POULTRY NOTES

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 226, 24 September 1927, Page 18

POULTRY NOTES

(BY R. J. TERRY)

TO CORRESPONDENTS. ONEHUNGA.—If there Is only one bird eating eggs it would be best to kill it, but if there are several the following suggestions will help: Turn the next boxes round bo that they face the wall, leaving just sufficient room for the birds to pane betweon the front of the nests and the wall. This will make the neets darker. Put panel in the nest boxes before putting In short straw or pine leaves, etc. If several hens lay in the one nest remove the eggs frequently for a while. Lenve one or two china eggs in the run. If you can get some eggs which are near the exploding stage that will go off bang wlion the hen pecks, put one or two down In the run. Remember, ordinary stale eggs will not help you. A.M. (Mount Albert.—Dip the heads of all the birds in the germicide, a teaßpoonful to a pint of water, hold the heads under water till a few bubbles rise; this means that the bird has expelled some air from the lungs and some of the germicide will have been drawn into the mouth and nostrils. The eyes will also have been bathed at the same time. Any contagion on the feathers will have been destroyed. Naturally you will not hold the birds' heads under the solution too long. You did quite right to kill the very far advanced bird. -WAIKINO —I am afraid your birds are suffering from contagious enteritis. Shift to fresh ground if possible, eow a crop in the run and round the poultry houses. The trouble lies dormant in the fowls for some time till conditions are favourable for its development, such as birds sitting on cold, wet ground and starting internal inflammation. 300 HEN.—Nothing doing, t am too busy to be drawn Into a useless controversy. Let those who started It fight it out If I make a statement to my readers I either stand by it, or if I find I am vvrtmg I say bo. But I will not be drawn into other people's arguments. THE TURKHENS. By courtesy of United States Department of Agriculture I am enabled to show my readers a photograph of a fowl which has raised considerable discussion, it being claimed by some to be a cross between a turkey and a hen, whereas its true name is the "Transylvanian Naked Neck," a fowl with quite ordinary characteristics except that the head and about three inches of the neck are bare of feathers. This characteristic, the origin of which is unknown, makes the breed important biologically, but in all other respects it is quite an ordinary bird.

Mr. M. A. Jull, Ph. D., poultry husbandman, Bureau of Animal Industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, states that some of these birds have been imported into America and their progeny sold as being a cross between a turkey and the ordinary domestic fowl. He further states that such a claim is without foundation. I am sorry to have to disappoint a few epicures amongst my readers who may have looked forward to Christmascs of the future, but as I previously pointed out the cross in question is impossible. BANTAMS FOR THE KIDDIES. Jaok and Ralph write that -their father is going to Sydney and he has promieed to bring them back some bantams, and asked would I help them by telling them something about the breeds so that they may make a choice. They would like quite small ones. Bantams may be divided into two big classes, Game and Ornamental. To my mind the Game bantams have many characteristics to recommend them to boys. If they wish to breed thorn up to standard they would only have to visit poultry shows and study the larger breeds of game, for the Game bantams are exact counterparts of the larger standard varieties except in size. They include the black breasted, red, brown red, golden duck wing, silver duck wing, Birchen, redpyle, white Game and black Game. The original stock should not weigh more than, adult male bird, 220z, hen 20oz, cockerel 20oz, and pullet 18oz. I believe there is also a breed known as the Black Breasted Bed Malay bantam, which is the counterpart of the larger Malay breeds except for size. They are very distinctive, and I believe can be procured in Australia. Among the ornamental bantams are the golden and silver Sebright, white and black row comb, white booted, light and dark Brahmas, buff, partridge, white and black Cochins, white, black, grey, and black tailed Japanese, beardeH white, buff, laced and non-bearded Polish, and finally the booted Millefleur. Many of these varieties have outstanding characteristics either In type or plumage colouration. In the Sebright bantam the silver variety has white feathers each laced with black, and I think you would find it more striking in appearance than the golden variety where the white is replaced with golden bay. The feathers over aU parts of the body in both male and female are marked in the same manner, the male Sebright resemblin? the Campine, which is also hen feathered. The Sebright Is a small bird with a very distinctive carriage which gives it a very bold appearance.

The white and black rose comb bantams are counterparts of the Hamburg and are extremely graceful. The uhite booted bantam resembles the white Cochin bantams to a considerable extent, but differs from them in having feathers on the hock resembling in shape and appearance those oh the vultures at the Auckland Zoo. They also have a more upright carriage. The Brahmas and Cochin bantams in plumage colourations are counterparts of similar varieties in the larger breeds. The Japanese bantams present a very distinctive appearance with their large combs, wings and tails, which appear to be out of all proportion to the rest of the body. The tails have very characteristic carriage and long sickle feathere in the male pointing almost straight upwards over the back. You will get quite a number of eggs from the bantams if they are well fed, but you should not over-feed the chicks neither should you hatch them very early in the season. MORE INTEREST IN DUCKS. At one time poultry-raisers displayed keen interest in ducks, which were kept in fairly large numbers. Because the eggs did not sell as readily as hen eggs, however, the popularity of the web-footed birds declined, aays the "Weekly Times" (Melbourne). Lately there has been a revival of interest in them, and this can be attributed, in some measure, no doubt, to the size of the eggs. If desired solely for egg production, Indian Runners are best. They are very prolific layers, and are hardy and easily reared. They are too small to make good birds for the table. Aylesbury, Pekin, and Rouen varieties are all good table birds, and are also fairly satisfactory egg producers. Muscovy drakelings grow large and heavy, but the ducklings are only about half their size. The ducks are firstclass sitters, and good mothers, and have the advantage of being practically noiacless. The Khaki Campbell and Buff Orpington varieties may be classed as dual purpose breeds—useful for egg and table purposes.

—Photograph courtesy U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Suitable Conditions.

Ducks like plenty of liberty and a grass run, as well as a supply of water. The run should be sloping and have good drainage. The best plan is to have two runs, so that the birds can be changed about when necessary. A roomy ehed should be available for the accommodation of the birds at night. The floor should be filled from six to eight inches above the surface of the ground, end should be of concrete or other hard material worked smooth on top. Straw litter should be furnished, and it should be shaken up every day and allowed to dry. The floor should then be either swept or washed out and sprinkled with dry ashes before the straw is put down again. Hating and Hatching. Even with correct mating there often is a big percentage of infertile eggs in the early part of the season. Second season ducks mated to early hatched young drakes- are the best. With the heavy breeds one drake to five or six ducks is generally sufficient. In the lighter breeds from six to eight. If water is available, the fertility of the eggs will be improved. The ducks, however, should be allowed in the water for only about half an hour each day, as too much swimming has a tendency to reduce egg production. Eggs from all breeds of ducks except Muscovies take 28 days to hatch. Muscovies require a week longer. Some persons use Muscovy ducks largely for hatching purposes. There is an impression that ducklings will not hatch well in an incubator, but that has been proved incorrect. If slightly more moisture and heat is provided, the machine will hatch a good percentage of ducklings from properly selected eggs. The ultimate value of ducklings depends to a large extent on the growth made during the first three months of their life. For this reason it is absolutely necessary to provide them with plenty of suitable food. Ducklings should be marketed for the table at U to 13 weeks old. If they are kept any longer the pin or young feather will give the pluckers a lot of trouble.