THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 299, 29 September 1938, Page 8

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

NOTES FOR THE FANCIER. 1 5ivST 11 ios r i:rs fkoai s ai a ll tnit The very high return which the small poultry-keeper is able to obtain from his 20 or 30 fowls is due to his having them under perfect control. This success encourages many to believe that commer-

cial poultry-farming must be highly remunerative, since, it is argued, if so much can be made from 20 fowls, that amount multiplied by 100 should bo made from 2000. There is in practice a very wide difference between these two propositions, and it is quite impossible to calculate business profits on results obtained from a small plant primarily’ intended to meet household requirements. Since control is essential to success', the question arises how is it to be effected? This is a problem which has occupied the attention of every practical man and is .one of the most difficult to solve because it is a personal matter that cannot be solved by reference to a text-book. While it is not possible to give definite advice there are certain principles that, if followed, will prevent many’ disastrous blunders even if they* do not guide to success. . Discussing the basic principles of success in poultry-keeping, L. Robinson writing in “Eggs” (England), says that ' perhaps the first question that arises is the number of fowls which can be managed efficiently by one man. Various estimates have appeared from time to time, but a .satisfactory answer cannot be given without knowledge of the type of farm, its area and layout, and. most important, of all, the man in charge of the business. The personal factor is undoubtedly’ of primary’ consideration for some men could not manage a dozen hens in a back garden, while others are quite capable of directing affairs on' farms where many thousands are kept. In all undertakings where live stock is the source of income it is not too much to say r that the personal element lias a far greater influence than that of any* other factor. Even so, the best poultrymnn in the world cannot control an unlimited number of fowls, for the point is soon reached where, in spite of a bigger flock, the profits are no greater than when a smaller number of fowls was kept, and if we continue to enlarge profits eventually disappear. Homemade Sawdust Brooders. Sawdust-burning brooders are used for hardening off chicks by Air C. Bode of Research, Victoria, N.S.W., according to “Poultry of New South Wales.” One filling of sawdust burns for 24 hours, and since sawdust can be bought at sixpence a bag, which lasts for four days, they* are certainly economical. The brooder is made from an 8-gallon oil drum, a length of down-piping, and, a sheet of galvanised iron. The lid is removed from the oil drum and the rough edges hammered down; in the centre of the bottom of the drum a hole about I,* inches in diameter is bored to allow a draught of air to pass through. A lid to fit over the top of the drum is made from a scrap piece of iron, and a hole about jin in diameter drilled in it near the outer edge. A circular hover is built from the sheet of galvanised iron, and a concrete base is used to stand the drum on so that the draught is not obstructed. 'l'lie method of operating is to place a length of pipe down the centre of the drum and through the hole in tom; with this pipe still in position, the drum is then filled with sawdust, which is carefully rammed down until it is a perfectly compact mass and the pipe can be withdrawn leaving a hollow down the centre. Paraffin is poured down this gap and a match applied to it; as soon as the sawdust catches the lid is placed on, the hover is placed over the lid, and the length of downpipe passing through a hole at one side of the hover is fitted over a small hole in the lid of the drum, so as to draw the fire and carry off the smoke. A damper regulates the burning of the sawdust; it is made from an old piece of iron placed part way across the bole in the lid,the size of which it regulates, on the principle that the larger the opening the quicker is the burning and the greater the heat. Eggs as Food in War Time. Professor 4. A. Hanley, of King’s College, speaking at Newcastle (England), recently, said : “As a part of any scheme for national safety, or in times of war, eggs must rank next to milk as an indispensable when other forms of animal protein are cut down to a minimum, because of the use of most of our land for corn growing.”