in. square strip,
to allow fresh air to enter the heating chamber.
The sheet iron should be in one piece, or two if seamed to-
gether, so that the lamp fumes cannot enter the hover. Stove-pipe
iron is heavy enough. In one side of the section cut out a lamp
door. Near the bottom of this door have an opening to admit fresh
air to the lamp, and near the top bore a 14-in. “peep” hole. The
hover sits on the floor with legs long enough to raise it 1 in. above
the pail. The hover is like a small table but is made in two parts.
A strip 2 in. wide is nailed around the legs and forms a table with-
out a top. Now make a solid wooden top with the sides to come
down 2 in. to cover the strips on the legs. The top must fit suff-
ciently loose to allow the hover cloth to go between.
160. Copying a Fireless Feature. Mr. Deering makes his hover
cloth like the poultrymen who use fireless brooders. It is large
enough to spread over the frame and hang down close to the floor;
it must be so loose that it will sag down in the middle and rest on
the chicks’ backs. Yo allow it to do this, Mr. Deering cuts a
round hole in the center of the cloth the size of the pail. A wire
ring is sewn in this hole to fit around the pail. This lets warm air
above the cloth and keeps it warm and comfortable over the chicks’
backs — just like the old hen. This brooder is really a cross be-
tween a first-class lamp brooder and a fireless. It would be an
excellent heated brooder for cold weather, and as the weather
[103]
Built F Used by Poultrymen
SOLO LLD,
NAAN
re"
ScoLE IN INCHES?
s1ses 10 1B to 25 Ro 35 2o as R
Mr. BarcHeiper’s Hor-Arir Broopver
This and the following illustration show the construction. (A) is a cross-section.
(B) the ground plan. (C) the top view. (D) elevation of the front end. (E)
elevation of the rear end. (F) sectional view of the back of the hover compart-
ment showing the outside air being warmed, and passing into the hover. (G)
cross-section of (F).
The abbreviations show: (a) cleats that extend from side to side of the brooder.
(b) cleats and boards that are used in making the hover compartment (y).
(d) sheet iron extending from the floor of the lamp chamber (x) to the center
of the brooder. (dd) deflecting sheet of iron to carry the fumes of the lamp to the
smoke pipe (e). (e) smoke pipes. (f) slashed flannel entrance to hover. (g) slid-
ing panes of 8 x 12-inch glass for windows. (h) lamp. (i) lamp door with ven-
tilating holes. (k) chick door. (1) ventilating door. (m) inlet for fresh air
in (c) and the floor of the brooder. (n) inlets for warm fresh air in the sheet.
iron back of the hover. (0) hinged cover. (p) solid cover. (w) tight com-
partment above lamp chamber. (x) lamp chamber. (y) hover compartment.
(z) exercising room. These abbreviations refer to both illustrations of this brooder.
[104]
Hot-Air Brooders
became warmer it could be a fireless. Any mites in the brooder
will hide on this cloth. If the top is lifted up and the soiled cloth re-
moved, it can be boiled and the mite family will stop housekeeping.
161. Dimensions. A brooder about 3 ft. square or 3x4 ft. is
used, depending on the size of the room. A hover 2 ft. square or
18 in. by 2 ft. will brood fifty chicks, and that is enough for one
brooder — forty is better. For a cover on the brooder while the.
chicks are young, Mr. Deering takes the balance of the dry goods
box — if it is sufficient — and makes the top 2 or 3 in. higher than
the hover. ‘The cover is hinged at the back, so that it can be easily
raised. We prefer to use unbleached muslin for the cover top
nailed on a frame, instead of a top of soiled wood. Two openings
with panes of glass to slide on the outside are cut, and screen wire
is tacked over the inside. This gives the chicks light and ventila-
tion. ‘here is one opening for a door in front by which a runway
to the ground is reached.
162. Cost. Mr. Deering is particular to use dry matched
lumber, and especially for the hover top and the floor. A No. 2
burner is plenty large, and on some of his brooders he has No: 1
burners. Chicks over three weeks old do not need a cover. ‘They
do not require to be confined, as they have learned to return to the
brooder when they require warmth. ‘These brooders cost with
lamp complete about $3 each. Outing flannel is the best for hover
cloth and extra ones are made, so they can be changed every week.
Screen wire is tacked around the base to keep the chicks on the
floor when the cover is raised. Mr. Deering raised 300 chickens
last year and never saw a mite during the season.
163. An Improvement to Overcome a Trouble. Mr. Dautrey
has improved on Mr. Deering’s brooder by adding a second floor
14 in. above the wooden floor of the heating chamber. This floor
is held up by four feet at the corners, and by using it the floor of
the brooder is kept cool and comfortable. Brooders made after
Mr. Deering’s plan should have an inch of garden earth continu-
ally on the floor to keep it cooler, otherwise the chicks will suffer
from leg weakness. Mr. Dautrey had trouble with his chicks and
conceived the idea of the elevated floor; this has given him the best
of satisfaction.
164. Another Plan of Construction. Mr. Batchelder uses an
excellent brooder that does not heat the floor of the brooding com-
[105]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
partment, and which has the advantage of resting on the ground
and not requiring the chicks to ascend to a platform on entering it.
In building his brooder it is necessary to construct a box 4 ft. 4 in.
long, 2 ft. wide and 18 in. high, outside dimensions. The box is
Lh
hy, TIN hie BR OAS
Mr. Barcuerpver’s Hotr-Artr Broover
The letters and abbreviations on this illustration are explained
under the previous cut.
built throughout of %-in. planed lumber, or it can be made from
packing boxes, As is seen in drawing A, there are six cleats under
the top and floor. “These extend from one side to the other. “The
roof is divided 2 ft. from the front end, and the front section
should be hinged to one side of the brooder as shown in C. In the
front end there is a ventilating door 17 in. long and 3 in. wide;
also a chick door 7 in. square. In the rear end there is a lamp door
74 in, square, with a number of half-inch holes 1 in. above the
lower edge. In the sides of the exercising compartment are two
[106]
Hot-Air Brooders
8 x 12-in. windows. These are made of panes of glass that slide in
grooved supports, and they can be opened for ventilation. “The
windows and ventilating door are covered on the inside with 1-in.
mesh wire netting to prevent the chicks jumping out when the
windows or door are open.
165. Further Details. Directly under the opening between the
two portions of the roof a {-in. board c 10 in. wide is nailed. This
board extends across the brooder. Ten inches from the inside of
the rear end of the brooder, at the floor, a cleat c should now be
placed. ‘This cleat is 7 x 1 in., but before it is fastened to the floor
a number of 2-in. holes should be bored through it on the {-in.
side. When the cleat is fastened to the floor these 2-in. holes are
extended through the floor, so that the outside air can enter the
brooder freely through the round openings.
