LEAFLET No. 28
POULTRY RANGE SHELTER
D. F. KING, Poultry Husbandman
MOVABLE RANGE SHELTERS are very
important in successful poultry raising,
and for two reasons. First, they make it
possible to use clean ground -not in-
fested with worm eggs and the like.
Second, greater use can be made of for-
age crops during the growing season.
Usually chicks are brooded in a per-
manent building located close to other
farm buildings for convenience. Within
a few years, the soil around such a
building becomes infested with worm
eggs, coccidiosis organisms, and other
disease-producing parasites. Under such
conditions, it is very difficult to raise
healthy chickens if they are allowed to
range outside.
Until about 8 weeks old, chicks can
be kept inside the brooder house with-
out too much exposure to diesases. Up
to this age, chicks do not need much
exercise and green feed, and their
growth is not retarded much by confine-
ment. However, between 8 and 20
weeks of age, chicks develop much
better when allowed to range on clean
ground. By use of range shelters,
chickens can be raised in the sunshine
on areas seldom used by older chickens.
The range may be a pasture used by
other livestock or an area seeded to
crops especially for chickens. Good
grazing, or forage, will lower the cost
of grain and mash feed by 10 to 20
per cent. The vitamins, minerals, and
proteins supplied by the forage build
strong vigorous pullets. The Alabama
Agricultural Experiment Station has
found crimson clover, white Dutch
clover, ladino clover, lespedeza, and
alfalfa to be excellent green feed for
chickens. Any pasture crop adapted to
the available soil type will be satisfac-
tory for pullets.
The Alabama Station has built and
used many different types and sizes of
range shelters in the last 15 years. As
more shelters were needed, the faults
of the previous types were corrected.
The shelter described here is highly
recommended. It is small enough to be
moved easily either by dragging or haul-
ing on a wagon or truck. It is inex-
pensive to build. The aluminum roof is
durable, light in weight, and provides
a cooler house even in midsummer than
other types of roofing. This shelter ac-
commodates 50 pullets. With such a
number, it is easier to keep down con-
tamination around the shelter than it is
with larger flocks.
Both ends of the shelter are covered
with 1-inch poultry netting to protect
the pullets from predatory animals. The
floor is covered with 1 by 2-inch welded
wire fabric, which keeps the birds from
coming in contact with their droppings.
The. wire fabric is durable and will 
last
many years.
The sheltek is easily built. Any one
familiar with hammer-and-saw carpen-
try can build it by following the pictures
and description.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATI ON
o iAe ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC 
INSTITUTE
Auburn, AlabamaM. J.Fnhes rco
MAY 1950
Blaseof thel shelter i 6 (5v tw~ide mid( 8 feet ]oil". It Is tot nod lIX placilig fo11u1
2-hvX4s o)11 and141( IIX iOiilinl4 Oills of1 8 foot 
1
)icceX to thet t~xX 6I(5foot ltI~tIIX.
A thlir 6-fI oot 2-1)X ,\4 is pliced hafl\tX bXeIt\\X (i t~w 111(15. Ti ls 011 ltol ililco is
fastened( b\X 1141l1114 tllol(04 ca(h of thc
8-loot side ieces00. Th1e 1 1) 2-ioch(
wede 01(10(1 Xf11 abric ( tXX o plooos 4 b. 6
foot) is tho stapletdt to theO top) of 11150i~
fr4100. FiX o 2 bv 2-hichl roost poles
tot too 1 are41 phtod oil top ot XX 1001111
d i s t o l e t o a r I x l o 1 1 ( t o f b a s 1l i 
N , 1 t
to undlolsitlos of the poloX. Foul sets of
rafters (6 feet 1111, tilt from1 2 I)X 2s 410
11(120d t 1)111 alS to tt 112 111 Ititll
41 i 4110( pol 8 let x 2mLY 11101) 
ild \ l "C
loot11114 i~tt 4 ~ ,4~t
11o11 1 b\ 4-iiich bolartds 8 feet 11111
4'1 Use o1tl 11 s41 ite otf 1roo f aX dtck ing
1114(y 6(Ott 111114 a1e theon llailotl to
(leckill~ s tripsX. A p)iece lot r idge rol1 S
feet tIlllly is l el 41 xl t oi l the XI i 11 41
bo~thl made oft 2 bX 2-ic m1a1 )terial.
