The Rural Voice, 1979-12, Page 37Cats in hen house
can sa veproducer dollars
Cats kept in a hen house can be effective
for controlling mice in laying pens. and
while they will not eliminate rats, they will
restrict rat numbers.
"When cared for properly, cats do not
interfere with the management of a hen
house, and indeed save money since the
producer will not have to rely heavily on
poisons," says Don Conrad, poultry
specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture's
veterinary services branch.
"Many producers consider cats a
nuisance and a hazard as possible carriers
of disease," Conrad said. "However, cats
do not present a health hazard to hens, and
in fact are significantly less dangerous than
a population of mice which carries over
from flock to flock and which contaminates
feed and buildings."
Cats work best when they are not
allowed to leave the house. During flock
changes and clean outs, they should be
caught and confined. As well, for cats to be
effective, the hen house must be reason-
ably tight so cats are not overwhelmed by
large numbers of mice.
Producers with flocks of up to 10,000
hens should use three cats. Larger
operations need no more than five cats. If
cats are to be used successfully, they must
be kept active. Too many cats reduces their
activity and thus reduces their effective-
ness.
Female cats are more agressive than
males, and young females under five years
of age are best. Producers should watch
cats they have chosen for their hen house
and evaluate their aggressiveness. An
aggressive cat spends most of its waking
time roaming the entire pen area,
patrolling or stalking areas which may
harbor mice.
Cats do not have to be starved to be
effective. In fact hungry cats are Tess
effective. They should be fed enough to
maintain their health and strength. but not
so much they become lazy. A constant
supply of dry commercial cat food with
water placed nearby has proved to be the
best feeding program. Dry commercial
feeds provide enough nutrition to keep cats
healthy, but at the same time encourage
cats to search for food elsewhere. Working
cats should never be allowed to feed on
dead chickens, or fed eggs, milk or food
scraps.
Clean litter boxes should be provided so
cats do not dig and rake in dry areas of
poultry manure. Boxes should be filled
with commercial litter or loose garden soil.
If litter boxes are not kept clean, cats will
use other areas such as feeder bins, carts,
litter or storage areas.
To prevent cats from sleeping on carts,
shelves and tops of egg graders, producers
should provide them with an open topped
sleeping box with carpet or rags to make
nest.
"Cats held in poultry houses are rarely
bothered by disease," Conrad said.
"However if a serious health problem does
come up, all the cats should be replaced."
What to look for in woodstoves
Increased home heating costs have
sparked renewed interest in wood heat.
Although there are savings to be made,
there are also pitfalls -- especially if you
start out with an inefficient stove.
"Since the wood heat boom began,
hundreds of makes of wood stoves have
appeared on the market," says Helmut
Spieser, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food energy management specialist.
"There is such a wide range of price and
quality, it pays to do your homework before
you buy."
Most people are interested in air -tight
wood stoves which look similar to antique
box stoves. However, the new models
produce much more heat, with much less
wood and much Tess attention.
Under Ontario conditions, you can
probably heat a well -insulated small house
for the winter with about two cords of wood
and a good air -tight stove. A cord is a stack
of wood four feet by eight feet by four feet.
"Before you start shopping for a wood
stove, try to decide what size stove you
need," says Mr. $pieser. "Large stoves
require fueling less often than smaller
ones, but they aren't as easy to control and
can provide too much heat too quickly.
Check with wood -burning neighbors to get
an idea what size of stove you need."
Once you begin shopping for a wood
stove, remember that where you buy your
stove can be as important as the type of
stove you purchase. Look for an estab-
lished dealer who will stand behind the
Mailbox of the month
(Located In Colborne Twp.
Huron County)
product in years to come.
"As you examine the stove, look for
sound construction," says Mr. Spieser. "A
solid welded construction means that you
can totally control the amount of air getting
into the stove, to get the slow, six -to -eight
hour burn that you want. Leaks in joints,
doors and inlets reduce efficiency."
Other features to consider when choos-
ing a wood stove include ease of stocking
and cleaning, and safety factors such as
wire wrapping on handles to keep them
cool at all time. Some of the new stoves
offer firebrick lining. Mr. Spieser says
although this type of lining increases the
mass of the stove so that it takes longer to
warm up and cool off, it isn't a necessary
part of an efficient stove.
"Another optional feature is shelves
inside the stove for stacking the wood in
the firebox," says Mr. Spieser. "These are
primarily design and sales features which
don't significantly improve efficiency."
Many novice wood heat enthusiasts buy
wood stoves with a fireplace option so that
they can watch the fire. Mr. Spieser warns
that while you are enjoying the fire with the
stove doors open, you are creating a draft
that is sucking the warm room air up your
chimney.
"For optimum efficiency, wood stoves
should be operated with the doors closed,"
says Mr. Spieser. "If you want to watch the
fire, buy a stove with glass doors or
windows."
Once you have purchased your wood
stove, future success depends on you. The
keys to safe and efficient wood heating are
a good working knowledge of your stove
and proper maintenance.
THE RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1979 PG. 35