POULTRY SCRATCHINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 18, 21 January 1903, Page 11 (Supplement)

POULTRY SCRATCHINGS.

Where a nest is made in a box, with abour four or five inches of soil, at about the. seventeenth or eighteenth day all moisture is extracted with the heat of the hen's body. Cases have been known of hens sitting upon bare boards, where there was no moisture, and hatching out strong chickens, but such cases are few and far between. Fowl Tick. —It has been suggested to the Victorian agricultural authorities by Dr. Brown, who is administering the regulations for the prevention of the tick pest in fowls, that firmer precautions should be taken with respect to the importation of eggs from the neighbouring States. No eggs should be introduced into Victoria unless forwarded in patent cases, and the use of chaff as packing material should be forbidden. Wood-wool or sawdust may be used as packing, and all eggs derived from places known to be infected with ticks should be washed in 1 per cent, solution of washing soda, at a temperature of llOdeg., before being packed in the patent cases. If these suggestions are not strictly adopted the authorities propose to restrict the conditions of importation. I commence feeding young chickens (says a poultry keeper, in the "Australasian Agriculturist") on oatmeal and bread and milk, and feed this for one os two weeks, then give soft food, composed of bran and cracked corn twice a day, with pats in the evening. For the! first two weeks I feed six or seven times a day; after that three times a day until the chicks are six weeks old, and then twice a day till grown. When yards are small, or gras* runs limited, the smaller the number: of birds that are retained the be-fec they will be. Overcrowding means ruin to all. Underfeeding means the same; consequently how much better must a dozen birds progress in a small yard than a score in the same place. The breeder is indeed fortunate who has - but few specimens under the mark- By careful breeding, however, after a time the number should of course be lessened; but 'there, are very few good breeders who do not obtain some "weeds" every season. The latest in poultry houses -in America is to have a considerable portion of the front of the house only; wired in, screens being provided toy cover the opening in bad weather. It is argued that poultry cannot have too much air, as long as it is not too cold and does not reach them in the form of a draught. The Americans talk of muslin screens. A good substifrllte "would 'be oiled calico,' which, wbile being waterproof, admits light well- The American screens arc hinged at the top and fall down. The brisk trade which is beingdone at present between South Australia and New South Wales in eggs should give some indication of what may be expected to appertain in New, Zealand in the near future. Last year, before the imposition of the Federal tariff, which shut out supplies from! dapar and China, 675.231 dozen eggs, valued at £23,560, were imported into New South Wales from those countries, the other States supplying 612,-----698 dozen, valued at £31,687. Of this quantity South Australia sent 587,933 dozen, valued at £20,776. In South Australia eleven years ago there were 1,057,702 head of poultry, and the egg export trade was worth „! 548,554. In. 1901 there were 1,348,462 head of poultry, and the export trade; was £73,679, the total for ten years being £435,554—i.e., £84,915 mora' than the total value of butter exported during the same period. It may be explained as a reason for this large New South Wales consumption that that State does a large export trade in biscuits, and manufacturers of this commodity are the chief consumers of imported eggs; also, that owing to the drought and the high; price of meat, etc., the local consumption of eggs has been above the ordinary. One result of this state of things is that, whilst in Nevv, South Wales the cold storage last year was patronised to the extent of between 500,000 and 600,000 dozen eggs, only 40,000 have been stored this year. Preserving Eggs ia Cold Stores. The experiment of preserving egg* by chilling has been tried this year with marked success at the Government Cold Storage Chambers, Melbourne, where have been stowed away for the past six months about 1000 gross ot eggs. They were placed in the chambers by a large confectionery firm, several speculators, and on account of farmers. The value of the produoo when it was placed in the cold rooms! was 7d per dozen, and the ruling rate now, when it is being used for cake-making and placed upon the re* tail market for sale, is 1/3 to 1/4 per dozen. The expense of the treatment is very small, and the profit made oa the transaction will : epresent a very) considerable sum, the gross , difference in buying and selling prices being about £4000. In previous seasons! various preservatives have, been used for keeping eggs from the cheap toi the dear season. Not only was thai expense of the treatment much great* er, but it was not as effective as thei new method. Now that the uti'lisatloiof the chilling process for this purpose has been found to be effective,it is regarded as probable that a ver_fi much larger number of eggs will go into cold storage next season, an<J that trial shipments of eggs in chill* ing compartments will be made an early date.—"Th<* Station Farm, and Dairy."