B11th Iid ot f I ous arclI~ cm1t e w(X0 Xithl I-
fitc put4
1
0 nett~ing. A1ll1 exoed woodl
Iik pilIlt X6tIht Creoste ait. or omtie
, 
A
let. thlis Xlicttt i s (,.isX to illoX c. I t
call Iii lii tedt il it oriii i tiruck il it
For sl it di . iii XI ' it ii.IX 1w ioaded t
it Xc Iiil p Xlilic it I iii I111 oi ca r. B.\ii~
I it t cikc i t sic itrtlIt cickenI s Ii 111 I)
X c sli t iiii I t iitt'i t is il'i 1111i
het ti to priii t the hlrds fromii .I
* 'Z
Imc profitiolc thlil chick's Ii tcllt't iiti'
ill ut i Xli ittiX XX hcil XX i',sitl ito i Xtii
plii. Is i seters \ l e tiii it tlit' isi sill
tit' Xit,)itt'i ii.i lit' icI~t Ii XXll o c to i
tcii i ltrI cci: i Lo Xii (tlir t I it cc i i li
I I m \ (,I it 1 11 (1 t cl-S ill-c I i'm ( 1, t I I c \ illa v
be (Illitc close together foi. coil-
\c1liclicc ill fcc(lill(-Y and \\iLtcrill(r. Poll-
lets \ ill listialk lVillitill ill the sillil(I
'llcItcl citch 11i"Ilt it all ill c of itbollt thc
silill(I iWC itild thel c is little diflerelicc ill
the "llciters llsed. Dlll-ill(' latc spl. i I
illid "llmillur. it i s I I i (d I I I ('s i ri t I )l
1) n I I I atl I ri t, I "I I i .de I or t I I sl I I t l
If this is ]lot possible, itt leir"t the lecd
itild \\ itter colititioers call I )c I ocit t (,( I
lilldel tclilpol ill \ " I I l. ( I c s o thilt tll(
pullcts cim cia ittid drink throwhow
the dit\ . Coolllr. '." is essential to liol-111,11
feed cOll'silliTtioll iLlld 'YoOd "yro\\tll.
(~1'
Loch gi o\% iw pulit shold1 hitx ho 2 to :i miclic of()f oppe xpacv. A hojpper
like thiat 5111)\X il t left cal 1)( Vlil(c bv lX iig I l)v 8-iiich boards ( for( tIhc blottomO
Mlid ends,15 1 1) ' 6-ic ho(21 ~ards lot- thc sides, anid 1 1) I I-inc boar~ids for the top.
ThI' I bx 1-nc sh(21 ips are( ,pitc ( to givc (2 inc opuciio . 011cu of the lop boalrds
is liillg(' so~ that Ihop)1X' cim be filled fro01 the top. Ihc btral \\i X tt-'i 5\stem
shoxx n at right is cqIullppcd( \x ithl all jlI(2pe1151x floalt x aix A long trough xx ith
1s not ili ilailc.
BILL 01F N.II(IAL
S i: c
2" x 4" x6'-
48" x6'0
x welldxx \\it(, tabric)
1 " x 4" x 8'-0"
1" x 4" x \ 0
24" x (6'-0"
'-0" longa
2" x 2" x10'-0"
2" x\2\ 6'-)"
0"x 1(0'-0"
I mih poultrx liettilig)
I16d (iommllli 11111
pioultrx xx v 1( wCstaples
I iofim li i(is
2 ililih I (Ot lillOes
F~loor fralme
1A,1tftel s
Deckilig
Ahll o rI 11(12 oofinig
Ahuiminum roidge roll
Door1 11 1( (tool) II -allh(
End1( st1u(s
F-'loor:
Roof:
Enuds:
1 lb).
1 2 11).
2 lb).
I pai
I
Ali.vvilancolls: