TO CORRESPONDENTS

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 200, 24 August 1928, Page 15

TO CORRESPONDENTS

LINE BREEDER.—The fact of your having a White Leghorn chick which shows black down on its back does not necessarily mean that there will be black feathers, although it is probable there may be some, neither does it mean that there is any foreign blood in the last few generations. There is always apt to be sports of either blacks or whites. I hfive seen pure white sports from black Langshans. although it is very rare, and I once had a strain of old English game which would occasionally throw pure white chicks. Naturally you would be unwise to breed from those particular chicks. G.E. (Epsom).—The symptoms point to dyphtheric roup, which is far less common than ordinary roup. If ypu have other birds affected it would be wise to close your fowlhouae for 12 months. Obtain some good germicide and put it in the drinking water as directed for two days, then miss three or four days, and repeat. ORRIED.—When you are emptying the crop after filling it with warm water you probably choke the bird with some of the contents of the crop. The neck shoold be kept quite straight and stretched when emptying the crop, and take a spell occasionally so that the bird may breathe freely. It is probable that your birds are eating fairly long, coarse grass, or it may be that they eat hay or straw if they feel the want of green stuff, and so impaction is caused in the crop. In bad cases of impaction of the crop, make an incision through the skin of the crop, empty the crop, wash it out, using a little disinfectant, then sew up the inner skin of the crop, tying each stitch. That Ib, don't make running stitches. Then stitch up the outside skin. If yon stitch the two skins together the bird cannot contract the rause'es of the crop. The birds which did not moulf at the proper season will probably moult quite early this season. It is not advisable to keep ducks over three years, but having kept them so long, do not dispose of them now, as they are certain to lay some eggs very shortly. The age of the hen or male bird has nothing to do with the percentage of pallets. The percentage of pullets or male birds is only theory in any case. If there were a certain law regulating the sex in progeny the discoverer wottld be a millionaire