Seven inches below the top edge of the side of the brooder, and
above the cleat c we have just fastened to the floor, there is a cleat
ix 2 in. extending across the brooder. A similar $x 2-in. cleat is
nailed to the 10-in. center board c at the same level — or with the
lower edge 1 in. above the bottom of the center board. “Two more
zx 2-in. cleats b (shown in A and B) aré nailed to the side walls
between the two upper cleats cc. On top of these four cleats cc,
bb, a piece of galvanized iron should be securely fastened with
brads, and on the lamp side of the rear top cleat and the lower
cleat with the ventilating holes in it, another piece of galvanized
iron should be fastened. We have now the brooder divided by a
kind of steps into two compartments.
A ix 14-in. cleat should be nailed across the rear end of the
brooder, with its lower face even with the top of the lamp door.
From the upper side of this cleat to another board } x 4 in., nailed
to the 10-in. center board midway between the galvanized iron and
the roof, is fastened the deflecting sheet of iron marked dd in A.
The smoke pipes e are made of 14-in. tin tubing and reach to
within one inch of the galvanized iron sheet d. They are lowered
in this manner so that a greater portion of the heat of the lamp
will be retained in the heating chamber x.
On the right-hand (front) side of the floor cleat with’ the holes
in it and the cleat c over it, there should be another sheet of gal-
vanized iron fastened. This iron, however, should be perforated
[107]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
with two rows of 4-in. holes near the top. These holes are plainly
shown at n in F and G.
It is only necessary for us to nail a slip of flannel f in front of
the opening to the hover compartment to complete the brooder. It
is better to have two strips, and to cut them alternately every three
inches. In this way more heat is retained in the hover compartment.
The lamp should be made with a 7-in. galvanized iron bowl,
and one of the old-style hinged burners. A short tin chimney with
a mica window is necessary. The total height of the lamp, includ-
ing the chimney should not be more than 7 inches.
Mr. Furrer’s Hor-Air Broopver
(A) cross-section of brooder. (B) floor plan. (C) drawing of the completed brooder.
(D) parts of the hot-air heating system. (E) water fountain for, chicks made
from a one-gallon bottle and five-cent crock.
Abbreviations for this and the next illustration: (a) air-tight heating drum fastened
to sheet iron. (b) short piece of stove pipe. (c) wire-covered chick guard.
(d) hover. (e) special burner that requires no chimney. (f) lamp. (g) 6x 8-
inch windows. (h) 8 x 12-inch windows. (i) door to hover compartment. (k)
guides for sliding lamp board. (m) lamp board in which lamp sits. (n) ventila-
tors. (0) door to lamp compartment. (p) door to exercising room. (s) hole in
top of chick guard in which the pivot of the hover rests.
[108]
Hot-Air Brooders
166. What the Builder Has Learned. Mr. Batchelder gives
his opinion of this brooder: “I have had very good success with
this brooder, and I like it mainly because the chicks are not com-
pelled to ascend a stairway or inclined board, when they enter the
brooder and hover compartment. ‘They are constantly supplied
with warmed, pure air and there is, therefore, no danger of the
hover compartment becoming foul. When the ventilating door |
in the front of the exercising pen is opened, the warmed pure air
enters at the rear of the hover, flows over the backs of the chicks,
and passes out of the brooder by the ventilating door in the front.
I consider this an ideal system of ventilation and I have been very
successful in growing chicks by means of the brooder.”
167. How to “Keep the Floor Low.’ Mr. Fuller uses a hot-
air brooder with a special lamp and burner that enables him to
keep the floor low. A good, tight, dry-goods box 3 ft. square and
3 ft. deep is necessary for building the brooder. Cut in two pieces
from end to end, on an angle, so as to have one end of each piece
16 in. deep; the other ends of both pieces will then be 20 in. deep.
After removing the end boards from one, place the two deep ends
together. Fasten them with four small bolts, so that the brooder
can be easily taken apart if it is necessary to store it. This gives
us two sections each 3 ft. square. In the section where the hover
is to be placed, it is necessary to remove the bottom boards and
raise them 4 in. This allows room for the brooder lamp to be
placed directly under the heater.
Make a circular hover 24 in. in diameter. This is placed in the
corner of the section with the outside edge 1 in. from the end and
one side. Cut a circular hole 6 in. in diameter in the floor, directly
under the center of the hover. This is to insert the heater from
the under side of the floor.
Make, or have your local tinner, a piece of sheet iron 18 in.
square, with a hole in the center 3 in. in diameter. Over this 3-in.
opening fasten a drum of the same material 6 in. high, with the
top end solid and air-tight. This inverted drum is attached to the
18-in. sheet iron by crimping —no solder must be used, as the
heat of the lamp would melt it. This 3 x 6-in. drum is inserted
through the 6-in. opening of the floor, and extends up in the
brooder about 5 in. Fasten the 18-in. sheet iron to the under side
of the floor with small, short screws.
[109]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
On the outside of the heating drum and inside the brooder,
place a 6-in. piece of ordinary stove pipe 5 in. high, to direct the
heat upwards. Outside of the stove pipe $ in., there should be a
circle of 4-in. mesh stout wire. The wire is tacked to a solid board
top. There is a $-in. hole in the center of the top to insert the pivot
of the hover. i
A wooden pin at the center of the under side of the hover, and
inserted in the wooden top of the chick guard, will keep the hover
_—$— ee
ll
a
Mr. Furtrer’s Hor-Air Broover
The letters and abbreviations on this illustration are explained under
the previous cut.
in position. Around the edge of the hover tack two strips of old
flannel. The lower edge should be slashed every 3 in. (alternately).
Put in two window lights in each side, as shown in the illus-
tration, to let in the light and to serve as ventilators. There should
-be a door in the partition of the hover compartment to connect
with the other, or exercising compartment. In the latter have a
small door at the front corner to let the chicks out on the ground.
As the floor of the heating compartment is about 4 in. above the
ground, a temporary floor slanting down from the center of the
[110]
Hot-Air Brooders
brooder to the front is made. This slight slant makes it easy for
the chicks to enter the hover compartment.
168. The Special Lamp. Mr. Fuller states that a round, gal-
vanized brooder lamp can be bought for 50 cents that is only 3 in.
high, and fitted with a burner that needs no flue. This in his esti-
mation, is the best lamp for heating brooders he ever used. A cir-
cular hole of sufficient size to allow the bowl of the lamp to rest
in is made in a board that will slide under the brooder between
two | x 2-in. wooden guides. The board is long enough so that the
flame of the lamp can be placed directly under the opening in the
sheet iron, above which the air-tight drum extends into the hover
compartment.
