POULTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 190, 10 August 1895, Page 3 (Supplement)

POULTRY.

!| JAWING Hens to Lay.—When the hens I %ib to lay, the firsb thought of many I * Poultry keeper is how to force them to » nfWithout ceasing; and as eggs cannot W °5 produced from nothing, the poultryman M Wflclttdos. the more food 6he more eggs jif 'Hraatie just the rock upon which many If *** Wecked, for bhe forcing process does fi *Wlimit) Iba operabionß in any one direction. H ''forcing the ben for eggs she is forced || No many other things which we do not || *'"» ber to do. She may be forced to be- «| Wttt too fab, or diseased, or bo be utterly B "Wtbiess for any purpose whatever. Her i J*Pacity is limited, and when she is m •J*eed to go beyond thab capacity she m"v * down entirely, and is useless. H j»° hen can be forced to lay eggs. H ?We gives her a certain period ot time H j.a.''nß which the eggs are to be developed. 1 i difficulb to supply her wibh the H JSjM elements for this purpose, and any If ha be*toWed wlll only be a waste; for . 1 1JW Cannot divert the material to producM £ ■ eSB*» abQ wiil eibher void bhem or 8 !/,%*& up in the storehouses of her body • f'*K and will then become utterly un--w& to thoroughly perform her functions .''.* producer of eggs. There are divers ■: by which people attempt to force ' 'J? ton to lay. One will give red pepper to lita&late bhem, nob being aware that red m j?Pper has no more influence on bhe generam 'iJJM&ahs 6f the hen than sti mdeh sugar or m o*r *ud the Sbioiulanb ©ffecb derived is W In fact, red pepper is ■M -"'teg to a certain exbent, and its pdh« IB L?ac^ '8 *3Hfc tenaporary. Another bolie»«S 9 'putting tonics in tbo drinking water, tha

tonics being composed of nearly all substances, many of which, are rank poisons, such as copperas* a tincture of nux vomica. Even oil of vitriol, in come mixtures, is swallowed by the bona with bhe wabec they drink, to assist them in laying egga. Yob, when the bens succumb to bhe effects of the several nostrums, bhey are condemned as nob being hardy, or bhe difficulty is attributed to some disease, which calls for more nostrums. If a hen is healthy and has a good appetite, the;nostrums cannot improve her. Eggs are not produced from powders, pills, or solutions,, but from the food. A healthy hon is no subject for medicines or tonics. If she is sick or drooping, it is nob oub of place to endeavour to assist her bo recover health with, a tonic; bub as long as her comb is bright and red, and she works vigorously, enjoying her food and laying egga as fasb as nature' permits, tbe use of stimulants or tonics will nob benefit her, or enable ber to lay another egg more than she would wibhohb bheir ' use, even if bhey do not injure her. It is useless to force a hen in any manner. Foroing always makes them boo fab. The bens may lay well for a short time, but will soon cease,, because too much pushing throws them oub of condibion. There is bub one really good method of forcing a hen to lay, and that is by forcing her to scratch, and work for her food. She shonld have all she requires* bub should earn ib by hard work. Let her seek every : grain. Keep her busy from early morn until nighb. By bhis method you will force her to hive a good appetite, force her to keep warm, force ber to throw off disease, force her to rest well on tha rooab, and in bhab manner force ber to lay.

The Tabanakj. Stock Makket.—Messrs Nolan, Tonka, and Co., under date of Hawera, Augusb 3rd, reporb as follows:— On Thursday a good muster of both Cattle and sheep came forward. Bidding was fairly brisk for both lines, resulting in almoßt everything selling ab prices* slightly in advance of last week's quotations. On Wednesday lasb we held a dairy sale on account of B. Knauff. CoWs showing Well in calf and of good description sold freely. Owing tfl the heavy fall of snow dn Tuesday very few cattle came forward at Elfcham, and consequently bidding was Very slack. We quote. Fat heifers, £4 5s ; fat Cdws. £4 2s to £4 9s ; forward bullocks,, £5 12a 6d to £5 15s ; 3-year steers, £4, 12a to £4 14s ; yearling steers', 37s to £2 2s ; store Cows, £2 10a to £2 144 ; 2-year heifers, £2 4s bo £2 68 ; yearling heifers, 80s to 35s ; hand-fed weanera, 22s to 29s 6d; milch cows. £4 10s to £5; springers, £3 12a 6d to £4 lOs ; milch cows (ab Sir Knauft's sale), from £3 10a to £8 2s 6d. Sheep—Shorn hoggets, 4s Id fd 4s 8d ; Woolly hoggets, 6a to 7s j 2booth fab ewea, 8s 7d ;' f.f.m. ewes, in iamb, 7a; 2-fcodth wethera, 7a 106 _ fat wethers, 9a ICJ-5; cull ewes., 3s.