UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA POULTRY HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT J. E. DOUGHERTY and H. L. BELTON BULLETIN 476 Revised July, 1936 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA POULTRY HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT J. E. DOUGHEETY 1 and H. L. BELTON 2 Eevised by H. L. BELTON and V. S. ASMUNDSON 3 REQUIREMENTS OF A CALIFORNIA POULTRY HOUSE The fundamental purpose of a poultry house is to promote the comfort and health of the stock it houses. Shelter from rain, wind, and heat, rather than protection from intense cold, is the important requirement in California. Storm-tight and Dry. — Dryness checks the development of most disease organisms and increases the comfort of the birds. It is therefore an important essential of a well-designed poultry house. Ventilation without Drafts. — Ventilation is essential in a poultry house to supply the birds with enough fresh air to meet their body needs and to carry away the exhaled air and the unhealthful fumes arising from the droppings. Ventilation must be provided without injurious drafts from cracks, knot holes, etc., which would chill the birds while roosting and lead to colds and roup. Ventilation is needed ; drafts may be dangerous. Direct Sunlight in Winter. — In order to admit a maximum amount of direct sunlight in winter a poultry house should face south. Where this is not feasible, a southeast facing would be second in order of desira- bility ; and east, third. North is an undesirable direction in which to face a poultry house. The mere fact, however, of facing a poultry house south will not insure that a maximum amount of direct sunlight enters the house unless it is properly designed. For example, the sun's rays reach the earth in December in this latitude at an angle of approximately 25° from the horizontal. This means that rays of sunlight entering a poultry house in winter at a height of 8 VI feet (fig. 1) would extend back over the floor of a house 18 feet deep, nearly to the rear wall. If, however, the highest opening through which direct sunlight could enter were 6 feet above the ground, the sun's rays would extend into the house for a distance of only 13 feet. Hence the vertical length and the area of the openings in the front wall, as well as the direction in which the house faces, control the amount of direct sunlight that can enter the house. 1 Associate Professor of Poultry Husbandry and Associate Poultry Husbandman in the Experiment Station. Besigned, July 1, 1933. 2 Associate in Agricultural Engineering. 3 Assistant Professor of Poultry Husbandry and Assistant Poultry Husbandman in the Experiment Station. [3] 4 University of California — Experiment Station The poultry houses described in this bulletin have a shed roof, as this style of roof provides at low cost the size and shape of openings most effective in admitting winter sunlight. Sunlight increases the comfort of the birds in winter by bringing warmth and cheer into the poultry house. It is a powerful drying, dis- infecting, and purifying agent, and is nature's source of ultraviolet light. Coolness in Summer. — It is equally as desirable that a poultry house be cool in summer as it is that it be comfortably warm in winter. Fowls suffer extremely from high temperatures, particularly in late spring, Fig. 1. — Showing how the height and vertical length of the front openings affect the amount of sunlight that enters a poultry house in Decem- ber and the distance it extends back toward the rear wall. before they have become adjusted to hot weather. The mortality from this cause, especially in adult stock, may result in greater annual losses than from disease. Shade and a free circulation of air are perhaps the most practical means of keeping a poultry house cool and preventing losses from heat prostration. Sprinkling the floor sufficiently to dampen the litter, on abnormally hot days, aids in reducing the temperature of the interior of the house and thus makes the birds more comfortable. Large deciduous trees that shade the front and roof and are not too close to be objectionable represent one of the most desirable ways of protecting a poultry house from the hot summer sun, provided the birds are not given access to the wet or damp areas during or after the irri- gation of the trees. Ease of Cleaning. — The shape and construction of droppings board and roosts, as they affect ease of scraping off the droppings ; the size and shape of scraper used ; the capacity and ease of handling of manure box used in cleaning — all are important factors in saving time and effort. Cleaning is facilitated by stretching wire netting (fig. 2) or rods beneath the roosts to keep the birds away from and to prevent the pack- ing down of t he droppings. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment In a pen containing 150 fowls there accumulates between 12 and 14 pounds of dirt and manure on the droppings board in a day. If these boards were cleaned daily, a litter carrier would be found very con- venient and amply large to handle in one trip the manure from a 200- foot house. In cleaning the floor of a poultry house of this length, preparatory to putting in clean litter, 8 or more wheelbarrow loads of dirty litter must Fig. 2. — Detail showing construction of a section of roosts with wire netting stretched under them. Netting with 1%-inch mesh is recommended for this purpose. A larger mesh permits eggs laid on the wire to fall through and break or get badly soiled; the droppings do not readily pass through a smaller mesh. be removed; an overhead carrier is limited in capacity and would necessitate too many trips to handle this amount of litter expeditiously. On page 44 are described removable 8-foot panels, at the house end of each line fence which permit the passage of a suitable-sized conveyance in front of the house so that all the litter from any one pen may be re- moved at one time. Well-drained, Durable Floor. — Scratching litter is a source of much dust, consisting as it does of more or less pulverized litter and droppings, and the dirt tracked in from out-of-doors. Every ledge accumulates a layer of dust. Cobwebs also accumulate rapidly. Fresh droppings are tramped into the floor and dry fast. A large part of this material may be removed with scraper, shovel, and broom, but much of it cannot. Yet in disinfecting surfaces coated with even thin layers of dirt, the effi- ciency of the application is greatly reduced, for the disinfectant is 6 University of California — Experiment Station absorbed by the dirt before it can reach and kill the germs. 4 To thor- oughly clean a hen house from ceiling to floor, it should be scrubbed and hosed out before it is disinfected. In hosing out a house having a board floor, the boards will absorb a great deal of water, unless they have been thoroughly impregnated with oil, and will in time curl or dish making the floor corrugated and difficult to scrape. It is also rather difficult to lay a board floor so that it will drain well. A concrete floor, on the other hand, is more easily scraped, does not splinter, is not affected by water, and can readily be laid to TABLE 1 Recommended Floor Space per Bird Number of birds in a pen Light breeds, such as Leghorns Heavy breeds, such as Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rocks 1-75 76-125 Over 125 3H sq. ft. floor space 3 sq. ft. floor space 2 X A sq. ft. floor space i x /2 sq'. ft. floor space 4 sq. ft. floor space 3/^ sq. ft. floor space provide ideal drainage conditions. In most instances a concrete floor is also as low in first cost as a good board floor and will last indefinitely, whereas wood is subject to decay. Floor and Roosting Space and Pen Capacity. — Crowding is detri- mental, whereas giving birds more house room than they can effectively use increases investment and operating costs. The recommended minimum floor space per bird when housed in lots of more than 125 per pen is 2 1 /2 square feet per bird (table 1). When housed in larger groups there may be a loss due to the increased hazards from disease, etc., resulting in decreased production. There are also considerable data to show that large flocks do not lay as well as smaller flocks because of the increased competition among the birds for feed and water, and the greater opportunity for cumulative action of the stronger against the weaker birds. The consideration of roosting space is also important in determining the hen capacity of a poultry house or a pen within that house. For light breeds such as Leghorns, 6 linear inches is considered the minimum, and 8 linear inches the optimum amount of roosting space needed per bird. For the larger breeds, such as Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rocks these measurements should be increased 2 inches. The minimum amount of roosting space would probably be found sufficient in cold weather but in hot weather the birds would be crowded too close together. 1 See: Beach, -J. 1>., and 8. B. Freeborn. Diseases and parasites of poultry in Cali- fornia. California Agr. Ext. Cir. 8:1-110. Revised 1936. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 7 The 18 x 20 foot unit shown in this bulletin will accommodate 150 birds, allowing approximately 2% square feet of floor area per bird. It is equipped with a droppings board 5 feet 6 inches wide and five roosts allowing the optimum (8 inches) of roosting space per bird. This ar- rangement has proved economical from the management standpoint for the poultryman who desires to maintain his flock in small units, as for breeders, for trapnesting, and for pullets of different ages or when the unit is desired as a brooding pen. For the poultry keeper who desires to maintain his flock in larger units, a pen double the unit size, or 18 feet deep and 40 feet long, and with a capacity of 300 birds of the light breeds (table 1), may be con- structed for layers. This size pen is readily obtainable by removing the partition between pens, forward of the droppings board. If more than the recommended number of birds is to be kept in such a pen it will be necessary to move the partition doors one foot forward, widen the droppings board to 6 feet 6 inches, and install six roosts. Location of Equipment. — The side and front walls of a poultry house are the most desirable locations for equipment. The side walls are rec- ommended for nests ; at least 10 inches of nesting width for each 6 hens should be provided. Green feed, grit and shell hoppers, and water may be located on the front wall. Four linear feet of greens-hopper feeding space, 2 linear feet of grit and shell-hopper space and 3 linear feet 5 of watering space should be provided for each 100 fowls. Trough-type movable floor hoppers for mash (and grain if desired) are recommended. One linear inch of feeding space per hen is sufficient. All equipment should be so designed that it may be readily removed from the house to facilitate cleaning. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS A poultry house is usually a long-time investment. Depreciation and cost of up-keep determine the economy of the construction and of the materials used. Concrete for Foundation. — A reasonably level, well-drained site and a concrete foundation are most desirable for a poultry house. A concrete foundation is durable, it holds the woodwork from contact with the moist ground that would promote rotting, and it prevents surface water from seeping into the house during heavy rains. Building a house off the ground on blocks or posts makes for incon- venience and increased labor in carrying feed and equipment up and 5 Twice this amount may be required in hot weather/ 8 University of California — Experiment Station down steps and in using runways down to the yard for the fowls. Unless the underneath space is well ventilated the floor as well as the sills will be subject to more or less rapid decay. Further, unless the house is high enough above the ground for a small dog to run underneath, it may soon become infested with rats. There are conditions, however, requiring the building of a poultry house on blocks or posts as, for example, when it is built on a steep slope. This type of construction is shown in figure 25, but is not recommended if it can be avoided. Building Dimensions and Stock Lengths of Lumber. — The stock lengths into which the framing lumber used in a poultry house is manu- factured, are 10 to 20 feet, in even feet. Longer lengths are obtainable but are not always stocked by local lumber dealers. Long lengths usually cost more than short lengths. These facts have been taken into consid- eration in fixing the dimensions of the houses described in these pages, as will be observed by detailed study of the plans, and every effort has been made to eliminate waste wherever possible in cutting the lumber. Grades and Kinds of Lumber. — The low walls of a poultry house readily lend themselves to placing siding lumber vertically and to the use of short lengths of lumber. Surfaced tongue-and-groove lumber laid vertically is recommended for the exterior walls of a poultry house. Defects such as pitch pockets and small, tight knots, usually found in the cheaper grades do not detract from its value for wall siding. It usually sells for less than a suitable grade of 1 x 12 inch boards and battens. It lays up well and makes a tight wall. It is surfaced so that it takes less material and labor to paint than do rough boards and offers less favorable environment for parasites. CONSTRUCTION DETAILS Constructing a Concrete Foundation and Floor. — A concrete floor and foundation for a poultry house may be constructed by two different methods. The usual method is to pour the walls of the foundation first and later put in the floor. The floor, however, may pull away from the foundation wall and leave a crack all around unless tied to it with metal reinforcing. This method of construction is also more expensive. The second method is to pour both floor and foundation together as shown in figures 3 and 4. With either type of construction, the proper height of the foundation wall is first determined and the corner stakes of the building driven. Then the estimated amount of material needed for the fill should be hauled in or scraped in with a Fresno scraper before work is begun on Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 9 the forms. This eliminates the extra shoveling that would be required if the fill were not put in until after the foundation wall forms were in place. The fill should be made with damp earth, not more than 3 inches in depth at any one time, and firmly tamped into place to prevent settling that would damage the floor. On adobe or heavy soil the earth fill should receive an additional treatment of 1% to 2 inches of sand or fine gravel fill to insure a good floor. In using the second method, only the outside forms for the foundation wall are used and the end- wall forms are given a slope of 3 inches from Fig. 3. — Poultry house floor and foundation under construction. Note the form construction and that the floor and foundation are being poured together. /^-^3' s/ope , rear to front ^4 m^XZMgiTf&fftfgm Sntt round surface? V/// ^ 0ra j e Fig. 4. — Cross section of floor and foundation. Note slope of floor and thickness of foundation wall ; also fill under floor. rear to front. The front-wall forms are therefore 3 inches lower than the rear-wall forms. This gives the finished concrete floor that amount of fall from rear to front. On level, well-drained land the floor can be as low as 5 inches above the ground at the front of the house. After installing the outside-wall forms, the fill should be carefully graded so that the top of the fill will be 2% inches below the tops of the forms. With a well-firmed fill, a floor 2% inches thick will be found heavy enough for a hen house. To provide a foundation wall, a narrow trench should be dug all around the house just inside the forms. (Figs. 3 and 4) . This trench need not be over 6 inches wide but should be deep enough to keep rats from burrowing under the foundation wall. If the inside wall of the trench tends to cave in, it can be sloped inward toward the center of the house 10 University of California — Experiment Station or a 1 x 12 inch board can be used as a retaining board. This board need not extend above the top of the earth fill and can be slipped out just before the concrete for any section of the floor is poured. Concrete Materials. 6 — As previously indicated concrete is very desir- able for the construction of poultry-house foundations and floors if the slope of the land will permit its use and the materials for the mixing of the concrete are not too expensive for the purpose. Three dollars and fifty cents per cubic yard for such concrete aggregate as sand and gravel and ninety cents per bag for cement is not considered too high a price for such materials for use in the building of a poultry house intended to last ten years or more. The proper mixing of the concrete as well as the method of construc- tion must receive consideration if durable, well-finished concrete floors are to be obtained. Sand and pebbles, known as aggregates, should be clean, free from fine dirt, loam, clay, or vegetable matter. These materials are objection- able because they prevent adhesion between cement and particles of sand. The coarse aggregates, crushed stone or pebbles, should be fairly hard and range in size from V4 i ncn up to 1 inch. The sand or fine aggre- gate should be well graded and vary in size from fine up to VI inch. If creek gravel is used samples should be screened to make certain that it contains approximately the correct proportions of fine and coarse aggregate recommended for the mix. Otherwise sufficient of the excess size should be screened out and the pile remixed to bring the aggregates to the desired proportion. Poorly proportioned aggregates, in a concrete mix or a mix that does not contain the proper amount of cement, may under certain conditions, provide a fairly satisfactory floor for a poultry house. Damp floors and moist litter in both brooder and laying houses are usually caused by the dry litter absorbing moisture from below through concrete that has been poorly constructed. This condition is most detrimental to the health of the fowls and to correct such a fault- is usually more expensive than the first cost of a good floor. Concrete Mix, Finish, and Curing. — A 1 : 2V4 : 3 concrete mix using 6 gallons of water to each sack of cement is recommended for the poultry- house floor. This means 1 sack or 1 cubic foot of cement, 2% cubic feet of fine aggregate, and 3 cubic feet of coarse aggregate. When damp aggre- gates are used 5% gallons of water will generally make a workable con- crete. Some tamping will be required, after which the surface should be gone over with a wooden float to produce an even surface free from 6 Valuable literature on the mixing and use of concrete can be obtained on applica- tion to the Portland Cement Association, 564 Market St., San Francisco. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 11 humps and hollows, and then finally finished with a steel trowel, pro- ducing a smooth dense finish. Moisture is essential for the proper hardening of concrete. A covering of 2 or 3 inches of sand or straw which is kept moist for 6 or 8 days by sprinkling is recommended when the concrete is exposed to wind or sun . This covering should be put on just as soon as the concrete is hard enough to prevent marring of the surface. Wall Framing and Siding. — Bolts spaced approximately 5 feet apart should be embedded in the concrete to hold the sills rigidly to the con- crete floor. The house frame (fig. 24) contains the minimum amount of material consistent with good practice. It should therefore be properly fitted and nailed together. The tongue-and-groove lumber recommended for wall siding should be laid vertically, top-nailed and blind-nailed to the sill and plates, and blind-nailed to all intermediate rails or braces. A careful selection of material to secure a tight, draft-proof rear wall about the roosting area is particularly important. Roof Framing and, Sheathing. — Rafters 2x4 inches in size and spaced 2 feet on centers and properly supported by a girder to shorten the span between front and rear wall (at E figs. 23, 24) , are recommended for the poultry-house roof. Matched roof sheathing preferably with a lap joint is desirable, although surfaced and sized 1x6 inch boards may be used. When roofing paper is used the sheathing must be dry, as cracks resulting from shrink- age permit the movement of air under the roofing paper and the damage resulting shortens the life of the roofing paper considerably. Roofing Materials. — Roofing paper is one of the most economical materials that can be used for a poultry-house roof. If a good grade of 3-ply paper is used and is coated every two or three years with a good quality of asphalt roofing paint containing asbestos, it should last in- definitely as far as deterioration of the paper itself is concerned. The slogan : "Save the surface and you save all," applies even more forcibly to a paper roof than it does to lumber. Laying roofing paper up and down the roof so that the strips of paper extend across the sheathing boards rather than parallel to them insures obtaining a more solid nailing of the paper. When the roofing is laid parallel to the sheathing boards, so many roofing nails are driven close together into one board that it is very apt to split and the nails are loosened. With the strips of roofing paper extending up and down the roof, the line of nails extends across the boards and the nails are suffi- ciently far apart to prevent splitting the boards. The lap should be laid in the direction of the heaviest winds : then these winds will not blow 12 University of California — Experiment Station against the laps and tend to tear the paper loose. Methods of fastening the roofing paper at the edges of the roof and of installing gutters are shown in figures 5 and 6. Corrugated galvanized sheets of 26-gauge material and carrying not less than 2 ounces of zinc galvanizing per square foot may be used for I' SHCATHI/VG S '--_ ^sxc/a boa/^d r shcatwkg - TAC/A BOA/f-O PIAPCJ? f SHCATMMG Fig. 5. — Methods of fastening roofing paper at the edges of the roof. a. i. Gutter Wood Boa Gutter. Built up of /"a A* stock /umber. Stock O. G. Wood Gutter -Different styles of gutters and how to install them on a shed-roof poultry house. the poultry-house roof. To prevent so-called sweating, which causes moisture to drip from the roof and dampen the litter, galvanized sheets must be laid on tight sheathing as noted above for roofing paper. When laid on scantlings without sheathing, sweating may occur in the winter season — during periods of low temperature and high humidity. The kind of roofing materials used has very little if any effect on the interior temperatures of the open-front shed-roof poultry house described in this bulletin. Bttl. 47fi] Poultry Houses and Equipment 13 Partitions Between Pens. — As shown in figure 23 each partition is made solid to the top of the partition door header, with 2-inch mesh wire netting above. This construction helps prevent cross drafts on the floor and over the roosts but allows of a free circulation of air under the roof — an important consideration in summer. Where the partitions are to be boarded up horizontally, partition sills can be omitted if short lengths of %-inch iron rod or Vo-inch bolts are ■3tuds notched for doorc/eo/s ]E 3 rzi Sheathing \ h/nge Outside Doors Co// Spr/na hinge' /^Spring Interior Doors % 3Z2 *^ Latch Fig. 7. — Plan for the construction of outside doors and of double-swing inside doors for a poultry house. (See J, fig. 23.) set in the concrete floor and the projecting ends inserted snugly into holes bored in the ends of the partition studs to hold them solidly in place. When a partition is omitted to increase the size of pen, that por- tion from the rear wall to the front edge of the droppings board should remain. It helps prevent cross drafts. Hanging Double-Swing Partition Doors. — There are a number of ways of hanging double-swing doors but about as satisfactory and inex- pensive a method as any is shown in figure 7. Two or three strap hinges, 4 inches in size, are attached to a light door on the side opposite to that on which they would ordinarily be attached. They are then fastened to the door frame in the usual way. With this method of attaching the hinges, the door is not flush with the frame but is offset its own thickness. 14 University of California — Experiment Station It will open 90° in each direction giving a full door opening for the passage of a litter carrier. To make it self-closing, coil door springs % inch in diameter and 16 inches long are attached by one end to the top of the door on each side and at the other end to an adjacent rafter. A screen- door closer with a strong spring attached to each side of the door frame 16 inches higher than the front edge of the droppings board serves to hold the door closed when it is brought back to the closed position by the coil springs. To work properly, the partition door should be made of very light material such as V2- mcn resawed lumber. Outside Doors. — All outside doors are made of the same material as the walls, tongue-and-groove lumber laid vertically. In placing the sid- ' : ^^m£^'i9Ml:-B' l 'S y r " 't I::'-'-, ■". '■£ : Fig. 8. — Rear view of laying house showing rear windows below droppings board. ing lumber around the door openings, it should stop an inch from the inside edges of the 2x4 inch frame (fig. 7) . This will allow the door to fit flush with the wall siding and lap the door frame 1 inch at top and sides. The bottom of the door may extend down as far as desired. The door cleats should extend the full width of the door in order to get a firm nailing for the outside boards, and the frame mortised to receive the ends of these cleats. Rear Windows. — The trim for the window sash in the rear wall should be nailed in place after the wall has been completely sided and before the window openings are cut. Top and bottom trim should be firmly nailed to each siding board to be cut. Cutting these openings after the wall is finished is usually a better method than fitting around the open- ings as the siding is put on. Each opening should be cut 1 inch smaller all around than the sash so that it will lap the opening 1 inch on all sides and thus fit more tightly when closed (cut opening 16 x 28 inches for an 18 x 30 sash) . The top of the opening should be 2 inches below the 2 x 4 inch rail supporting the rear edge of the droppings board. This provides Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 15 Fig. 9. — San Gabriel type curtain with top tipped out to admit sunlight into house. Plan for the construction of this curtain is shown in figure 10. Cut for £5 onq/e Fig. 10. — Detail showing construction of San Gabriel curtain. a nailing for the wire netting which can be most easily attached to the inside of these openings before the droppings board is constructed. To increase air circulation in hot weather, windows in the rear wall (fig. 8) near the floor have been found very helpful. They light the floor under the droppings board and when they are opened on hot summer 16 University of California — Experiment Station days, the circulation of air over the floor and through the house is ma- terially increased. This adds to the comfort of the birds. Curtains. — Curtains on the front of a poultry house are used pri- marily as a protection against winter storms and cold winds. In some sections of the state it may be desirable that they serve as a sun shade. In the summer months, however, the sun's rays reach the earth from a high angle by midmorning ; therefore the interior of a poultry house facing Fig. 11. — Sliding-type curtains in use on a poul- try house in the Santa Kosa district. Plan for the construction of this curtain is shown in figure 12. ATTACHED BY 3C/?£W5 4- SLIDING CURTAIN Ff?