No fumes of the lamp can possibly enter the brooder, and the
floor is kept moderately warm. For ventilation four holes 3 in. in
diameter are made near the top of the brooder — two in each sec-
tion — and covered with tin slides. There should be 1-in. holes in
the lamp compartment near the ground to supply air to the lamp.
Make a tight board cover, hinged at the center, and cover it
with tar paper. If the box is not sufficiently tight, it can be lined
inside with any kind of heavy building paper to make it warmer.
[11]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER Xi.
SHIPPING DAY-OLD CHICKS AND EGGS FOR HATCHING
169. Delighted With This Business. A short time ago we had
the pleasure of visiting Quality Hill Poultry Yards and talking
over the day-old chick business with the proprietors Messrs. F. A.
and Wm. Z. Bennett. ‘These fanciers are greatly delighted with
their day-old chick trade. Mr. F. A. Bennett told us, “I am just
carried away with the day-old chick business. We sent out six
shipments one day and from four of our customers we received
very nice letters. The other two must have been pleased or they
would have complained to us.” He allowed us to read a number
of letters from satisfied customers who had bought day-old chicks
and also stated: ‘Those are the kind of letters we got and not a
kick did we receive. Now you know that’s wonderful, when you
consider the routes and conditions. We advise everyone to buy
day-old chicks instead of eggs for hatching, because it is more
satisfactory to buyer and seller. For $10, the cost of one sitting of
our best eggs, the breeder can get ten chicks hatched from the
same eggs, and we guarantee the safe delivery of the chicks within
a two days’ journey. The buyer runs no chances, as we guarantee
that the chicks will arrive in good condition. The chicks are better
off without feed the first day or two and our customers have told
us later that the chicks they bought are just doing fine.”
170. Mr. Fields’ Box. For shipping day-old chicks Mr. Fields
says that a light wooden box 3 in. high is best. This prevents their
being jostled up and down by the express clerks, and still does not
force them to remain in a cramped position. The latter will often
cause deformity. Allow 4 sq. in. of space to each chick. This will
give sufficient “elbow room.” ‘The box may be made any length
and breadth desired, using 4 sq. in. per chick, but 3 in. is the
standard height for box. Bore 1-in. holes about 3 in. apart around
all four sides of the box. Leave the bottom and top free from holes.
This shipping box should not be made warm by extra cloth,
etc., except in extremely cold weather, as the express cars are gen-
[112]
“Shipping Chicks — e
erally hot enough. However, the boxes should be covered when
carrying to and from the station to prevent chilling the chicks.
Where a large number of chicks are to be shipped the boxes should
be nailed in tiers one above the other each with a capacity of
eighteen chicks. (That is, each box a yard square.) As many as a
dozen boxes may be so arranged. When tiered, be sure to nail a
stout leather handle on each of the two opposite sides.
171.-Directions for Shipping. Label the box plainly, with in-
structions Not to Be Fed and Watered. The chicks, in emerging
from the shell, gather into their bodies enough food and water to
last them seventy-two hours. Hence, they will not be real hungry
until about the time they reach their destination. Another reason
for labeling them thus, is, that the express clerks, in feeding fowls
generally dump a great mass of food into the coop. This, in the
case of little chicks, would mean death sooner or later. Do not
feed the chicks before shipping, but instruct the consignee before-
hand to feed and water them as soon as they arrive.
172. How to Use Baskets. Mrs. Atwell uses the common
cheap baskets, called generally “market basket,” and costing about
8 to 10 cents each for the size holding about one-half bushel. They
are about 18 in. long, 10 in. wide and 7 in. deep. She selects a
-good, flat bottom one and puts a mat of excelsior in the bottom,
and then lines the inside of the basket with burlap — double tf
early in the season when the weather is cold. A bag such as
middlings come in answers very well, when cleaned. This is
sewn to the top edge of the basket with a large twine needle, also
fastened through the holes at the corners and along the sides at
the bottom, so as to keep the lining tight and smooth.
173. Finishing the Top. Another piece of burlap is then taken,
doubled if the weather is cold, and laid across the top of the
basket. It is sewn all around the edge, except a place at one end
which is left open to put the chicks in. When they are in, this
opening is sewn up also. The burlap cover is not drawn tight like
the sides, but allowed to sag a little so the baby chicks can feel it on
their backs. This kind of a basket will hold fifty chicks nicely, and
they travel much better if they do not have much spare room, as
they are not thrown about by the jolting of the train. The burlap
sides also help to break the jolts and jars.
[113]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
174. Mrs. Atwell Says: ‘““TVheir own heat keeps them comfort-
able. I have used this method of shipping for years and have never
had any complaints of dead chicks. I have shipped sometimes when
the weather was decidedly uncomfortable for me in driving to the
station with them, and I have been almost afraid the ‘babies’ would
Sos
RGF
Turee Boxes For Surppinc Day-O.p CuicKs
Their construction is explained by Mr. Fields.
chill on the way, but my customers always report arrival in good
condition. This way of shipping has several recommendations.
The package is light, convenient to handle, cheap, easily procured
at almost any country store, easily prepared, and lastly and most
important, it is comfortable for the chicks.”
175. Another’s Experience. Mr. Vandervort has given this
branch of the poultry business careful attention and has the fol-
lowing advice to offer: “A great many persons are very much
surprised to hear that chicks only just hatched can be safely sent
by express from 200 to 1,000 miles, and reach their destination
alive and in good condition. But such is the case, and today thou-
sands of them are shipped during the hatching season to all parts
of the country. Some people do not know that a chick, which
escapes from the shell in which it has been a prisoner for twenty-
one days, will stand a lot of abuse and live, provided you are not
too harsh with it. How much feed and care a little chick needs
is a question open for discussion. Nature has provided a supply
of nourishment for the little fellow in the form of the yolk of the
egg from which it it hatched. As the chick comes from the shell
with the undigested yolk yet in its body, it furnishes all the food
that the chick needs for the first seventy-two hours of its life.
[114]
Shipping Chicks
“IT have given this matter thorough thought and study, and
have come to the conclusion that when the little chicks are packed
away for several hours during shipment they continue to. gain
strength and are much better off than if they were exposed to the
sudden changes of running in and out from the hover of the
brooder. And this is why so many are safely shipped, and reach
their destination without losses and in good condition.
“After the chicks are hatched and nicely dried off, they are
ready for shipment. Baskets are excellent for shipping the little
fellows in small lots of from twelve to fifty. “These baskets should
be strong and low, about four inches is the proper height. Line
the basket well with burlap, and cut clover and chaff should be
placed in the bottom. Put your chicks in and sew a cover of burlap
over the top of the basket, put a label Live Chicks in a conspicuous
place, and they are sure to reach. their destination in good condi-
tion. I like baskets best for they are light, and easily handled.
Any manufacturer can supply you with any size basket you wish.
“Tf you prefer to ship in boxes make them of light material and
4 in. high, and they should be lined the way mentioned for the
baskets. If any great number are to be shipped, the chicks can be
placed in boxes containing several decks. Don’t feed them anything
for their journey, as it is injurious to them. The shipping of day-
old chicks has come to stay. Buying young chicks will save you a
lot of trouble and money, too. Send your orders early and do not
expect to have your chicks shipped the day after you order them,
for you know you cannot get them until after they are hatched and
there may be a lot ahead of you.”
176. 4 Box With Two Compartments. Mr. Roberts has had
good success by using a home-made box as follows: He makes a
box 14x 8x4 in. deep of 1-in. sheeting (pine). Heavy card or
strawboard is used for the bottom, and the top is covered with
burlap over which is tacked strips of the sheeting 1 in. apart. The
inside is lined with flannel. The box is divided at the center, mak-
ing two compartments 8x7 in. These will accommodate from
twelve to fifteen chicks on each side, allowing about 4 sq. in, to
each chick. When cardboard is used for the bottom, two strips of
the sheeting should be nailed lengthwise outside as a protection.
Just before placing the chicks in the box, Mr. Roberts puts a hand-
ful of feathers or fine shavings in each side.
[115]
Built F Used by Poultrymen
177. How to Ship Eggs. Eggs for hatching should be securely
packed, but yet in a light package so as to eliminate heavy express
charges. There are several ways in which to ship eggs for hatching
sately. One is a patent egg basket which seals itself when closed
by the handle, being made of corrugated pasteboard and divided
ssc Lh- 14"
WER w- B"
into fifteen compartments. When using these egg carriers always
wrap the eggs in soft paper, using sufficient paper in wrapping to
make each egg fit tight in its compartment, and thus prevent
rocking.
178. Advice on this Subject. Mr. Albeck gives the following
information: In placing eggs in the. basket, always place them with
the small end down. The air cell of ‘an egg is in the large end,
and in shipping may become displaced by rough handling, or by the
weight of the contents being forced upon the tissues that hold it in
place; thus the egg becomes addled, killing the germ. By placing
it on the small end this is overcome.
Also be sure and notify the buyer to unpack and lay the eggs
natural for at least twenty-four hours before setting, so the eggs
can cool and take their natural shape. This will result in a much
better percentage of chicks from the eggs.
While these egg carriers are easier packed than common market
baskets, the baskets are cheaper, will hold more than one sitting,
and can be packed for cold weather. Another advantage is that
one does not need to carry a stock on hand as they can be bought
at any grocery store. In packing these baskets, first line the bottom
[116]
Shipping Chicks
and sides with good, clean, heavy paper over which place about
2 in. of soft excelsior. In wrapping each egg, have soft paper about
8 x 12 in. in size, laying the egg on one corner and give two wraps,
then fold ends in and finish wrapping.
After the eggs are wrapped take soft excelsior and wrap each
egg over the paper, and place in the basket small end down. Now
take more excelsior and pack sides and small spaces between eggs
firmly so every egg is immovable. If more than one sitting is to be
packed, cover the eggs with about 2 in. of excelsior, over which
lay a piece of pasteboard to make a foundation for the next layer,
packing eggs same as the bottom layer. After the eggs have been
securely packed, put plenty of excelsior on top, over which sew a
piece of muslin.
In putting on the muslin use a blunt knife, or putty knife, and
tuck the ends between the top rim. Now take a large darning
needle and strong twine, and sew through the basket and over
outer rim. Print on muslin, or use gummed labels, Eggs for
Hatching. As these baskets generally have two handles, they
should be tied together as it prevents setting other express packages
on top, and also keeps handles in place for handling.
To the handle there should be a tag stating plainly the con-
signee’s express office, also postofice address. Since so many rural
routes have been established in the United States, a number of the
small towns that receive express from railroads have a different
postoffice address, as a rural route goes out of a larger city to their
village. When done in this manner, as soon as the eggs arrive at
the express office and consignee is not there to receive them, the
express agent can notify him that package is there and save
much delay.
179. A Breeder's Views. Mr. Vandervort gives his experience
in shipping eggs thus: “It requires considerable skill and a good
knowledge of details, to pack eggs for hatching so they will reach
their destination in good condition and hatch well. Some use boxes,
and while they may be all right, I have had much better results
with baskets. Eggs shipped in boxes are liable to be thrown around
and roughly handled, while baskets will be handled much more
carefully, and are much cheaper. Use baskets with a strong up-
right handle, so as to guard the package from other matter being
laid upon it.
[117]
Built (F Used by Poultrymen
“T exercise the same care and follow the same rule for packing
one sitting as we do for one hundred eggs, except as to the size of
the basket; always having our package just large enough to hold
the eggs and the necessary packing material. If the order calls for
100 or 120 eggs, a bushel basket is needed.
“First, line the basket with newspapers and then put about one
inch of excelsior in the bottom. Now we are ready for the first
layer of eggs, which, after wrapping each egg in soft paper, are
laid singly, leaving a l-in. space between the eggs and the sides of
the basket; also a 4-in. space between each of the eggs. These
spaces are filled with excelsior, crowded in firmly so as to keep the
eggs not only from the sides of the basket, but to keep them
from shaking.
“This bottom layer of eggs is then covered with 1 inch of
excelsior in the same manner, and all the other layers likewise
packed and covered as the others, with the exception of the top
and last layer covering, which should be thicker and rounded up
so that when the canvas cover is sewed on and drawn down tight,
the eggs cannot by any possibility shake around in the basket. The
label can best be sewed to the canvas cover before the cover is
put on the basket.
“Have Eggs for Hatching — Handle with Care printed on
your label in good size type. Use a darning needle and strong
cotton string and sew the canvas to the rim of the basket, drawing
it down tight, so that the packing will spring up when pressed
with the hand.
“A basket about the size of a ten-pound grape basket will hold
a sitting of eggs. For two sittings, a one-fourth bushel basket is
necessary, and for fifty eggs a one-half bushel basket is required.
