The poultry book : comprising the breeding and management of profitable and ornamental poultry, their qualities and characteristics; to which is added "The standard of excellence in exhibition birds," / authorized by the Poultry club ; by W.B. Tegetmeier.

  • William Bernhardt Tegetmeier
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: The poultry book : comprising the breeding and management of profitable and ornamental poultry, their qualities and characteristics; to which is added "The standard of excellence in exhibition birds," / authorized by the Poultry club ; by W.B. Tegetmeier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    POULTRY HOUSES AND YAEDS. 8 side downwards. Fowls allowed a free range and permitted to roost in trees, how¬ ever, may always Ъе observed to select branches of a size that they can grasp with the feet; and these semi-domesticated birds, like wild bred pheasants, will rarely be found with crooked breasts. The position of the perches is even a matter of greater importance than their size. From seeing that fowls, when at large, frequently ascend to a great height in the trees in which they roost, many persons imagine that high perches in a fowl-house cannot be disadvantageous : they forget that, in descending from a tree, the bird flies a considerable distance, and alights without violence on the ground; whereag in a confined fowl-house this is im¬ practicable, and the bird flutters down almost perpendicularly, coming into contact with the floor with great force. The keel of the breast-bone of heavy fowls is often broken by these falls ; and corns, and that slow chronic inflammation termed bumble-foot, are the inevitable result of this error in the position of the perches. A very convenient arrangement of the nests and perches, where one shed or house alone is devoted to roosting, laying, and hatching, is for the perches to occupy the centre, and the nests the two ends. A footway at each end will give ready access to the lajâng-boxes, and this without rendering it necessary for the dirt to be trodden upon,—a point of considerable importance where there is a due regard for cleanliness. The laying-boxes should be placed against the sides of the shed, and covered with a sloping board, so as to prevent any birds from roosting upon them. If they are raised about two feet from the ground, an additional row of baskets or loose boxes can be placed on the floor underneath. Where such economy of space is not absolutely necessary as to require the nests to be placed in a row, the employment of loose boxes or baskets will be found preferable, as this arrangement enables the nests to be removed and thoroughly cleaned after the hens have hatched, and from their not being so closely crowded together, they do not afford such a harbour for fleas and other vermin. The eggs hatch much better if the nests are made by placing a cut turf, and a shovel of mould, sand, or ashes, in the box or basket, and on this a little short straw, than if straw only is used. In this way a convenient hollow is obtained, that prevents the eggs rolling out from under the sitting hen. In cold weather the eggs are thus kept of a much more equable temperature than in nests made simply of loose straw. In a recent volume of the Canada Farmer a design for a poultry house is given, which offers a difference of arrangement from those usually constructed in this country, and which, with some slight alterations, is reproduced in the accompany¬ ing cuts, representing the external and sectional elevations, and the plan of the structure. The house is octagonal, that form being chosen as offering a greater internal space for the same extent of wall than the square form ; the door occupying one of the sides, the windows two of the others. The roof is supported by a central pillar, F, and, if desired, may have a lantern light at the top, with louvre boards or other openings for ventilation. The centre pillar is by far the best plan of sup- B 2
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