POULTRY KEEPING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 271, 29 August 1935, Page 8

POULTRY KEEPING

THE SETTING HEN.

IMPORTANCE OF SELECTION. When selecting a broody hen choose oho tiiat is quiet and can bo bandied, says Mr C. J. C. Cussen, chief poultry instructor at Wellington, in the August issue of the ‘‘Now Zealand Journal of Agriculture.” Avoid using a wild and nervous bird, and also avoid the lien with scaly legis, as this trouble is likely to be transmitted to the chicks. All setting liens should be treated for insect pests by dusting with insect-powder, care being taken to see that the powder goes well down to the skill. . Another good method of treating insect pests is to dip tho end of a feather into nicotine sulphate and draw this under both wings, or among the breast feathers. If no insect-powder or nicotine sulphate is at hand, a suitable mixture can lie mado by mixing equal parts of liino, dry earth, and sulphur. The best place to set a lien is in a coop away from other liens where she is not disturbed. A coop about 2ft 6in square with a run about 6ft long and the same width as( the coop serves the purpose. It is not wise to place coops close to stables or buildings, which are apt to attract rats. The nest should be made saucershaped and is better on the ground, while care should be taken to see that it is not too deep, or, the eggs are apt to pile on top of one another. Have the nest flat on the bottom, and just sufficiently deep to cause tlie eggs to have a slight tendency to roll towards the' centre when tho hen turns them. Tlie use of plenty of nesting-material is important to aid the hen to keep the eggs at a desired temperature, and soft, fine straw, hay, or pineneedles nro suitable materials. ’The number of eggs to set under a hen will depond on the size of the lien and also on the size of the eggs. It is, however, always wise to set too few than too many. A hen of tho average sizo of Orpington, Rock, Rhode Island Red or Wyandotte breed covers thirteen eggs comfortably. It is always well to nemovo the hen it is intended to set at night and place her on a few dummy eggs until she gives evidence of settling down. ,

The setting lien is best fed on grain alone, as mashes, meat, or green feed are apt to have a laxative effect, where the sitting hen is concerned, which may' cause tho eggs - to become soiled, and in the event of this taking place the eggs should bo cleaned: and fresh nesting-material provided before they are put back in the nest. Grit ■ and clean water should he within reach of the lien at all times, and a box containing some dry earth should be provided as° a dusting place when she comes off the nest. Do not disturb the lien at hatching-time j but when tlie hatch is completed it is well to remove the empty shells/and those eggs that did not batch. It is seldom advisable to kelp chickens out of the shells, foi if they are not strong enough to get out on their own account they seldom develop into profitable stock.

Artificial Brooding. In order to get tlie maximum return from his plant every poultry-keeper practically is compelled each year to renew from one-third to one-half of his flock. This replacing of stock is probably the most' expensive, and in many cases the most difficult, yearly task on large plants. More failures in the poultry business may be attributed to the inability of the poultryman to renew successfully his stock than to any other cause.

It is advisable for any one going m for poultry-keeping as a means of providing a livelihood to start in a isma way, or, better still, first to get some practical experience in the handling o brooder chickens on a. successful poultryman’s plant. Unless a poultrykeeper i-s able to successfully rear a sufficient number of pullets each year to renew his flock he will find it impossible to make a success of poultryfarming. , . Many troubles in chickens are caused by incorrect night conditions, such as overcrowding, over-heating, dampness or want of ventilation. The successful poultry man is able generally to tell m a moment when lie enters the brooderhouse, if tho chickens are a little off colour,” and liis practical experience enables him to find tho cause and at once remove it. . , Owing to the many different kinds of brooders in use, tho various classes of chicks one may have to handle and the almost daily climatic changes it is impossible or at least very unwise, to attempt to lay down a set of hard-and-fast rules by which all hroodeis could be worked successfully. tno best brooders supply the, chickens with plenty of room, warmth and fresh, air, but if there is a lack of any of these essentials the strain on the vitality of the chickens will be great and only the strongest will survive. The success of a brooder depends largely upon its system of circulation and ventilation of air. Some fail m this resneet, and the chickens are compelled to rebreathe the same impure, eon lined air. Such brooders ae little short yd death-traps, as Meath i„,.- of bad air is very harmful fo. the ehhhens. After the ehidkens are days old it may he noticed, that they not come from under the hovel briskly in the morning and appear stupid and dull for a few hours, but liven up as the day goes on. The cause of this is lack of fresh aiir at mglit, and in such cases it would bo W f a little more ventilation just attei the chickens have settled down for the night. There are many different styles of heated brooders on the market, and instructions as to their working are usually sent out, by the makers, and it