Excelsior for packing the eggs can usually be procured at all
grocery or furniture stores. For wrapping the eggs, a soft grade
of newspaper is used. The eggs are placed in the baskets on end,
preferably with the little end down.”
180. Most Suitable Eggs. Vhe following general information
by Mr. Vandervort about the kind of eggs that are most suitable
for shipping, and that will produce the most chicks is interesting:
“Eggs to grow strong, healthy chicks must be fertile and laid by
healthy hens ! believe fertile eggs even from healthy fowls, are
[118]
Shipping Chicks
largely a question of the right ration. Therefore, in the winter we
try to supply our breeders with about one-fourth ounce of cut bone
daily, and for the grain ration at least one-half is oats.
“Fertile eggs to ship safely must have strong shells. For this
purpose keep oyster shells before the hens all the time, and plenty
of green food. I have heard complaints of shells of eggs being too
thick to hatch well in an incubator, when the hens were allowed
all the oyster shells they could eat, but our trouble has been to
get the shells strong enough, especially when the flock averages
five eggs for each hen per week.
“Tt is possible that a hen that lays only every other day, or one
whose shell machinery is extra good, might lay eggs with too thick
shells. I would risk this danger, anyway, believing that a chicken
that has not strength enough to pop open his shell has not vitality
enough to make a good, healthy fowl. Fertile eggs with strong
shells, rightly packed, properly labeled and from the right kind of
stock, can be shipped safely by express, and can be depended upon
to hatch well on arrival at the destination.”
[119]
Built &F Used by Poult men
CHAPALER XIE
FOOD HOPPERS AND FOUNTAINS
181. Dry Feeding Gains in Popularity. Within the last few
years the system of feeding all ground grain mashes dry in hoppers
instead of moistened with water or skim milk has had a wonderful
gain in popularity. In the first place, hopper feeding saves con-
siderable of the poultryman’s time, and in the second place it is a
more natural way for hens to take their food. The primary dis-
advantage of feeding wet mashes is that the hens fill their crops
with a wet food that is in the proper condition to decompose — un-
less it is quickly passed on and digested. ‘Sour crop” is a common
complaint of wet-mash fed hens, and it is a trouble or disease that
the dry-mash fed hens are never subject to. A big crop full of wet
mash makes the bird lazy, and it is natural for it to sit in a corner
of the house until the meal is digested.
182. Hopper-Fed Hens are Better Layers. Feeders have tried
to eliminate the difficulties in feeding wet mash by feeding it in
limited quantities, but this is somewhat of a disadvantage because it
is possible to supply a balanced ration that will tend to increase
egg production through a mash, more easily than in the whole
grain. When ground mash is always kept in a hopper the hens will
not overeat, and if the mash contains animal food and vegetable
matter in addition to the grains, these hens will lay better than
‘ other hens that are fed a wet mash once a day.
183. dA Stovepipe Hopper. Mr. Batchelder gives the construc-
tion of his stovepipe hopper that works well. It will not clog and
can be easily made from one length of pipe and a few pieces of
lumber. ‘wo holes are made near one end, on opposite sides of
the pipe, and wires are fastened through these holes to a ring, as
shown in the illustration. Another wire or strong cord reaches
from the ring to the ceiling of the poultry house.
184. Construction. ‘The wooden box has the floor about 4 in.
above the ground, instead of right on the ground, so that there will
[120]
Hoppers and Fountains
be less danger of the fowls kicking straw and dirt into the food.
Wooden strips 2 in. thick by 1 in. wide are nailed on the four top
edges of the box and extend inside, in order to prevent the fowls
wasting any food.
SUPPORTING=
WIRE.
“
b
| || Als
Qn | | A
<== a= XN
\
A Stove Pipe Hopper
(a) Elevation of hopper showing the stove pipe supported from the ceiling.
(b) Cross-section of hopper giving the principal dimensions.
[121]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
185. Adjusting the Pipe. ‘The bottom edge of the stovepipe is
about 1 in. above the floor of the box. If it is found that the feed
flows too freely, the stovepipe should be lowered a trifle, or if the
A MousE
AND RAI-PROOF
Nae)
ww
La
Cie
A SPECIALLY-
MADE PAN
tall
—
a it
Cross SECTION
Quindy. ILL.
A Hopper tHat Saves THE Foop
Hoppers and Fountains
feed does not keep the bottom of the box covered the pipe should
be raised. The pipe is placed in the proper position and then se-
curely fastened by the cord or wire from the ceiling.
186. Don’t Feed Mice and Rats. Some fanciers would use a
hopper for feeding dry mashes, if it were not for the loss of grain
through mice and rats. Only a short time ago we were told by a
« “WAT
MMU WORX.
old. a7 ae
ie 15
LENGTH: 32"—
A Dovusie Dry-Masn Hoprer
Mr. Hildebrand made the above hopper from a Columbia oats box. (A) cross-
section with the principal dimensions. (B) completed hopper.
fancier that he caught two or three mice in the feeding thorugh
of his hopper when he entered his poultry house one early morn-
ing. The state of affairs is annoying, even if we do not consider
the unnecessary loss of grain and the pollution of it.
187. How the Hopper is Made. The accompanying illustra-
tion shows a frame made of 1 x 2-in. lumber with a 20 x 24-in.
sheet iron top. The legs are 12 in. high and you will notice that
a band of sheet iron about 3 in. wide is around each leg, near
where the boards forming the frame are attached. The height of
the iron top makes it impossible for rats or mice to jump up on it,
and they cannot crawl up the legs, because the sheet iron band will
not give them any footing.
The hopper is similar to the one used and previously described
by Mr. Batchelder. It is made from one length of stove pipe, a
common or special feed pan, two 1 x 6-in. pieces of heavy sheet
iron and six stove bolts. The 1 x 6-in. supporting pieces should be
bent at a right angle, one inch from one end. This makes each
piece L-shaped.
[123]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
188. Assembling It. ‘The hopper is put together as follows:
The feeding pan is placed near one end of the stand, and the stove
pipe stood upright in it. he two L pieces are set at opposite sides
of the stove pipe, and with an awl or nail a hole is punched
through the L piece, pan and sheet iron floor. Now, insert a stove
Mrs. Wuite’s Hoppers
(A) hopper for dry mash from which twelve fowls can eat on each side. (B) hop-
per for grit. (C) water fountain made from a large round can, with four cups
soldered to the side.
=
Mr. Roserts’ Foop Hopper
bolt in the hole and fasten all together. Punch two holes in the
long end of the L pieces and bolt them to the stove pipe. The
stove pipe is raised 24 in. above the floor, when a 3-in. feeding
pan is used.
By bolting the parts together, it is impossible for the chicks to
stand on the edge of the pan and upset it, which they would
probably do if it simply rested on the top of the frame. The fowls
[124]
‘Hoppers and Fountains
jump up on the iron top when they eat from the hopper. It is
sufficiently large to hold several at one time.
The stove-pipe form of hopper is the simplest type we are
acquainted with, and there is absolutely no trouble with it. Some
of the hoppers with small feeding mouths give considerable trouble,
on account of the grain becoming packed in the small opening.
This effectually prevents the hopper from feeding, aoe the poul-
tryman takes a stick and clears the obstruction.
189. dA Special Pan. At the left-hand side of the illustration
another feeding pan is shown. This is a specially-made pan 12 in.
in diameter and 3 in. high. Its main feature is an inside l-in. rim
around the top. This rim prevents the fowls from drawing grain
over the sides of the pan. However, if you select a pan with as
little flare as possible, we hardly think you will have any trouble
in this respect.
The details of this mouse and rat-proof hopper will prove sug-
gestive to poultry raisers who use hoppers of other styles — from
which the mice obtain their living—in illustrating a simple method
of overcoming this loss. Raise your hopper from the floor, or if it
is attached to the wall, nail a strip of sheet iron on each side, so the
mice cannot crawl to it.
190. From a Packing Box. Mr. Hildebrand makes an auto-
matic food hopper from a Columbia oats box and it works well.
This hopper can be used outdoors or indoors. ‘The dimensions are
all given on the cross-sectional view, so that it is not necessary to
refer to the construction.
191. Other Styles. Mrs. White illustrates the two styles of
hoppers which she has found most suitable. “The long, double hop-
pers (A) are made from wholesale shoe boxes, or milliner’s hat
boxes, and allow about twenty-four fowls to eat at a time. The
smaller grit hoppers are made from boxes about 20 in. long and
12 in. wide.
192. Construction of Mrs. White's. The construction of the
double hopper is thus described. The top and two sides of the big
box is removed, two solid boards slanting from the top to the bot-
tom are nailed in, leaving a space at the bottom of about 1 in. for
the mash to spill out as the hens eat it. At each end of the hopper
[125]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
—
e
a
°
J .
(i es °
‘ .
S —
Se :
—
—s
—{ )
= =
—=> v
Seceen
SEM
Stes
GALV: IRON FEEDING roe eS ee
[126]
Ee s cand Fountains
a l-in. square strip is nailed on the bottom to raise the box off the
ground, thereby lengthening the life of the hopper, and also giving
drainage for any water that may have entered from a_ heavy,
driving rain. In the bottom eight or ten holes are bored with a
gimlet for the water to leak out. The tops are covered with
Ruberoid or Amatite roofing, and the roofing allowed to drop over
the side and extend an inch or so over the end. The tops are re-
movable. For at least ten months of the year the hoppers are out
in the weather, only being put in when winter weather or snow
keeps the fowls housed.
193. dn Original Hopper. Mr. Roberts has found that his
home-made hopper gives better satisfaction than any hopper he can
buy. He bought an empty box measuring 15x 15x 10 in. at the
grocery store. “he box is stood on edge and the front taken off.
Now insert it on an angle of about 45 degrees from the front top
edge of the box, leaving a space of about | in. between the bottom
edge of this Slantine piece and the back of the box for the grain
to sift down. In our opinion, it would be preferable to have the
mouth of the hopper 2 in. instead of | in. There would then be no
danger of the hopper becoming plugged with grain. A piece of
l-in. mesh poultry netting is attached to the bottom edge of the
slanting front. ‘The netting extends to the front of the hopper and
lays on the grain. This prevents waste and is a good idea.
Through the back near the top two 3-in. holes are bored, by which
the hopper is hung on the wall.
194. “The Best by Test.’ Mr. Crouse says that a satisfactory
grit or food hopper was a very difficult appliance for him to ob-
tain, and he tried many of the ready-made, as well as home-made
ones. After considerable experimenting he adopted the form of
hopper shown in the sketch as being the most practical.
To construct, first make two pieces like A in sketch and three
pieces like B. Nail one B to side of A, letting the top down about
4 in. for the lid, and keeping the front edges flush. If the back
edges are not flush, they can be made so with a few strokes of the
plane. One end is now complete. Construct the other end in a
similar manner, being careful to place A and B together so that
the two pieces marked B will be on the inside when the hopper is
put together.
[127]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
The other piece B is for the center division of the hopper, to
separate it into two compartments, and to make it stronger. Now
take a sheet of tin and turn about 4 in. on the long side until it is
SIDE VIEW
"IRON LEG?
2
A CoNnVENIENT AND INEXPENSIVE WATER FOUNTAIN
at a right angle with remainder of the sheet. This part is to extend
over the trough to prevent the food from being wasted.
The tin should then be bent so that it will fit around the
curved pieces B at the bottom. Place the 4-in. side over the top of
the feed trough, and nail the tin to the two end pieces. Then
insert the center piece. Complete the back to the top of the end
[128]
pieces with thin boards. Nail thin boards over the front, beginning
at the bottom, and for ordinary dry mash it is best to allow the
front to extend down about | in. as shown in the sketch.
Mr. Crouse puts a thin strip of wood about } in. wide under
the tin projection at the front edge of the feed trough. This
stiffens the tin and prevents the birds cutting their wattles in feed-
ing. The wood and tin should be smoothed with a file and sand
paper. Fasten the lid with small hinges and attach hooks to the
back to hang the hopper up, and it is complete.
195. Water Fountain. A convenient water fountain can be
made from a galvanized iron pail 7 in. in diameter and 10 in. deep.
There is no flare to the pail, but it has a wire pail handle at the
top. One and one-half inches inside the top a galvanized iron head
is soldered. This head is 7 in. in diameter, but it has a 1-in. piece
cut off the lower side so that the fountain can be filled and
operated. Before the head is soldered, two pieces of $x 4-in. band
iron should be bent to form the legs; these pieces are riveted to the
pail. A lip 2 in. deep holds the water in place. This is an inex-
pensive fountain, and to fill, it is only necessary to stand it upright
and pump water into the mouth. The fountain can be cleaned by
throwing a small handful of salt and sand into it, adding water
and shaking the mixture around inside.
[129]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER XIV.
METHODS OF SPROUTING OATS
196. Makaing Palatable Green Food. Vhe following excellent
system of sprouting oats for poultry is used by Mr. Bennett of
Quality Hill Poultry Yards. As he told us, “it is a fine thing.”
