POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 53

POULTRY NOTES.

Br Terror.

— For some weeks back I have fed chickens (several batches) upon a sample of Sprosen's eggine chicken food, sent me to test by the manufacturer, and have obtained ?xcellent results. Mr Sprosen informs me that "eggine chicken food" is not, like "eggine," a tonic to assist, and to be used sparingly : but thgt it is ft whole and wholesome food,

carefully and scientifically prepared— in short, it is a " balanced ration." It contains articles of poultry food universally supplied and approved of, and its virtue lies in the following facts . — Firstly, every description of food used in its manufacture is of the best arid sweetest; secondly, articles rich in proteins or fleeh formers are combined with those foods most favourably recommended for their nitrogenous or heat and fat-pro-ducing qualities ; and, thirdly, the proportions have been balanced, with all the nicety that science and practical experience suggest. To conclude, I may say that the proprietor bids me explain that the sole secret of the low figure at which he is alT*? to retail " chicken food " rests in the fact that by wholesale purchases and the use of powerful machinery capable of treating large quantities expeditionsly, be has been able to buy and work on the most economical lines.

—As soon R"3 hatching operations cense special qare should be given to the runs, fowl-houses, roosts, and nest -boxes ; otherwise the trouble will be the insects that are apt to over-run poultry houses to the detriment of both old and young stock. This extra care will have to be given week after week, for even when the insects are destroyed the " nits " or egge will keep on for a considerable time in furnishing fresh relays of these poultry pests. To begin with, every atom of straw or other debris that may have been utilised in the hatchingboxes should be gathered and burned. The boxes themselves may be treated in a similar fashion, or be thoroughly smoked. The roosts should then be taken from the houses and well saturated with hot suds, into which a fair proportion of phenyl, kerosene, or other reliable insecticide is mixed. With this same death-dealing solution to poultry pests the houses must bs thoroughly syringed. A garden syringe and a few bucketfuls of the mixture will, if used freely, account for the hordes of pests that find accommodation in every crack and crevice of the building. But, as before stated, fair treatment will have to be repeated week after week. The morning will be found the beet time to saturate the houses and roosts as recommended. In the runs, too, a careful gleaning of the debris that accumulates where poultry is fespt will have to be made. If suitable for gardening purposes, a barrow and a shovel will be all that is necessary as means to remove an evil. If not wanted for such a purpose, the debris should be either buried or burnt. When this is done the place should be freshened up with a liberal distribution of live lime. It is impossible to rear healthy stock where dirt predominates, and therefore the attention of pou' ry-breeders is directed to essential aids to make the keeping of poultry a pleasure and a piofit. — I hope to receive details of egg yield* and hatchings from poultry breeders (farmers and fancier) of whom I have made no direct inquiry. I have sent circulars for information only to those whose addresses I found in the show catalogue.

Dear Terror, — I am a reader of your Poultry Notes, and greatly appreciate the same. I keep a few fowls for our own use, and I thought I would let you know our egg yield for the past four months. I havo five Minorca hens, eight pullets, and two roosters. The number of eggs is as follows : — August. 91 : September. 204 ; October, 243; November. 204;— total, 742. Would you call that a good yield or not? I failed to keep an account of the cost of feeding. — I am, etc., Amateur. [This can only be termed a fairly good yield. It represents about 16S eggs per bird per innum, or, say, 14 per month. If maintained throughout the yeai this would be good, but as August was poor and the drop has already started, it is avident that "Amateur" has still something to learn. — Terror.] Dear IVrror, — Having been away at my stations, I have only, just received your circular. I have set between eight and nine dozen, eggs this season, and hatched 78, only losing ,six chicks. I feed them when young on egg and oatmeal and raw meat scraped finely. No Incubator is' uaed. Dorkings are the only sort kept by me, and after selling 3 good many birds this season I have eight hens, eight pullets and two roosters left — one cook and one very fine cockerel. A year or two ago I bought some imported English birds from the Rev. C. J. Merton, and recently bought a cockerel from Mr H. Hawkdnp, of Victoria. Last year I won a handsome gold -medal at Dunedin, and a handsome marble olock at Wellington, given to the society by, Mr Paul Hunter. — I am, etc., George Butcher, Stonecliffe, 'Woolston, Canterbury. —Mr Sprosen informs me that he set 54 eggs under five heas, and that he hatched 42. Of these three died the first day, and five were taken by a oat when three weeks <jld. Thirteen of the eggs set were from Mr Rogen's newly -imported pen of Minorcas, and of these seven were hatched, and are all doing well. Mr Sprosen has purchased eight Langshan pullets, three months old. from Mr Roberts, of Abbotsford. They are bred from the pen Mr Roberts bought from Mr Rpgen.

—Mr Grant, of Maori Hill, set 60 eggs under five hens, and hatched 35 chicks, one of which died. Two sittings of Minorca eggs were obtained from Mr Sprosen, of which 17 hatched, and one sitting of buff Orpingtons from Seaclifi, out of which six were hatched. The chicks were fed on pollard and Sprosen's eggine chicken food, and are all doing splendidly — I have frequently heard and read about the intelligence of dogs and horses, but it i 3 news to me to learn that fowls "know a thing or two," as I have been in the habit of considering them as possessed of but one idea — eating. An old lady in one of Dunedin's suburbs does not share this belief. She was pouring into a neighbour's ear her tale of woe about a Chinaman's fowls that were in the habit of coming into her garden and thinning her gooseberries and currants fres of charge. After a long tale of the fowl?' misdoings, she wound up by faying: — ■ ; "" An' d'ye ken, woman, the rooster's that , knowing that he doesnai crow when he is s in my place _for fear I should hear anfl drive him out V