Upkeep of Housing for Domestic Poultry

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 2, 15 August 1950, Page 143

Upkeep of Housing for Domestic Poultry

ON some commercial poultry farms fowls are housed in such style that many household poultry keepers would contend the birds are given even more consideration than some farmers adopt toward the comfort and convenience of their families. Poultry kept in “sideline” lots of 200 or 300 are usually well housed, but many household units can only be classed as deplorable. In this month’s article for the

household poultry keeper

W. L. Mclver,

Mclver, Poultry Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Hamilton, stresses the importance of providing comfortable housing for the birds and keeping it in repair.

FEW backyard henhouses appear to be planned for the number of birds they ultimately hold. Perhaps a householder was unexpectedly presented with a couple of hens in the first place, but that is insufficient excuse for allowing an inadequate temporary structure to continue in use for years unaltered. Other houses perhaps were fairly well planned for 6 pullets, but are expected to accommodate 12 or more now. Some might

have been ideal many years ago when built by someone who understood and liked poultry, but successive owners, who felt it a pity not to use the housing because it was there, have neglected to restore depreciated portions and to keep repairs up to date. Some poultry housing was never suitable, mainly because of poor planning, lack of knowledge of what was needed for the birds, the use of inadequate materials, bad drainage, poor ventilation, or improper siting on the section.

Now is the time for the householder to take stock of his henhouseits state of repair, its cleanliness, whether the roof is waterproof and the walls ‘ are draughtproof, the condition of perches, nests, troughs, hoppers, and droppings board, the adequacy, of the floor litter, the ease with which the door can be opened and the latches operated, the state of the runs and fencing, and finally the convenience of the site. Factors io be Considered If the conclusion is reached that the housing does not give reasonable comfort to the fowls and is inconvenient for the person responsible for looking after them, repairs and modifications should not be delayed on the ground that the worst of the winter is past. If the house is considered past repair, a new one should be planned as quickly as possible. The most suitable situation on the section, not the poorest spot down the garden, is the correct site. On a flat section the henhouse may be built in the middle of the garden and a different quarter allocated as a run each year for 4 years, the other three quarters being cultivated under a 3-year crop-rotation system. A henhouse built with good materials will last for years and be an asset adding to the value of the property if it must be sold. The general principles of poultry keeping must be understood so that the house is built the proper size for the number of birds and provides comfort, ventilation, and convenience of feeding while reserving adequate space and suitable positions for the equipment necessary for running fowls with a minimum of labour. Points to be borne in mind when planning poultry housing are: Separate housing for pullets and hens; ventilation without draughts; the feeding system, including provision of greenfeed; ingress of sunshine; flooring and litter; runs and shade; equipment

which can be cleaned readily; hoppers and drinkers; and ensuring control of red mites, lice, and ailments. The birds may be considered to be producing quite, well in their present housing, even though rain leaks through the roof, winds whistle through cracks between the boards, and the run is a sea of mud after rain and almost bare of grass at the best of times. That fowls can lay heavily even in such circumstances and the extent to which they can withstand cold and miserable conditions are remarkable, but their body heat and maintenance, come first, so only the surplus food goes to produce eggs, and their digestive capacity is limited. One

obvious way to improve egg production is to decrease losses of body heat and leave more of their food after body maintenance for manufacturing eggs. Mistakes in Construction ;■ The laying house illustrated on this page obviously was built by somebody who wanted to treat the birds well. First-class timber went into its construction and a good-sized run with trees for shade was supplied. The wooden flooring was built high above the ground, partly to permit the soil beneath to dry out quickly after rain, but mainly so that the nests would be at a convenient height for the eggs to

be gathered. That could have been achieved with a lower floor. level, at the same time'leaving sufficient height inside for a person to stand upright instead of having to stoop to avoid hitting the head against the rafters. The worst mistake the builder made was to board in the front completely; no sunshine could enter the house when the door was closed. The present owner of the property sought advice about the housing, and the photographs were taken soon after portion of the front boards had been removed and replaced by wire netting but before the staging and ramp had been repaired. The perches and other fittings inside the house had not been made properly but could be altered easily. The fact that a friend or neighbour has a henhouse of a certain design or adopts a special feeding system does not mean that the design is the best or that no other system is suitable. A text-book may give a house design for the average situation in New Zealand and it may be left to the common sense of the reader to realise that amendments can be made to suit other districts. For example, in the laying house illustrated the nests could be placed on a side wall and the front wire netting carried down to floor level in a warm, sheltered area protected by hedges and trees. As important as building a henhouse properly is keeping it in repair and maintaining the equipment and fittings in working order. Doors, gates, and latches too often are left in disrepair, causing loss of time in attending to the poultry, apart from the nuisance and temper-wearing aspect of opening and shutting refractory gates. Labour is lessened if proper equipment is supplied and kept in condition. Equipment must be bought or made only once.