The green food problem presents difficulties to the poultryman
during the winter time. It is frequently difficult to buy cut or
ground alfalfa or clover hay, and buying vegetables in small quan-
tities is expensive. By means of the system of sprouted oats which
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
A SproutinGc Racx For Oars
Front view showing the seven trays in position.
SPROUTING OATS - UF LEONARD.
OATS SPROUTING IN EARTH
Aw INEXPENSIVE SprRouTING Box
This box is used in Mr. Harris’ method of sprouting oats for poultry food.
131]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
is described and illustrated, it is a simple and inexpensive matter
for anyone to supply his fowls in the winter time with an abun-
dance of succulent food they will relish.
197. The Value of the Rack. The simplest way to sprout oats
is to put them in a dish in the sink, cover with warm water at
night and feed them the next day. This arrangement not only in-
pace 2'-6" Scag
=_—SESE]|=|b|=EI“»™____= : ei |
MM pence
[| Kemovasce TRAYS 2%z'6" _|]
} PCS (CF)
[= at I'x2'*33"
_—S_——
rae
IPUNNERS %4*Z. FOR TRAYS
(30"L0NG)
GALV IRON TRAY px3s3-6 e i
A Sproutinc Racx For Oars
‘Side view showing part of the trays in the rack and three partly removed.
terferes with the house work, but the sprouts are not sufficiently
long, where green food is the main consideration. The rack that
is shown holds seven trays — one for each day of the week —so ©
that each tray of oats is allowed to sprout seven days before the
grain is fed. At that time the sprouts are about 14 in. long, and
much better for green food than oats with sprouts only 4+ to 4 in.
long. It may be true that the oats with the long sprouts are not
as nourishing as the oats with the short sprouts, but that does not
[132]
Sprouting Oats
make any material difference when the oats are desired for green
food and not for grain food.
198. Making the Rack. he sprouting rack is a light frame
made of 1 x 2-in. pieces, without covered top, bottom or sides.
BURLAP COVER
EMPTY TRAY
A SproutinGc Racx For Oats
Top view. The upper tray is filled with sprouted oats, and the one farthest ex-
tended has fresh oats in it. The black border around the rack represents the gal-
vanized iron tray in which the rack stands.
There are only four corner pieces and four pieces at the top and
four at the bottom to hold the frame together. On each of two
sides of this frame seven runners are nailed 24 in. apart. On these
fourteen runners rest the seven trays. The floor of the tray is
covered with 4-in. mesh wire cloth such as is used for cellar win-
dows. The wooden sides are made of pieces # in. thick by 2 in.
wide. The rack stands in a galvanized iron tray which catches
the excess water.
199. Sprouting the Oats. ‘The trays are covered with dry oats,
and hot water is sprinkled over each tray —using a hand sprinkling
[133
Built & Used by Poultrymen
can. The trays are-then replaced in the rack. They are covered
with burlap to keep the oats dark and moist. The trays should be
drawn out morning and night and sprinkled with hot water. The
rack should be kept in a temperature of from 60 to 80 degrees. It
is advisable to season the sprouted oats with salt — using a tea-
spoonful of salt to each trayful of oats. Fowls prefer sprouted
oats to any other green food, and chicks a week old are very
fond of them.
200. The Outdoor Method. Mr. Leonard has a system of
sprouting oats that we prefer to the sprouting rack when it can be
used. ‘The new way is less trouble than the old, and the chicks
will obtain bugs and worms in addition to the oat sprouts. The
method is thus explained. Take one bushel of common oats and
soak them over night. Make a frame of | x 6-in. lumber, 3 ft.
wide by 8 ft. long. Place the frame on smooth, hard ground and
spread the oats evenly inside it. Cover the oats with | in. of loose
ground and water every day. When the sprouts show through, it
is ready to feed. Then with a garden hoe, work under the roots,
pull them up straight and you have the finest green food you ever
saw — food that you cannot beat with anything else as cheap, or
as simple to obtain.
201. “Bugs and Worms’ Also. Mr. Leonard says: “Every
hoeful has a big lump of dirt on it, also some animal food. Ex-
amine some of this earth and you will find it full of bugs and
worms. This gives the birds exercise to scratch them out. Green
food grown in earth has more strength and substance than when
it is sprouted with water in a warm room. I keep three beds
going all the time and have raised this season over 400 chicks to
broiler size in four weeks. We ate a pullet three months old the
other day and she had already started an egg bag, and I think
that is going some.”
202. Sprouted Oats Solve the Problem. In reference to the
value of sprouted oats Mr. Harris says: ‘‘For the fanciers that
live on farms it is no trial to secure green stuff for their flocks, but
-when it comes to the city fancier, there is a great deal to contend
with. I believe all will agree that hens do not have as satisfactory
laying record where they do not obtain an abundance of green
food. If the city-lot fancier expects the results his fowls should
[134]
Sprouting Oats
bring, he must try in some way to overcome this trouble. A
sprouting box is, I think, the best and probably the cheapest way
to supply green food.”
203. Mr. Harris’ Plan. A store box 3 ft. wide, 4 ft. long and
3 ft. deep answers the purpose very well. It has drawers or shelves
with from + to | in. of oats sprinkled thereon. The oats should
be wet with lukewarm water, and the box placed in a warm room.
Leave the oats in the trays until the sprouts are 3 or 4 in. long;
then take sprouts and oats and feed all to the chickens. This makes
a good noon meal. The chickens will eat it up greedily and will
thrive. It will take from a half to a peck of oats to fill the
trays. Have it arranged so there will be sufficient oats for each
day’s feeding.
[135]
Built & Used by Poultrymen
CHAPTER XV.
OTHER USEFUL DEVICES
204. d Hook for Catching Fowls. Some poultrymen use a
hook for catching their fowls, and if it is used quietly will often
prove a time saver. Such a hook is illustrated. It is made of a
piece of ;';-in. wire about 15 in. long, and bent as shown. The
A Hoox ror Carcuinc Fow ts
The upper illustration is a side view of the hook and part of the handle.
[136]
O ther Useful Devices
hook is fastened by wire to a fishing pole 8 or 10 ft. long for a
handle.
205. Candy Pail Furniture. Candy pails can usually be bought
at low cost at the stores. From these, excellent drinking fountains
and nests can be made after Mr. Cavanaugh’s patterns. The foun-
CAVANAUGHS CANDY-FAIL
FURNITURE.
Tue. STANDARD
qn ML
Userut Canpy-Pait FurNITURE
tain has the upper parts of two staves (about 4.x 5-in. openings)
removed. The nest has a couple of the staves cut away as shown.
