POULTRY KEEPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 174, 24 July 1936, Page 14

POULTRY KEEPING.

SHED FLOORS.

DRAINAGE ESSENTIAL.

(By ORPINGTON.)

The flooring in the laying sheds may seem to the beginner to be unimportant, but dry litter has actually presented something of a problem even through the summer this year on account of the wet season. And while the warmth of the days between almost always allows the flooring to dry out early in the year, in the autumn and winter this is often not so. There is no doubt at all that laying birds, to do their best, must have dry quarters.

It is all very well to say that the health of tlie birds is better if they are kept hardy aiul that they cheerfully trail about on wet ground when on range. A bird in natural condition not only does not lay in winter, but at least has the opportunity of finding good shelter from stormy weather for herselt It is surprising how well layers on farm free range can keep themselves dry in wet weather. The best layer will get. her back wet a little in foraging for the worms that the rain brings along, but that is only temporary and one may be sure that she will have a snug dry spot in which to roost, of her own choice. And to keep hens, or even ducks, confined in a run where they must paddle in mud and where tlu? inside of their shed is little better, is seriously to affect the returns from the birds The first important point about keeping the poultry shed floors in good order is, of course, to have chosen the site well. Gravel, sand, volcanic soil or the porous type of pumice on a slight slope, preferably towards the sun, make welldrained floors an easy matter. For this purpose light, poor soils (from the gardener's point of view) are the best, while a substrata of scoria, glacier deposits, limestone or pumice is perfect. However, there can often lie little choice in the type of land and it remains to make the best of existing conditions.

The next consideration should be the matter of seeing that the poultry sheds are in a position sheltered from the prevailing and wettest winds. Where this is the south-west wind, matters are simplified, because the open front of the sheds should in any case face roughly north-east for the maximum sunshine But in the north and east of the North Island, it is the easterlies that bring the lashing sub-tropical rain storms, and then shelter trees or fences, as well as hoods over the windows of the sheds, are essential. Indeed, in any place exposed to the east there, it is advisable to face sheds north instead of the usual north-east. And more satisfactory results are gained by building the window openings to within three feet of the floor and fixing a sturdy hood overhead to protect them, than from making the window space smaller and higher and relying on the eave overhang for protection. Sunlight floods the floor more thoroughly in the first arrangement. Concrete, Bitumen, Rammed Earth. It is only natural that in a shed where the earth floor is built a little higher than the surrounding ground drainage will be better than where the whole is flat or (worse still) where the shed floor is below the surrounding level. This happens very often indeed, after the shed lias been in use for a year or two, through mixed earth and manure having been removed in the cause of hygiene and the soil not replaced. It is very heavy work filHng up an earth floor, and for that reason permanent poultry houses should be constructed so that the door end is in a position that can be reached by a cart and horse. Especially where dropping boards are not in use, the floor surface requires renewing about every three months where the birds are in their sheds much, and where the laying house is totally surrounded by a run with only a narrow gate the amount of work entailed is tedious and, consequently, often not carried out at all.

Apart from the usual rammed earth lloors, concrete ones are more often used in this country than any others at the present time. The concrete may be fairly coarse since it can, if necessary, be swilled to finish it off at cleaning time, but should be of a good depth. Any cracks that develop will soon be increased by the scratching of the birds. It should go well up into the corners, and an earth pit at the back of the shed under the perches (netted over/ will absorb much of the moisture of the nightly droppings which would otherwise stay in the litter. This pit should be sunk a little, requires no concrete, and needs cleaning much less frequently than dropping boards.

Better than concrete because it is more elastic, is not so cold nor so apt to collect the damp, is bitumen flooring. As with any other floor, this is best laid a little higher than the surrounding ground and is made exactly as the bitumen roadways are laid. This is proving most satisfactory on at least one of the biggest poultry plants in the country.

Wood floors, like those for a house, need to be made of seasoned wood, such as is almost impossible to obtain at the present time. Otherwise they must be very closely knit' or gaps will appear, even between tongued and grooved planks, which after a while allow litter, and the grain fed in it, to drop through, attracting vermin as well as being wasteful. Necessary Litter. Any poultry shed floor, other thart a slatted one, should be covered with litter of some kind so that the birds' droppings are absorbed by it and can so be readily removed. Otherwise an earth or wooden floor will absorb the liquid portion of the droppings and very soon becomes foiil and unhealthy, while concrete or bitumen cannot but remain damp in the winter. In either case, a perfect breeding place for internal parasites is created during anything but very dry weather. Further, it must be kept in mind that any layers which do not have real free range, and therefore spend much of their time in the sheds, should be encouraged to scratch just as they would for titbits among the grass or leaf mould, etc., outside. This is most satisfactorily accomplished by giving- them really deep, dry litter —six inches to a foot of it —rather than just sufficient to cover the floor. Grain buried in such litter will keep birds occupied in healthy exercise for many hours. On the other hand, should it be known that the birds have worms or coccidiosis to any extent, only a j little litter should be used so that it can be removed to be burnt frequently and with the minimum of labour.

The nature of tiie litter it is best to use in the fowl houses is a matter easily enough solved in the South Island and even tlio Manawatu, where some wheat 'and oats are grown. Wheat straw :<s the most absorbent and long lasting of the straws, but oats and barley are

fairly good. Some farmers feed the grain in the ear to their birds, to scratch it out for themselves. While this is splendid exercise for layers and saves threshing of course, it appears rather extravagant of straw (which requires to be removed from the sheds before it is really soiled) to a North Islander. In the North, straw is, in the writer's opinion, a great extravagance unless perhaps to use chaffed for the chicks, when it certainly is a great boon. On many a farm patches of fern can be scythed and, when dry, stored dry for winter use. This year the writer made the discovery that a crop of lucerne, discarded because it was ruined (as hay) by the rain, made most excellent litter and nesting material after it was dry, being quite on a par with wheat straw. But, of course, it is as well such a crop does not fall to one's use every year.

Wood shavings can be recommended where they are procurable for the taking away. This is the best possible litter for ducks if tliey are housed, being very absorbent. The shavings are a little apt to harbour vermin, especially if used in the nest boxes, but not, of course, if the nests have wire net! ing bottoms instead of wood. And if thi shavings are procurable for nothing where wheat straw is clear to buy, extra labour (should it be necessary, which is doubtful) can be afforded in cleaning out the houses a little more often.

Hay is not to be recommended either for litter or nests. It clogs and gets damp very quickly as well as harbouring lice and red mite readily. It is readily available, of course, and is all "right as a temporary measure, but in many places where poultry are kept, dry leaves, dry fern, pine needles, etc., can be gathered and sacked just now and stored ready for use in wet weather in order to keep the layers comfortable and therefore productive.