US319234A - Brooding-house for chickens - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. GRISCOM.

BROODING HOUSE FOR GHIGKBNS.

Patented June 2, 1885.

ZW/z /f 1%656 N. PETERS. Fhumulnogrnphn, wnlhngmn. D.c.

lUNTTno STATT-s' ATTENT enrich@ JOHN eniscoM, or BROOKLYN, New Tonk.

BROODlNG-HOUSE FOR CHI'CKENS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,23@l dated .Tune 2, 18185.

Application filed April 2S, 1884. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN Gmscou, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Breeding-Houses for Chickens, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the attendance uponthe chickens, to give the chickens the necessary warmth and protection, and to promote their health and to allow for the capacity of 4the brooding-house being enlarged to any desired extent.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional plan of a portion of the brooding-house at the line w a, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection of the same, and Fig. 3 is a section of the broeder in larger size.

Runs have been made for chickens upon the earth, and they have been separated one from another by partitions of wire-netting. Ditti-v culty has arisen in tending the chickens because it has been necessary to stoop down in feeding and handling them. Besides this, runs have been kept at the same temperature, or nearly so, throughout. This is detrimental to the chickens, because it is necessary to allow the chickens to be somewhat exposed to alcool temperature to harden them and fit them for the ordinary exposures. I make use of a building, say, about twenty-five feet wide and of any desired length. The back c should be to the north, and the portion b of the roof is to be tightly closed. These parts are preferably of double thickness and filled in with nonconducting material. The part c is of glass, at an inclination similar to the roof of a greenhouse. I make use, by preference, of trays or benches cl, about ve feet wide and running transversely to the building, leaving a passage-way, c, running lengthwise of the building. Between the trays d there are passage ways f, ruiming from the back passageway, c, to the partition g. This partition gis made close and tight up to the level of the fence a, and of glass above, extending up to the glass roof c. The bench or tray k, outside the partition g, is complete from end to end of the building, and it is closed at fw up to the roof. The obj eet of this construction thus far described is, first, to allow the attendant to walk around three sides of the tables or trays, and be able to reach conveniently half-way across either table in handling the chickens on the table; and, second, to separate the tray 7c from the trays d, and allow the same to be exposed to the cold external atmosphere, it being understood that the main building is heatedby hot-water pipes or steam, as at m m, so as to be kept at a temperature of about o Fahrenheit. The sashes at the portion c of the glass roof may be opened during the day when the temperature is not too cold. The trays d are provided with rims or edges, so as to receive about five inches deep of sand or earth, and there are fences n a of wire-netting that separate the trays into runs for the chickens, there being by preference four runs on each table or tray, as shown. The fences n over the tray 7a are in line, or nearly so, with the fences n, and in the partition g there are openings g, one for each run, so that the chickens can pass through such openings freely, and the upper part of the partition'g is movable, so as to give access from inside to the tray k. Upon this tray k, I'place about one inch of sand and about four inches of chaff. These become mixed up by the chickens when scratching, and I scatter upon this tray the food required for the chickens during the day. As a result of Vthis feature of my invention the chickens run through the opening in the partition g upon the tray k in order to get their food, and the same becomes so mixed with the sand and chaff that the chickens have to scratch to nd it. This compels the chickens to take exercise, and it also prevents overloading of the crop. by too much food. If the chickens become cold, their natural instinct will make them run back into the warm house upon the tray d, and to increase the distance and insure exercise I place at the back end of the trays d broeders or warmers for the chickens, each composed of a flat water-pan, p, raised up above the inclined bed q and heated by the water-chimney fr of the lamp s. These waterpans for broeders have before been used. The inclined bed gis more easily cleaned than the flat beds heretofore used, and the broeder is better adapted to chickens of different sizes.

In broeders heretofore made it has been usual to employ a piece of sheep-skin with the wool hanging down, beneath which the chickens huddle to obtain warmth. In. practice I find that the chickens become injured by the accumulation of carbonic acid and other noxious gases from lack of necessary ventilation and circulation of the atmosphere. I rectify this difficulty by placing a strip of wire-net ting at t along between the back edge of the tray d and the under side of the brooder, so as to allow the air to circulate at this place, and also to enable the attendant to examine the nchickens and see that they are comfortable at night without disturbing them. I also make separate shields for the chickens, composed of tassels of lamp-wick, sheep-skin, or similar material, as at u, suspended below the watervessel. These allow for a free circulationof i 5 the atmosphere,which is promoted by the under side of the water-vessel beinginclined, so that the warmed air will rise and pass away. One or more of the chickens can nestle under cach of these tassels, and the chickens will not get too closely into one place, and thereby become suffocated,as sometimes occurs with the ordinary brooders.

I have described this chickenhouse as made with wooden trays. The same convenience is obtained if the sides of the passage-ways are bricked up and the inclosure filled with earth up to the level of the respective runs.

I find it advantageous to feed the chickens on the table d, near the brooders, in the latter part of the day, before they go to roost. By making. use of tables with narrow long runs the attendant is able to care for the chickens and insure exercise for them by running them from end to end in feeding, which could not 3 be accomplished with broad runs. It is preferable to make the front pieces, w, movable, so as to open them when it is desired to clean out the chaff and accumulations upon the ta ble 7c. These front pieces may be hinged and secured by buttons.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a brooding-house, of raised trays d, separated to form passages f, and passages e, formed between the sides of the building and ends of trays with partitions g and trays la, the trays d and 7c communicating, as set forth.

2. The tray 7c, containing chaff and sand or similar loose material, adapted to receive the feed, and the tray d, in combination with the partition g, separating the tray k from the tray d, and having openings in such partition, the brooder at the inner end of the tray d, and the inclosing building and glass roof, the main portion of the building being provided with 55 means for artificial heating, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the tray d and the inclined bed q, of a brooderhaving a hot-water Vessel with an inclined under surface, the tassel-shields, and the netting partition at t, as and for the purposes specified.

4. The long tables or trays divided up longitudinally by fences into runs for the chickens, in combination with broodcrs at the inner ends of the tables, a partition, g, with an opening in it, and an inclosed feeding-place outside the partition,substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 25th day of April, A. D. 1884.

JOHN GRISCOM.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MoTT.

Images