HOUSING OF POULTRY.

New Zealand Herald, 29 June 1914, Page 11

HOUSING OF POULTRY.

THE EFFECT ON PROFITS.

SOME USEFUL SUGGESTIONS. BT S.H.S, Should poultry be allowed to roost in trees in preference to houses? This is a subject that will interest farmers, as in nine cases out of ten they. allow their fowls to roost at night-time in the trees. It is no use expecting eggs in the autumn and winter months if your fowls are not housed. I do not mean houses that are boarded all round, when no fresh air or sun can enter. It is natural to give your poultry all the fresh air they can get. I am quite willing to grant that birds roosting in the trees are strong and healthy, but those birds will only lay in the spring when eggs are cheap, whereas those that aro properly housed should produce a good percentage of their eggs in tho dear season. Poultry foods are too dear in these days to keep fowls only for cheap egg production. At one time eggs were not so much sought after as tnev are now, ami if our industry is to go ahead poultry-keepers must realise that " tree sleepers" should not be allowed, iiud proper, sensiblo houses must be provided to secure best results in eggproduction. . Cheap Shelter Houses. It is not necessary to build expensive houses; in fact, all that is wanted is two ends, a back, and tho roof. Place the house facing the north or north-east, and leave all the front open. In case of bad weather, when tho wind and rain would blow right into the house, a curtain might be provided, and allowed to fall so as to cover part of tho front. In this country a curtain is really not a necessity, a little wash-out is sometimes a good thing. A good, sensible house must be draught-proof, and don't have houses with cracks; sleeping in the trees is miles ahead of a draughty house. Don't be afraid to provide open-fronted houses for your laying liens; you can allow your male birds to use the trees to advantage. Free Ventilation Necessary. In building houses (if you must keep your hens in until feeding time) provide wire netting fronts, with a door, also of netting. This will allow plenty of fresh air to enter and keep the fowlhouso nice and sweet. A good house is one of the most important parts of successful poultry-farming. A hen in good condition throws off a great amount of heat, in fact she has the same amount of heat in her body as a fair-sized boy. So when you are building a fowlhouse with sides, back, and front closed in, where no fresh air can enter, ask yourself how many boys could live in it and keep healthy. Warmth or Eggs? The reason why a hen cannot lay well in cold, winter weather when roosting in the trees is because all the feed you give her goes into keeping her blood heat at the proper temperature, and leaves nothing over to produeo eggs; therefore it is necessary to provide a certain amount of artificial protection from the cold by a well-built house with no draughts, so that a percentage of the food you provide her with will help produce eggs when eggs are hard to procure. It is no use anyone taking up poultry for profit if eggs connot be secured from his or her poultry during the dear season. It is the dear-egg production that spells success to many a poultry-keeper. Now, please don't run away with tho idea that a good fowlhouse should cost a lot of hard cash to be useful.

Cheap Houses.

If you go the right way about it a good, serviceable house for a dozen hens need not cost much, and although built cheaply a good coat of paint will take the cheap look away. I always think paint on a fowlhouse is money well spent, and improves things wonderfully. ' I don't advise wooden floors, for two reaspnscr—first, because wooden floors cost money and encourage rats, etc., and, secondly, because they are not as sanitary as a good, hard earth or concrete floor. I mention concrete because the poultrykeeper in the top*. are forced to use concrete floors for their fowlholiscs. The Earthen Floor.

I think the cheapest and most serviceable floor is made of hard earth, well rammed, and built up about 6in or a foot higher than the ground "outside, so as to keep dampness out. Damp floors are very bad indeed for poultry, and cause sickness'. Keep your {owlhouses clean by gathering up the "droppings at least once or twice a week, and make your perches SO that they will not encourage lice. To keep rats and other pests out, bury smallmesh Wire netting all around your house to a depth of 12in, and nail securely to the bottom beam of house. This will stop rats from making holes in the floor, and should keep them in their proper j place. __________ j