The covers are left on, which keeps the water clean, and the
nest dark.
206. Roost Support. A simple wire roost support is shown. To
make it you will need a piece of stout galvanized wire, pieces of
heavy galvanized iron for the wall supports and eight round-
headed screws. The lengths of the different sides of the support
will be regulated by the size of the roost, but the length of the top
A should be 2 in. The roost should come within $ in. of the wall,
[137]
Built &F Used by Poultrymen
and a wire nail driven into the end as shown will keep it in place
and prevent its moving endways. If you make a new roost have
the rounded top on which the fowls rest 2 in. wide, and the depth
3 in. The roost should be planed on four sides and frequently
painted with liquid lice killer, or kerosene and coal tar, to pre-
vent lice or mites living on it.
ia dl 3
I i) ii |
—
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Mr. BarcHEetper’s APPLIANCES AND FresH-Artr Door
(A) rack for water pail. (B) arrangement for preventing food or water pans being
overturned. (C) fresh-air or ventilating door. The common muslin used. .
207. Wrinkles. Mr. Batchelder illustrates two useful appli-
ances and a fresh-air door. The rack for the water pail is held in
place by brackets, and is 12 in. above the floor. A common gal-
vanized iron pail is used and there is a hook in the wall for the
handle to catch on. The water and shelf will keep clean and the
pail cannot be tipped over.
This poultryman also shows a simple device to prevent water
and feed pails being upset. “Two wires, about the diameter of a
lead pencil and long enough to form hooks on the upper end and
extend into the ground a few inches at the lower end, are placed
[138]
Other Useful Devices
as shown in the illustration. This effectually prevents the chicks
or fowls from tipping the water or feed pans over, and will thereby
save many useless steps — to say nothing of the waste.
208. A Fresh-Air Door. Mr. Batchelder also uses a fresh-air
or ventilating door. This may be fitted to any poultry house, but
preferably to small colony houses that depend upon one window
A Stmpre Wire Roost Support
for light, and have but one door, and that at the center of the
sunny side. It is so simple that its construction is readily under-
stood. Common unbleached muslin over 1-in. mesh wire netting
covers the ventilating openings. “I have given this door a good
trial the year around,” said Mr. Batchelder, “‘and I find that it
works perfectly on a shed-roof, 7 x 9-ft. colony house facing the
south. No other door, window or ventilator is necessary.”
To the Reader— Have you built and used a house or any poul-
try appliance that is “just what the doctor ordered?” If you have,
will you not send us a description of it with a rough pencil sketch
if you can, so we can include it in the Fourth edition of this work?
We hope to improve on this edition and keep the designs right up
to date — and all practical. — THE Epiror.
[139]
Secrets of Crate Feeding
There's Money tn it!
Don’t Sacrifice Your Culls— Make
Money on Them
You can turn your losses into profit by crate fattening
your culls. You can triple your profits by crate feeding
your market and table fowls. Weight increased from 14
to 3 pounds in 18 to 21 days at a cost of 4 to 6 cents that
sells for 15 to 30 cents a pound. They gain because they
are fed the right foods in the right way and cannot
run it off.
SWIFT’S MANAGER SAYS:
“$10,000,000 is lost each year in this country by farmers
not putting their fowls on the market in proper condition
and 10,000,000 other dollars are lost because they do not
keep chickens of good breeding.” He also says that the
large packers will not feed hogs, or sheep, or cattle be-
cause there is no money in it, but they will feed chickens.
That statement should mean something to you.
SECRETS OF CRATE FEEDING
Is a book of 86 pages full of the information that will
make you money. It was edited by Mr. Frank Hare, now
employed by the U. S. Government. He was formerly di-
rector of milk feeding stations for the Canadian Govern-
ment; author of “Rearing Chickens for Packing Houses,”
and several other books. The book tells you how to make
the crates; where best to locate them; how, what and
when to feed; how to kill, dress, pack and ship and gives a
reliable list of commission men who will buy them.
PRIGEV52C ENGES
BIG FOUR POULTRY JOURNAL
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
HOW AND WHAT
OrREED POULTRY
EDITED BY DD." E; HALE
ness because the owner or manager did not know What and
How to Feed Poultry. It has been said that success or failure
depends on the man with the feed bucket. After years of prac-
tical experience in raising poultry and visiting poultry plants of
every description in various parts of the country, the editor has
put in book form not only many tested formulas but the reason why
as told by well known experts. ‘This book is the
7 lies because of dollars have been lost in the poultry busi-
Latest and Best Work on Feeding
You need this book if you keep ten chickens or ten thousand.
Some of the valuable subjects covered are as follows:
Feeding from Shell to Show Room Dry Mash for Chicks
Grain Mixture for Chicks Balancing Feeds
Cornell Dry Mash for Growing Pullets and Helping the Hens thru the Molt
Laying Hens Sprouting Oats
The Feeding of Hens in Confinement Ames Crate Fattening Ration
The Nutritive Ratio Cornell Grain Mixture
Preparing Pullets for Egg Production Dry Mash for Breeding Stock
Balanced Rations for Winter Eggs Corning Forcing Egg Mash
Deep Litter Feeding Color Feeding
Feeding Turkeys Various Experimental Station Rations
Milk as a Poultry Food And Many Other Useful Hints on Feeding
A Book for Handy Reference
The feeding rations of experimental stations such as Cornell,
Purdue, Ames, Connecticut and Missouri are given. ‘The best in-
formation by such feeding experts as Rice, Phillips, Quisenberry,
Lippincott, Good, Wysocki, Halbach, Hunter, Hale and others are
given in a form that is easy to refer to. You couldn’t really afford
to be without this book if it cost $5, but we want every person
keeping poultry to have a copy. Printed on good paper in large,
legible type; 92 Pages; illustrated.
PRICE 50 CENTS
PUBLISHED BY
BIG POUR FOULED RY) OUKN AE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
You Need
Big Four Poultry Journal
Because it has
The very best of writers giving you the latest
practical information on poultry raising — not
a lot of ‘‘re-hashed” information you have been
reading for years, but sound, practical informa-
tion thoroly tested by competent poultry raisers.
Its editorials are timely, snappy and fearless.
Bic Four is devoted to the poultry interests
of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan
and contains from one to two pages, each
month, of news items for each of those states.
It has a department devoted to the Junior
Poultry Clubs of the four states and also a de-
partment for the Bantam and Pet Stock fanciers,
with page after page of short, helpful articles.
YOU WILL LIKE BIG FOUR
One Year 50 Cents — Three Years $1.00
BIG FOUR POULTRY JOURNAL
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
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