/\MEr Fig. 12. — Detail showing installation of a sliding curtain. The dimensions and loca- tion of studding in above figure are shown on floor plan figure 27. The curtain frame is of simple construction. The retaining strip on one side is attached with screws as indicated so that it can be easily detached in order to remove the curtain frame. south would receive very little direct sunlight after 10 :00 a.m. and prac- tically none at noon. The discussion which follows on curtains and glass sash will enable the poultryman to' better select the type of front best suited for his needs. The so-called San Gabriel curtain 7 illustrated in figures 9 and 10 is intended for use in those localities which are subject to more or less mild storms. Those parts of the state, however, which have sufficiently mild nights in fall and winter and such light rains that this curtain could cope with them are much less extensive than the areas requiring more complete protection than this curtain affords. With the top tipped back against the house, it serves as a sunshade in hot weather and to keep out rain in winter. In cool, dry weather the top is tipped out on sunny days so that direct sunlight can enter. A curtain 7 This curtain is believed to have originated in the San Gabriel Valley. Bui, 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 17 of this kind would be useless in preventing rain from being blown under it into the house and wetting the interior during a driving rainstorm. The sliding curtain shown in figure 11 offers protection from rain mmmi %%% UV%vmmt. Fig. 13. — The three-purpose curtain. Some are shown held out at the bottom to shade the open front without re- stricting ventilation; others are closed down as they would be in stormy weather. In the frontispiece, these curtains are also shown with inner panels open to admit direct sunlight into the house. Details of the construction of this curtain are shown in figures 14 and 26. Curtv/n - support hook Fig. 14. — Detail showing construction of three-purpose curtain. For further details see figure 26. and wind. It may be raised or lowered to regulate the size of the open- ing for the admission of air and direct sunlight. When raised high enough to cover all of the open front, it is storm tight. It will not serve, however, as a shade or awning in hot weather. The use of a sliding cur- tain would curtail the vertical length of the opening unless a curtain 18 University of California — Experiment Station with a drop panel were used as shown in figure 11. This latter arrange- ment would not reduce the amount of direct sunlight that could enter the house. A disadvantage of the vertically sliding curtain is that if the bottom of the curtain should reach close to the ground when lowered it would, unless especially protected, accumulate mud and dirt that would make the curtain unsightly and hasten the rotting of the muslin. The three-purpose curtain shown in figure 13 was designed to provide a storm-tight covering for the open front in bad weather and shade the open front in hot weather without interfering with the entrance of direct sunlight when desired. With the entire curtain extended out from the bottom as shown in figure 13 it shades the interior of the house in summer. With the hinged panels swung open (frontispiece) sunlight can enter. The front is storm and wind-proof when the panels are closed and fast- ened against the house at the bottom (fig. 13) . Both the sliding and three-purpose curtain can be closed at night in cold weather to protect the birds from raw winds and increase their comfort. The principal criticism that has been made of the three-purpose cur- tain is that each curtain on the poultry house must be operated individ- ually. Poultry keepers would naturally prefer to manipulate all of the curtains on a house from one end by means of ropes and pulleys. This can be done with the sliding and San Gabriel curtains, but no one has yet succeeded in mechanically operating the three-purpose curtain in groups to provide shade, admit sunshine, or keep out storms. Muslin or canvas-covered frames for storm curtains have a life of about two and one-half years ; seldom does a curtain serve three win- ters' use. To prolong the life of the muslin used on curtains a heavy unbleached grade should be obtained and the edges of the cloth should be treated with a waterproofing compound after being tacked in place and before the molding strips are put on. 8 The purpose of this treatment is to waterproof the cloth where it comes in contact with the wood frame. Due to an accumulation of dust in the cracks where the muslin is nailed to the frame and to the absorption of moisture by this dust, as well as by the wood, the cloth touching the frame dries out after a storm much more slowly than the rest of the muslin and if not treated rots out in a short time. It usually rots first at the bottom because of the water's run- ning down the curtain and causing the bottom strip of wood as well as 8 A full discussion of waterproofing compounds will be found in : Holman, H. P., and T. J. Jarrell. Waterproofing and mildewproofing of cotton duck. U. 8. Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bui. 1157:1-10. 1931. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 19 the cloth to become wetter than other parts. Tacking the muslin securely along its lower edge and leaving off the bottom molding strip will cause less absorption of water at this point and permit more rapid drying. Glass Window Sash. — Glass window sash on the poultry-house front offers the most secure protection against winter storms and cold winds. Fig. 15. — A recently constructed shed-roof poultry house showing sash-covered openings. A / '/z incne& square Sash *x 7 z' a s-r Fig. 16. — Part section of plan showing location of front wall studding and sash, and methods of installation. The hanging-strip A extends the full height of the sash on the hinge side and across its top. From late spring until early fall when the house front may remain more or less open the sash may be removed entirely and stored. Sash that swing out and lay back against the house front, in the open position are recommended. The full opening is then available for direct sunlight during the hours of sunshine in the winter months. Four sash, each 2 feet wide by 5 feet 1 inch high (stock size) to each 20 feet of house front will provide sufficient light for the birds (fig. 15) . For economical installation the sash should be hinged to a wooden strip 20 University of California — Experiment Station that will permit them to lay against the face of the house in either the closed or open position (fig. 16). This type of construction eliminates window sills and provides a storm-tight front. Glass Substitutes. — The ultraviolet rays of sunlight have been found to possess properties similar to those of vitamin D in bringing about a normal utilization of the calcium and phosphorus consumed in the ra- tion, thereby preventing rickets, aiding in the fullest production of eggs TABLE 2 Total Transmissions of Various Glasses, When New, for the Ultraviolet Solar Eays to which Common Window Glass Is Opaque Trade name Fused quartz Helioglass* Vita glass* Oel-o-glasst Quartz-lite* Flexo-glassJ Common window glass . Per cent transmission 92 50 50 20 5 1 to 5 * Different brands of special glass for the transmission of ultraviolet rays, t This consists of galvanized window screening coated with cellulose acetate. j A loosely woven cloth coated with a paraffin preparation. of good shell quality, and promoting health. Sunlight, which passes through ordinary window glass loses most of its value in this respect because window glass niters out nearly all of the ultraviolet rays. On the other hand the Kansas Station (1926) 9 found that 33 per cent of the ultraviolet rays in sunlight passed through medium-weight mus- lin whereas 25 per cent passed through Cel-o-glass and only 10 per cent passed through Glass Cloth. The heavier the muslin used, however, and the more filled the pores of the cloth become with dust and dirt, the more impervious it undoubtedly is to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. These facts have given rise to a widespread demand for a durable sub- stitute for glass and muslin that would prove effective over long periods in transmitting the ultraviolet rays of the sun. There are now on the market a number of these products which are being more or less exten- sively used and in the comparative merits of which poultrymen are keenly interested. While they are being constantly improved, they have not in the past proved more durable than muslin when used throughout the year. 9 Payne, L. F. Eelative efficiency in transmitting ultra-violet light of Cel-o-glass, Glass Cloth, and muslin. Kansas Agr. Exp. tSta. Cir. 122:14. 1926. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 21 The Bureau of Standards 10 of the United States Department of Com- merce has completed tests of a number of these glass substitutes and their finding's are briefly given in table 2. Ventilation System. — Ventilation that can be regulated is provided for by the open front, by windows in the rear wall, and by openings be- tween rafters over the rear wall; openings between rafters over the front wall also serve for ventilation but these are fixed openings. Fig. 17. — Section of rear wall showing hinged board to regulate ventilation above rear-wall plate and between rafters. The width of hood is variable according to local climatic conditions. Materials for the hood may be fiberboard, plaster board, or tongue-and-groove lumber. The flow of air between rafters over the rear-wall plates is regulated by baffle boards hinged as at A, figure 17. Three boards to each 20 feet of house are recommended. The center board permits passage of air be- tween three rafters, or the center 4 feet of the house ; the two remaining boards control 8 feet of opening each side of the center. To guard against injurious drafts or too great a volume of air entering from the rear openings and striking downward upon the birds, it may be necessary to provide a hood directly over the roosts, to conduct the air more nearly to the center of the house. This is accomplished by seal- ing the underside of the rafters with fiberboard, or plaster board, or tongue-and-groove lumber. The width of hood extending outward from the rear wall is dependent entirely upon the velocity and movement of air as it enters the house ; usually a 2-foot width for the 4-foot center baffle only, is sufficient, although in some localities a hood the full depth 10 The ultra-violet transmission of various new glasses and window glass substi- tutes as compared with that of common window glass. U. S. Dept. Commerce, Bur. Standards Letter-Circular 235, third revision. 1928. 22 University of California— Experiment Station of the droppings board may be required. In the winter months the open center baffle at the rear and the front-wall openings between rafters generally provide adequate ventilation. In extremely cold weather the baffle may be closed. On mild winter days the front curtains or sash may TJ 11 T T to' m ~aV aa" -\e'\- Fig. 18. — Method of constructing a fowl door that slides horizontally. A wider door than the one shown may be found more convenient when using a catching crate. Ik- to" -A Fig. 19. — Method of constructing a fowl door that slides vertically. be opened to admit direct sunlight. In the summertime the front, and all baffle boards and windows may be opened. The means are thus provided to regulate ventilation as local condi- 1 ions and seasonal changes require ; but poultrymen must determine for i hoiiselves the most satisfactory way to regulate these openings for their region. Results of tests conducted over a two-year period indicate that mov- ing the droppings board 6 to 8 inches forward of the rear wall to create Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 23 a circulation of air about the roosting area on still hot nights did not seemingly have any beneficial effect upon the birds ; likewise there were no noticeable changes in the house temperature about the roosting area. Fowl Door. — The fowl door is usually placed near the corner of each pen so that the birds can be more easily driven out of the house into a catching coop set against the outside of this door. A door opening 10 to 12 inches high and nearly as wide as the end of the catching coop should prove more convenient than a smaller opening when using the coop in culling, transferring, etc. The door is made % inch larger all around than the opening and slides in wooden guides. A center cleat on the door keeps it from warping and serves as a hand-hold. Figures 18 and 19 show the construction of a small fowl door that slides sideways and one that slides up and down. These doors can be made any size desired. /"a 6' Facia board S4j- 2"Rxi/try netting Fowl opening Curta/n Support Fig. 20. — Front view of a 20-foot section of the commercial laying house. For detail plans of curtains, curtain supports, fowl door, and front door see figures 7, 14, 18, 19, 26. COMMERCIAL LAYING HOUSE The laying house described below (figs. 20-28) has been designed to meet the requirements of poultry keepers operating on a commercial scale. It is 18 feet deep and the rear studs have been made 5% feet long in order to raise the roof sufficiently high to provide ample head room for hanging a litter carrier just in front of the droppings board (figs. 21 and 23) . Each partition wall has a double-swing door that will allow the passage of a large litter carrier. The front door in each pen provides ready access to the yard to operate the curtains, remove litter, and look after birds. 24 University of California— Experiment Station s. ""§Bf a bX si | o .rt -I— ^ QQ o o OS ?H "? OS. Jh S to J I § g S § 2 2 <» 2 13 bio 'C a ^ "^ ^ o ^ s« w r; ffl a « 2* "-+3 o OP a; co t> 00 00 o co a %i go be Q'M.B P*H -S 9 •g O Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 25 Fig. 22. — Bear view of a 20-foot unit of the commercial laying house, showing location of Avindows and fowl door and method of laying roofing paper. See text for discussion on rear windows and figure 18 for detail of fowl opening. Fig. 23. — Interior view of the construction of the commercial laying house. At A and B are shown the partition construction. A is horizontal sheathing, B the 2 -inch mesh poultry netting above. If side-wall nests are used the rail C can be dropped low enough to act as a rest for the nests and another 2x4 inch rail inserted above the nests. The side-wall sheathing will nail to these rails as well as to the sill and end rafter. J), D are the rear windows (see figs. 22 and 8) . E is the 2 x 6 inch girder sup- porting the rafters. At F are the front legs of the droppings board and at G the center support of the droppings board which extends up to support the girder E. At H and / are the braces in the rear wall, end wall, and partition walls (see fig. 24). At J is the removable kick board in the partition door frame over which the door swings to keep it clear of the litter. The hood about the roosting area may be omitted (see page 21). 26 University of California — Experiment Station ^•-^ Fig. 24. — Framing details of a 20-foot unit of the commercial laying house. At the right is shown the framing of a partition wall. Fig. 25. — This method of constructing foundation and floor is used where the ground slopes so much that a concrete foundation and floor would be too costly. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 27 In constructing the house with pens 40 feet long a change is necessary in the framing of the front wall if but one door in the center of each 40- foot section is desired. This is shown in figure 28. All other dimensions ^3 Mus//n =si Muslin E^ Muslin £2' 7'Q' as' Fig. 26. — Detail of curtain for commercial laying house. For further construction details see figure 14. remain the same as for the house with 20-foot sections, shown in figure 27. Particular attention is called to the slope of the concrete floor as shown in figure 21. A 3-inch slope to the front wall greatly facilitates scrubbing and hosing out the house. 28 University of California — Experiment Station Fowl opening, =*>>m *~ Fig. 27. — Floor plan of one 20-foot section of the commercial laying house. At the left is shown the partition construction and at the right the end-wall construction. Only one section is shown as all the sections of any length of house would be alike. See text for discussion of floor and foundation. Fig. 28. — Recommended changes in the front-wall framing and changes in the location of the curtains when only one front door is desired in each 40-foot unit. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 29 COMMERCIAL BROODER HOUSE It is true that chicks can be brooded in either a commercial laying house or a farm poultry house. They can also be brooded in one end of a barn, if it is properly fixed for the purpose, or in almost any outbuilding that is sufficiently warm and light. In fact poultry keepers just starting into the business may find it advisable to use their laying houses and other available buildings for brooding until such time as they are needed for other purposes. L Fowl Opening li' Fbcia B rf J $4' floor Drv/n Each Comparfmenf Fig. 29. — Front elevation of one 20-foot unit of brooder house. Fig. 30. — Rear elevation of brooder house showing extension of roof over the supply and utensil room. In building up the laying flock to the size desired, laying houses must be built in advance of the stock being reared to fill them so that they can be used to brood the stock that is later to occupy them as layers. The poultryman can, therefore, postpone investment in a special brooder house until after all of the laying houses have been built. When, however, a brooder house is built, it should be of such design as to save labor and thus make it possible to obtain the maximum results in rearing the chicks. The brooder house shown in figures 29-33 has been designed to meet these requirements. 