is well for beginners to« follow these instructions carefully. Some of the best results from tire use of the canopy class of brooder have been obtained when the brooders were worked on a frame, in order to keep the chickens off the ground and allow air under their bed at night. Full particulars regarding the use of these frames may bo seen in the Department’s Bulletin! No. 66,' “Utility Poul-try-keeping,” copies of which may be had from the publisher, Department of Agriculture, Wellington, price Is, postage free. Ground draughts should be guarded against, as they are at times the cause of chickens huddling. The chickens should be watched carefully as they camp for the night to see that they do not crowd to one side of the hover, and if they do this they should ho gently spread out. This is one of the important details in connection with artificial brooding of chickens. Whatever class of brooder is used, the chickens should bo somewhat confined during the first few days, or at least until they know what to do and where to go when they require warmth. The lack of this attention or training during the first few days is often the cause of the chickens getting chilled. The heat of the, broodier should be gradually reduced and more ventilation allowed as the chickens develop. Generally speaking, Leghorn chickens may be placed on the perches when between six and! seven weeks old.

THE KEEPING OF DUCKS.

LIMITED FLOCKS ADVOCATED. Ducks need to bo kept in flocks of limited sizo for host results, and this applies with particular force in the case of breeding stock. Any attempt to run ducks in flocks of more than ]po, even on free range, is asking fob trouble. The birds for breeding should be run on free range if possible, and although access to water for swimming purposes is quite unnecessary for layers, ifj .will materially assist in improving fertility of the eggs and is therefore an advantage for breeding stock. Breeding ducks should have at least one feed of grain each day, as this leads to better hatching and stronger germs than if the birds are kept on an all-mash diet. Two parts of wheat, two of barley, and one of maize is recommended, while for the nmsh, which is best fed in the morning, give bran lo per cent., pollard 50 per cent., maize meal! 15 per cent., animal meal (meat or fish) 15 per cent., buttermilk powder o' per cent. Hie bian may be much reduced if chaffed greenstuff is used in the mash. Green food helps to provide the necessary bulk more inexpensively, and is. also far bettei (says “Jackaroo,” in the Napier “Daily Telegraph”). The evening meal should be fed in a small night paddock, and the birds, locked in so as to make it easier to. collect the eggs. D this is not done many of the thicks will “steal their nest,” and even when a night paddock is used it is necessary to keep a careful watch for truants. incubation Methods. Although the ducks themselves often bring off quite good hatches, the lion is more reliable to use for natural incubation. She will sit the extra seven Jays without thought of quittin <' It must be remembered that duck eggs take ‘2B days to incubate against 21 days for hen eggs. Unless the ducklings are required in very la we numbers, ‘natural incubation is preferable, as the hatch-ability of duck eggs in an incubator is often very erratic. ■ Under artificial incubating they iequino a temperature of 102 degrees the first week, 103 degrees the seoont and third weeks, and 104 degrees the fourth week. They should bo turned twice a. day after the first two days, and cooled from the eighth day onward. From the fourteenth, day they need to be sprayed with warn water once a day to assist in the drying down of the air cell, and they should be shut down on the twenty-fourth day for hatching. Ducklings pip a longer time heiore hatching than chicks do, therefore do not he alarmed at the seeming delay. Considerable moisture will be needed at hatching time, and the in cub atm should not bo opened from the tune .the eggs first pip until the complete 28 (lavs have expired. This is very necessary in order to maintain the correct degree of humidity. Once the hatch is complete the ducklings should not lie left in the incubator any longer than necessary or they will be weakened and heavy losses will result. Ducklings Easy to Rear. Given a normal hatch, ducklings are very easy to rear. They must have ample ventilation in the brooder, lioweve r, and should never he reared in a brooder of the box type. Again, their brooder, if of the canopy type, should not show any light—otherwise the ducklings will march round and round all night and be exhausted in the morning instead of rested. Very little heat is required, especially after the first three days. The main feature in rearing ducklings is to keep the bedding dry. Drinking water should ho kept well away fiom the brooder, and should l)e arranged so that the ducklings do not carry water away on their down. They should he able to reach the water with their hills only, and if possible the drinking fountain should stand on the centre of a wire frame or grid so that the ducklings also have to stand on the grid to drink. **' Any drips will then go through, and leave the birds with dry feet and fluff, There is no need to allow them access to water at night. True, they will wander out in the dark to look lor it,

but they are better without it and are soon trained not to want it. Their mash should be mixed to a fine, dry crumbly istato as otherwise they will paddle it down to a stodgy mass.

