CHAPTER XI.

INTERIOR FIXTURES FOR THE LAYING HOUSES

There are certain devices that save a great deal of labor for the poultry man, and also give the birds a more contented atmosphere. We will start in with the floor. I want to repeat here, briefly, what has already been said in regard to the litter on the floor of the house. Birds with cold feet cannot be healthy. If the floor is covered with a six-inch litter of straw, or shavings, the floor will be warm, and they can be given a scratching ration that will make them exercise for their food. By all means do not fail to have a good litter of some kind on the floor during the late fall and winter months.

The birds are rather peculiar creatures, when it comes to retiring for the night. They do not seek a place to lay down, but they look for something that will resemble a limb of a tree, where they can perch during the night. Man has therefore supplied something along this line, by erecting round poles, made of wood, so that the birds will have a convenient place to rest for the night. A few precautions must be guarded against here, however, as very few poultry men have given their birds suitable perches yet. The perches should be round, about two inches in diameter, and erected on the same level with each other. Too many perches are arranged in a ladder formation, having the rear perch the highest, and the front perch the lowest. When the birds get ready to go to roost, there is always an argument as to which bird will have the rear roost, as they all want the highest place to roost, or perch. If the perches are all on the same level, then there is no preference, and things are more peaceful at roosting time. We should plan on allowing about ten inches per bird for perching room. Plan to have a distance of about fourteen inches between each perch, or pole. Arrange these perches at the rear of the house, running parallel with the rear wall.

All modern poultry men have what is known as a dropping board under the perches, so that the droppings will not fall in the scratching litter and soil this part of the scratching area. These dropping boards are usually placed about six inches under the perches, and extend as far forward as the perches do. This makes the job of cleaning the poultry house quite a simple operation. It is advisable to sprinkle some sand over the dropping boards to absorb the moisture and bad odor.

We have to give the birds a comfortable, well secluded place to lay their eggs. This is sometimes done by placing the nests, or the part facing the front wall, covered over with a board, that can be raised by means of a hinge, when collecting the eggs. The hen can be made to enter the nest from the rear, and if conditions are so that the nest is darkened, then the hen will prefer this place to any other place in the house. Nests can also be placed along the front wall, underneath the windows, or on either side of the house. However, up to the present time, below the dropping boards seems to be the most popular place for the nests with most poultry men.

Every poultry house should have a dust box. This is a box partially filled with dust or fine soil, and placed in the front part of the house, so that it will be in the sunlight. The birds appreciate such a device, and will use it generously, as this aids them in fighting off insects that prey upon them.

Suitable containers for food and water should be provided, and kept clean. The drinking fountains are of various designs, and one can buy these very cheaply. They are usually jars or cans inverted, so that the water will come out in a small opening at the bottom, just large enough for the bird to stick its head in. The food containers, for the dry mash are generally of the hopper kind, having a box-like container with a trough at the bottom, so that the food falls down into the small trough by gravity as the birds consume it. Thus, in a good sized hopper, a week’s ration of mash can be put in the hopper without further attention.