30 University of California — Experiment Station Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 31 32 University of California — Experiment Station An alleyway at the rear is provided as it is one of the most convenient and labor-saving features that can be incorporated into a long brooder house and is, therefore, worth many times its cost. In a house with an alleyway more frequent trips will usually be made through the house to look at the chicks because such trips can be made with less trouble ; TABLE 3 Mortality of Chicks as Affected by the Number Brooded Together* Number of chicks per unit Number of units Average number of chicks Per cent mortality 100- 400 7 12 22 9 231 717 1012 1309 15 4 400- 800 14 2 800-1200 1200-1400 18 3 20 9 * This table gives the summarized results obtained in a brooding survey made by the Division of Agricultural Extension of the University of California and embracing a total of 312,295 chicks. TABLE 4 Death Kate of Chicks as Affected by Floor Area Allowed* Floor area per 100 chicks Number of chicks Chicks died Per cent died 73,077 25,371 25,044 19,254 4,122 3,484 26 3 35-50 sq. ft 16 2 13 1 * This table gives the summarized results obtained in a brooding survey made by the Division of Agricultural Extension of the University of California and em- bracing a total of 312,295 chicks. this closer supervision will aid materially in reducing losses from toe- picking, accidents, and diseases ; feeding and watering can be done more expeditiously; cleaning can be more easily taken care of because any pen may be cleaned without going through or disturbing any other pen. Data compiled by this station (tables 3 and 4) have shown that as the floor area per chick decreased, and the number of chicks brooded to- gether in a pen is increased to over 800, other things being equal, mortal- ity increases. Extended observations indicate that the majority of poul- try keepers obtain satisfactory results in brooding chicks in lots of about 300. The brooder pens have therefore been made 14 feet deep and 10 feet wide with a capacity of 280 chicks, or y 2 square foot of floor space per chick. Thus in a house 18 feet deep is provided an alleyway of ample Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 33 width, and pens large enough to accommodate flocks of such size as should prove satisfactory in the hands of the majority of poultry raisers. For those wishing to brood in larger groups than 280, some of the par- titions can be omitted and two or three pens thrown together. The smaller pens will be found more convenient in separating the sexes at an early age. Head room is obtained in the alleyway by lowering the floor 6 inches below the floor level of the pens. Windows in the rear wall provide both Fig. 33. — Details of curtain for brooder house. A center wood panel is substituted for the muslin panel in this curtain. For construction see figure 14. Glass sash may be used as shown in figures 15 and 16. light and ventilation. They open inward from the top and have side shields as shown in figure 32, which help prevent drafts. In the center of each 40-foot section there is a recess off the alleyway. This recess contains a sink for washing water vessels and utensils and a set of shelves. It is large enough to hold a bale of straw, a sack of sand, and two or three bins for grain and mash. BREEDING HOUSE The commercial laying house may be used for flock matings but it is not economical to use such large pens for the small matings used in pedigree breeding. The breeding house, illustrated in figures 34-37, has been designed to take care of matings in which only one male is used. The pens in the house are 10 feet deep and 6 feet wide and will accommodate 12 birds. They may be made larger. 34 University of California — Experiment Station M il l Muslin Curtain Fig. 34. — Front view of breeding house showing part finished front and part frame. Fig. 35. — Rear view of breeding house showing part framing of rear wall. A desirable feature of this house is the service alley at the rear. A service alley to the trap-nest pens is most convenient and saves time because of the frequency with which such pens must be visited each day. Furthermore, there is little chance of getting birds of different matings mixed. The door to the service alley may be at one end of the house ; or in a Rim,. 476 Poultry Houses and Equipment 35 36 University of California — Experiment Station long' house several doors may be built in the rear. The front door in each pen provides ready access to the yard to operate the curtains as required or to look after the birds there. Construction details not shown in figures 34—37 are similar to those noted for the commercial laying house. i- < j' * d-d" aoor L J\+' T&G. vert G.Ishie/J mesh doors roosts frame ror y c/roppz/Tfs ^ DOcjra -*£L 7~f£? /or /6" cflcve dropp/nps boa re f /yi (v/re Fig. 37. — Floor plan of breeding house showing pens, service alley, and door, window, and equipment locations. FEED ROOMS The arrangement and size of feed rooms and feed-storage space are matters which must be governed by the objects to be attained and the layout of the poultry plant. For example, one man may prefer a very long laying house with a small feed and work room in the center of each house. This room is designed to care for a two weeks' supply of feed for that house and provide space for packing eggs and for appliances in- cluding a litter carrier. Another favors a two-story structure in the center of each long laying house (fig. 13). He wants storage space for enough si raw and certain grains, such as barley, to last from harvest to harvest. Yei a third man chooses to arrange Ins plant with only moder- Bul. 476J Poultry Houses and Equipment 37 ately long laying houses on each side of a central road ; and a small feed room similar to the first one mentioned above is placed on the end of each laying' house adjacent to the road (fig. 38). Also, where small feed rooms are attached to each laying house and additional feed and straw storage is required, a large central building is erected. On other farms, all feed is kept in one centrally located building and no feed rooms are used in connection with the laying houses. The relative merits of these arrangements for any particular farm will depend on the conditions existing in the area in which that farm Fig. 38. — University type laying house con- taining five 40-foot sections and a 12-foot feed room at one end. is located. Poultrymen in certain parts of the Sacramento Valley may be able to buy barley, wheat, and straw in most years at low enough prices, after the harvest, to return them a profit after adding all the carrying charges, as compared with what equivalent grain would cost them if purchased as needed from month to month. But poultrymen in another locality might find month-to-month buying the cheaper. Inter- est, depreciation, and insurance charges on the storage buildings, interest and insurance on the material stored, depreciation in grain and sacks from rats, are items that must be considered in determining the economic feasibility of purchasing grain and straw on a long or short storage basis. And such data will in turn aid in determining the most economic method of handling these materials on any particular poultry farm. But irrespective of whether feed and straw are purchased to meet one's needs for a number of months or for only a week or two, the build- ings and rooms should be made as rat and mouse proof as possible. 11 The economic losses occasioned by these pests and the menace of their pres- ence through their disease-bearing potentialities amply warrant every effort to eliminate them from the premises. It is with these ideas in mind that the following discussion and illus- 11 See : Storer, T. T., Control of injurious rodents in California. California Agr. Ex. Cir. 79:1-56. 1933. 38 University of California — Experiment Station trative material are presented. The purchase and distribution of feed on a poultry farm is a problem with so many factors entering in that one cannot do more here than offer such suggestions and ideas as will enable a poultry keeper to appreciate better that problem and build more effectively than he would otherwise do. A plan and cross section of a one-story feed and egg room, 20 x 20 feet in size, are shown in figures 39 and 40. The floor plan shows three doors. Those opposite each other are intended to line up with the doors of the laying house and to provide continuous track and passageway for the litter carrier through the feed and egg room, to the laying pens on each side, when the room is located in the center as in figure 13. Only two doors would be needed if the feed room were at the end of the laying house ; and only one, perhaps, if constructed as a separate building. The feed and egg room should be centrally located in relation to the stock fed and on a well-graveled driveway that will permit heavy truck- ing. Such a location facilitates the delivery of feed in both winter and summer, and reduces the distance traveled in feeding the fowls and gathering eggs. The three bins (fig. 39) provide considerable space for sacked or bulk feed. For example, the two bins 6x8 feet in size will hold 6 tons 12 each of sacked grain 13 if piled 8 feet high or an equal amount of grain in bulk when piled to a height of only 4 feet. The large center bin, 8x8 feet in size, will hold nearly 8 tons of sacked grain piled 8 feet high. Since mash is usually more bulky than grain, the mash capacity of these bins would be less than for grain. If used to maximum capacity for storage purposes the three bins are large enough to hold one year's supply 14 of grain for a 2,000-bird flock. The area forward of the bins should prove large enough to accom- modate at least a ton of mash, a green-feed cutter, egg-packing tables, and minor equipment. The details of construction should be given special attention when a large amount of feed is to be stored. The floor should be well above grade to insure a dry storage area at all times. The studding and side-wall sheathing must be very securely nailed in place using sufficient ties to hold the framing in alignment and to withstand such side pressure as may be exerted against the walls by the sacked or bulk grain. The bins should be ceiled tightly on the inside if the grain is stored in bulk. 12 A space 3x4 feet on the floor and 5V 2 feet high = space required for one ton of sacked grain. 