DOMINION BUTTER DRIVE.

CAMPAIGN IN GREAT BRITAIN DAIRY PRODUCE REVIEW.

Following New Zealand’s successful campaign in the Staffordshire potteries in June, tho Dominion Dairy Board has arranged to hold a similar reciprocal trade exhibition in Birmingham. The exhibition, which opens to-day, is part of the board’s final sales campaign of the season, writes a London correspondent on July 18. . Prominent Birmingham firms, representing tho medical and chemical requisites, rubber tyre, motor-cycle, bicycle, small arms and ammunition, nail, bolt and screw, and steel spring manufacturing industries, are exhibiting their products at tlio New Zealand “shop” side by side with. Dominion butter and cheese, as an illustration, of what Birmingham and New Zealand can and do send to each other across 12,0(X) miles of ocean. The board is pointing out that, as a result of New Zealand’s Empire preference policy, Britain now commands about 70 pci- cent, of the Dominion’s market for those manufactures in which Birmingham is interested. The Staffordshire campaign has already brought new trade to New Zealand. Speaking at tho prize-giving for competitions among local traders, Mill. E. Davis (London manager of the Dairy Board) said that 168 Staffordshire grocers had held displays of Dominion dairy produce agd that orders from the Potteries had already increased to ,a remarkable degree.

A special feature of the Staffordshire exhibition was a “working map” of New Zealand which greatly interested parties of schoolchildren who came with their teachers to inspect the display. The map which is 13 feet long, is set in water, with model ships plying to and from its shores—some bound for England, with New Zealand food products; others laden with British manufactures for the Dominion. New Zealand’s chief cities and industries are indicated by a system of electric lights, while photographic views which are illuminated simultaneously overhead, illustrate eveiyday life in town and country. The map will again he on view in Birmingham. Britain’s butter imports for the first half of this year have declined by 316,000c\vts. or six per cent., compared with the corresponding period of 1934, according to the Board of Trade return published yesterday. Germany is now taking more butter from. European countries and with the exception of Holland, continental exports to Britain have correspondingly declined. New Zealand, too, sent 167,000ewts iess to Britain, but Australia, which is now a shade ahead of New Zealand as Britain’s biggest butter supplier, sent 186 jlOOcwts more. South Africa and the Irish Free State show slight increases.

The drop in imports does not mean, however, that Britain’s butter consumption is necessarily decreasing. The Government’s plans for the development of tho Home dairying industry, and tho institution of a National Mark for first quality produce have given a great stimulus to the production and consumption of English butter, particularly of “creamery” or factory brands. Up-to-date butter factories, organised on the Danish plan, are being erected in all parts of the country. Many-of these are run on co-operative lines, and the Milk Marketing Board, which only a few months ago appeared to view the development of a Home butter factory system as uneconomical, is now planning the establishment ol a, model plant either in Wales or the West of England. Tlio present market price of English “creamery” butter is Is per lb, ”or 2d a lb more than the average price for New Zealand butter. This development may, in the long run, be of benefit to Dominion producers, .for the organisation of the Homo dairying industry offers a more practical basis for co-operation between English and Empire farmers in the allocation of the British market. The advisability of such a policy has already impressed itself on the National Fanners’ Union.

FAMOUS JERSEY HERD. Entries from the “Oyaltine” dairy farm have been conspicuously successful at all the important Agricultural Shows in England. No less than 173 awards were gained during the past two seasons.

At tho 1935 Royal Show in Newcastle, the “Ovaltine” Jersey herd continued its remarkable record of success by gaining 11 awards. These include the Conyngham Challenge Cup which is awarded for tho highest aggregate of points in tho Jersey classes. The “Ovaltine” herd lias now won the Conyngham Cup for the third year in succession. Another notable winner was the “Ovaltine” Jersey hull, “Tlio Wizard, which gained first prize. At the Essex County show hold in Halstead, the herd added 12 more awards to its long list of successes and the 1935 Hertfordshire show in Hatfield resulted in yet another sweeping success. Already, during the present season, the entries from the “Ovaltine" dairy farm in the leading shows have gained no fewer than 74 awards. This brings the total of successes since 1933 to 247, a very line achievement.