13 Estimating 100 pounds to the sack. 14 Estimating 10 pounds of grain and 10 pounds of mash for each 100 fowls per day. BuL. 476 Poultry Houses and Equipment . to-o H II =3 f-a- ■ H |H U Bins 6-Q- PLAN 3'-W J _L Fig. 39. — Floor plan of one-story feed storage and egg room. ZtS'PUrlina Corr Iron 4*4 -Qoor Head Doors covered with fUonJwore C/o+hs 4" HoroWore C/o+h^ S*4'3/ to 3 feet apart. Hoppers that feed from both sides provide twice as much feeding space for the same length of hopper as the wall hopper feeding only from one side and should cost less per bird capacity to construct. Self- feeding hoppers are suited only to dry-rmish feeding. Trough hoppers are used for both dry and moist mash. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 49 Two types of hoppers are shown in figures 53 to 56. Each type has a raised platform and trough in one simple unit that is light in weight. They do not require a grid to make them nonwasting and do not take up wall space. They will feed clamp and dry mash equally well and may also Fig. 51. — Sketch of the B type nest showing runway entrance. be used for green feed. Figures 53 and 54 show the reel-type hopper which is not as popular as the lath and tipping-board type (figs. 55, 56) because of the fact that small birds will crowd between the reel and trough side to nest in the hopper. The reel hopper, being easily moved, can be kept under the droppings board out of the way most of the year, if desired. Then, if artificial 50 University of California — Experiment Station 1 Z / / / / gate is closed. In removing the fowls individually, the poultryman sits on the coop and withdraws one bird at a time through one or the other of the hinged doors in the top. The catching panel is shown in figure 68. It is used by placing it in one corner of the pen or against one wall with one section held open. A Fig. 65. — Catching coop partially filled with chickens. (From Cir. 268.) Fig. 66. — Catching coop showing two sliding end gates and hinged trapdoors in raised position. group of birds is then driven into the enclosure formed by the panel with the walls of the pen and the open section is swung to the wall to close the opening. A person can then enter this enclosure to drive the birds on into the catching coop or to catch them one at a time to adminis- ter such treatment as is desired. Watering Devices. — The California poultry keeper, with few excep- tions, is fortunate in being able to pipe running water to every chicken house without danger of the pipes' freezing and bursting in winter. It is possible to provide automatically a continuous supply of fresh water 58 University of California — Experiment Station every month in the year, and a great many ingenious watering devices are being used for this purpose. In drinking from water vessels, chickens will slop a certain amount and keep the vicinty of the water vessel more or less wet, whether a )4X \/ t STRIPS \ yCnCSATE /■•HV16E f^ ^-1x4 f\aov.\ne>-^ L*Z DRESSED ZXl PRESSED 5IDE ELEVATION 1x4 FLCK )Rin ; i r EMD ELEVATlOfl J^Xi"CLEAT3 _S& B3E5BBL fLOOE. PL/AM DETAIL o/"Eflt> 6ATE Fig. 67. — Working plans for catching coop. (From Cir. 268.) liBinPBBJH 3 ----- /V3 xJMMilMIMllil Fig. 68. — Plan for the construction of a catching panel. trough, a pan, or a drip cup be used. This wet area around the water vessel is not only unsightly but also provides a favorable environment for the eggs or cysts of intestinal parasites. To eliminate it the water arrangement shown in figure 69 has been designed. A specially con- structed, galvanized iron pan or catch basin 18 inches square is sup- ported in a wooden frame fastened to the front wall of the poultry house Bul. 476 Poultry Houses and Equipment 50 Fig. 69. — Waterer in laying house with automatic faucet and bucket at- tached. The construction of the galva- nized iron drain pan and removable slat platform is shown in figure 70. Water feed pipe equipped with automotic faucet Grovel Fig. 70. — Plan showing construction of wall bracket, drip pan, and removable slat platform for the waterer illustrated in figure 72. about 17 inches above the floor. A latticed lath cover rests on top of this pan and supports a pail or shallow water vessel. An automatic faucet, or a float valve, such as are advertised in the poultry magazines and car- ried in stock by poultry supply houses, keeps the drinking vessel full and the water slopped around by the hens in drinking is caught in the GO University of California — Experiment Station large drain pan or catch basin which conveys it out of the house and into a sump in the ground. The automatic faucet is operated by the weight of the bucket (fig. 69) or pan of water and can be adjusted for different sizes of vessels. When the water consumed by the birds reduces the weight of the vessel, a spring opens the faucet again. The water is thus kept at a nearly constant level. In the device shown in figure 71, a float valve operates like a toilet ball-cock and will also keep the water at the desired level in the drinking vessel. In figure 71 is shown another waterer without a catch basin beneath but with an overflow spout leading to the outside. Should the float valve Fig. 71. — Poultry waterer with an overflow pipe soldered into the side of the pan and extending through the wall to the outside of the house. Conical top has a slot cut in it that fits over the arm of the float valve. A wire guard can be used instead of the conical top. get out of order and not shut off, the overflow spout would prevent the water from running over on to the floor. The removable galvanized iron cone keeps the birds out of the water pan. The pan shown is of heavily galvanized iron with a galvanized iron tube soldered into one side. If desired, a wood or metal trough may be substituted for the round pan. A galvanized iron or wooden eaves trough is frequently used for this purpose. To facilitate cleaning it should have a drain hole in the bottom emptying into a drain pipe leading out-of-doors, and to prevent accidental overflowing it should have an overflow pipe. A coupling or bushing can be soldered or otherwise set firmly into the drain hole flush with the inside bottom of the trough. Then a piece of pipe just long enough to extend within about % inch of the top of the trough can be screwed into this pipe fitting. When the piece of pipe is screwed into place it serves as an overflow pipe and its removal will drain the trough. In cool weather either of the waterers shown in figures 69 and 71 or their equivalent in other styles of waterer will take care of 150 hens in an 18 x 20 foot section of laying house, but in hot weather additional drinking space will be found desirable. Cool water and ample space to Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 61 drink are helpful in preventing losses from heat prostration. Fowls drink more frequently on hot days than on cool days and there is, therefore, a greater demand made on the water trough. Poultry keepers may find it convenient to have auxiliary water vessels for hot weather Fig. 72. — A practical, inexpensive chick waterer. In the top view the can has been removed to show the float in oper- ating position. In the center view the can has been replaced. In the bottom view the can has been removed and the float valve turned to the "off" position for cleaning the water vessel. use and thus eliminate the necessity of keeping surplus waterers clean and in repair when not needed. One-half inch of drinking space per hen should be sufficient to meet hot weather requirements in most localities. Automatic Waterer for Chicks. — In figure 72 are shown three views of a chick waterer using an automatic float valve. This device will satisfactorily supply water to chicks from the time they are a week old 62 University of California — Experiment Station until they are old enough to drink from the larger watering devices used by adult fowls. The sides of the platform are made of 1 x 6 inch boards 3 feet long. The platform is 3 feet long and 16 inches wide over all and the top is 16 inches square. It may, of course, be made longer to hold more than one water vessel if that is desired. It is low enough so that young chicks falling off will not be hurt, yet high enough to keep the water vessel up out of the litter. The pan is of common size, approximately 7V4 inches in diameter inside, and can be purchased in tin or enameled ware in almost any hardware store. The can is the gallon size in which fruit and vegetables are packed for the restaurant trade and empty cans are usually obtain- able. As indicated a slot is cut in one side of the can to fit over the movable arm of the float valve. No overflow pipe as shown in figure 71 is provided but such a pipe can be put in each pan if desired. If the float valve is kept in good working order and properly adjusted no serious trouble should be experienced with the water pan's overflowing. As designed, it has proved a simple, inexpensive, labor-saving device for watering growing chicks. Trough waterers, as described, can also be used for chicks. Electric Lighting. 1 * — It is a well-established fact that a correctly de- signed reflector for the purpose will add greatly to the effective illumi- nation obtained from an electric lamp. In order to determine the rela- tive efficiency of two types of reflectors for use with electric lights in a poultry house to increase the length of the working day for the hens in winter, a night test was made in a standard 20-foot section of the 18-foot deep commercial laying house described on previous pages. One was a standard-pattern, factory made, pressed-steel reflector 12 inches in diameter. It was green-enameled outside, white-porcelain - enameled inside and known in the electrical trade as a No. 75, 12-inch R. L. M. dome reflector. This reflector, containing a 100-watt, type A lamp, frosted inside, was located in the center of the pen half way between the front edge of the droppings board and the front wall, and at a height of 7 feet from the floor to the bottom of the reflector (fig. 73) . The other was a homemade tin reflector 16 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep (fig. 75) originally described in Cornell Agricultural Col- lege Extension Bulletin 90. :8 Two of the homemade reflectors, each containing a 50-watt, mill-type lamp, were located halfway between the front edge of the droppings u The authors were assisted by J. P. Fairbank, lighting specialist of the Division of Agricultural Extension, in making this test. 18 F. L. Fairbanks. Artificial illumination of poultry houses for winter egg produc- tion. New York (Cornell) Agr. Col. Ext. Bui. 90:1-28. 1924. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 63 board and the front wall in one direction ; in the other direction each reflector was equidistant from the center of the pen and the nearest side wall (fig. 74). They were suspended at a height of 6 feet from the floor to the bottom of the reflector. The location of the lights and the points where foot-candle readings Fig. 73. — Plan showing location of R. L. M. dome reflector and points at which foot-candle readings were taken as given in table 5. TABLE 5 Relative Efficiency of Two Types of Reflectors for Illuminating a Poultry House Foot-candle readings No. 75R.L.M. reflector Homemade reflector On floor directly beneath reflector (A) On floor at side wall close to front wall {B) On floor at side wall below front edge of droppings board (C) .... On floor beneath droppings board and near rear wall where area of illumination ended in a sharply defined, deep shadow (D) 8.0 ft. candles 1.0 ft. candle 0.8 ft. candle 0.5 ft. candle 5.0 ft. candles 0.8 ft. candle 0.5 ft. candle 0.35 ft. candle were taken are shown in figures 73 and 74. The readings obtained with the foot-candle meter are given in table 5. The line of separation between lighted area and sharply defined shadow was 20 inches from the rear wall when the R. L. M. dome reflector was used and 8 inches from the rear wall when the two home- made reflectors were used. This was because the homemade reflectors, as recommended in the Cornell bulletin were hung one foot lower than the dome reflector. The R. L. M. dome reflector, on the other hand, illuminated the roosts much better. As reported by the Cornell station, 0.8 foot-candle of illumination is necessary to enable birds to see well enough to find the grain scattered 64 University of California — Experiment Station Fig. 74. — Plan showing location of homemade reflectors and points at which foot-candle readings were taken as given in table 5. Fig. 75. — Detail for constructing the homemade reflector. Set a pair of dividers to 8!% 6 inches and with this as a radius scribe the large circle. With the same center, 0, scribe a small circle with a radius of 1*4 inches. Draw the line OA. Set the dividers to 5% inches and lay off AB, and then connect and B. To allow for the lap in putting the edges together draw the line CD % inch from, and parallel to OB. With tin snips, cut out the large circle, cut along lines AO and DC, and cut out the small circle. In putting the reflector together the edge CA should lie along the line OB. Eivet and solder the reflector together and apply two coats of aluminum paint inside. Then attached the reflector to a lamp socket by means of a suitable shade holder. in the litter and to eat from the mash hoppers. In this test one R. L. M. reflector using a 100-watt lamp was sufficient to give 0.8 foot-candle or more over all parts of the floor in front of the droppings board. But with the two homemade reflectors, each containing a 50-watt lamp, the floor in the vicinity of C (fig. 74) received less than the necessary effective Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 65 amount of light and the intensity of illumination elsewhere in the pen was lower than with the dome reflector. The R. L. M. dome reflector gave a more effective illumination of the pen than the two homemade reflectors for the same consumption of electricity and being 7 feet above the floor instead of 6, it would be more drop* free of shelf Fig. 76. — Arrangement of the alarm clock, lever weight, and switch box: A, ordi- nary alarm clock ; B, alarm key which turns counter clockwise when alarm goes off ; C, heavy galvanized piece of metal upon which weight D is set; tip C 1 , which slips from the key B as it turns, allowing the weight J) to drop clear, pulling the cord F ; EE, pulleys to line up the cord F so that it may pull properly on the lever of the switch box G. The weight D may be a section of cast iron window weight. out of the way and less subject to damage. The cost of installation would probably be about the same, for the price of the R. L. M. reflector would about offset the cost of the two homemade reflectors and one more lamp socket. Alarm Clock for the Lighting System. — Many different methods have been devised in setting up an alarm clock to throw the electric light switch in the early morning hours. Figure 76 shows a simple arrange- ment that works effectively and is easily constructed. Care must be taken to see that the clock is firmly held in position on 66 University of California— Experiment Station the shelf, that the weight D may drop with free clearance, and that the cord and pulleys are in proper alignment to throw the lever on the enclosed knife-switch box. Hen Batteries. — It is estimated that the installation of hen batteries will increase the cost of housing at least fifty cents per bird. Therefore, before installing this type of equipment the advantages and disadvan- tages of their use should be carefully considered. Fig. 77. — Broody hens are put from nests into the section of the broody coop at the left ; the second day they are driven into the center section ; the third day into the section at the right ; the fourth day they are released. A sliding board forms part of the partition between each section. Hen batteries may be expected to eliminate losses from cannibalism, reduce mortality from ground-borne parasites and disease and give all birds an equal chance at feed and water. The use of batteries will have little or no effect on mortality from causes other than those mentioned. With the exception of a few timid birds, hens are not likely to do better when kept in batteries ; furthermore, one man can be expected to look after more hens with ordinary equipment, under the conditions pre- vailing in California, than if the birds were in batteries. Since there are other methods of controlling cannibalism and ground-borne diseases (see discussion of yards), there appears to be little justification for the in- creased investment involved. There may, however, be special circum- stances which justify the use of this equipment. Small units of indi- vidual battery cages may prove useful for broody hens. Bul. 476] Poultry Houses and Equipment 67 Broody Coops. — Most poultrymen prefer a small broody coop in each section of laying house. Small units of individual hen batteries or a homemade broody coop (fig. 77) may be used. Egg Cooler. — Eggs deteriorate rapidly if they are kept in a warm dry place, particularly during the first twenty-four hours after they are laid. It is, therefore, desirable to gather eggs frequently and to cool them promptly. The egg cooler illustrated in figures 78 and 79 is not - SECTION - Fig. 78. — Plan and section of egg cooler showing construction details. A water-tight roof is not necessary when the cooler is located under a storm-proof roof. expensive to construct. It has been found to aid materially in conserving the quality of eggs during warm weather. This type of cooler uses the principle of evaporation of water to lower the temperature. It should be shaded from direct sunlight and is most efficient when air is permitted to circulate about it f reely. A cooler placed in a closed shed or room will not give satisfactory results. Before applying the burlap to the frame it is advisable to rinse it in a solution of 1 pound of copper sulfate to 5 gallons of water. This will help prevent mildewing of the burlap and prolong its usefulness. Fainting Poultry Buildings and Fences. — The slogan, "Save the Surface and You Save All" expresses very clearly the value of paint in preserving building materials exposed to rain, sun, and wind from the destructive action of weathering. In addition painting tastefully done adds attractiveness and distinction to the property. The durability of a paint for any given purpose depends upon its composition. Its wearing qualities, however, may be materially influ- enced by the condition of the surface to which it is applied as well as by 68 University of California — Experiment Station roor/np f>opet 60 Men ZX+ s5/ Cl/T^AWAY SECTION 7/0 "ft/or e-nc/ £>& ///vr/c a r 1-4— or JEEVES ripe vpnp an f^/pe /97^.5 z* ^ /eye/- . measi/re 6e/f/?f tfcrt/rafe/y Ms* /ncte f/r?e or