SEASON'S HATCHINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 15

SEASON'S HATCHINGS.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHICKS.

ECONOMY IN FEEDING.

The last of the eggs for tliis season's Latching should soon be in the incubators now for the last week of September will see practically the last batches of chickens for the season hatched. The ontiiiuation of hatching much beyond that time generally results in badly grown stock, which are usually a couple of months later coming on to lay than thoee hatched earlier. The main reason for this is that when the chickens are about half grown they meet with the most trying part of the summer, and development is practically at a standstill until the advent of cooler weather. Another factor is that the rearing accommodation is often congested at the end of the season and the pens are becoming "stale" because of continuous use.

It may be argued, on,the experience of a season or two, that chickens can be hatched later than September with satisfactory results, and while this is in a measure true where they are reared on fresh ground or under particularly favourable conditions, the practice is not sound for the commercial poultryfarmer. Those who have had the experience of late hatching under ordinary conditions and have met with the troubles usually associated therewith, will not be likely to prolong the season so late again. Still another aspect of the matter is that the cockerels hatched late in the season are, as a general rule, a dead loss, whereas those hatched earlier should, at any rate, pay for their rearing.

How to Ensure Good Development. The main factor in rearing young stock is to attain -maximum development, and although correct feeding plays an important-part, if the environment is unsatisfactory the best of foods and feeding will not produce the desired results. Too often one sees fine sturdy chickens reared up to about three months old, and then, through lack of suitable accommodation, or through being leit too long in small pens, they cease to develop, lose condition, finally eicken, and many waete away. *The way to avoid this checking of growth is to give the young stock as much range as. possible after they, have learnt to roost, but it is useless giving a large area of run if big batches of birds are placed in one house, irrespective of size. The most satisfactory method of rearing the chickens from the roosting stage on to maturity is on the colony system. This, of course, involves devoting a large area of land, to this purpose, but the results amply justify such a course.-" To-be effective the birds should be housed in email batches of about 50, and several houses can be erected in one large enclosure. A suitable size for such houses is 12 ft long, 6ft wide, 6ft high in front, and sft at the back.

As a guide to the area of land required, a minimum of 100 square feet should be allowed for each bird.. Thus, in a run 150 ft long by 100 ft wide could be. erected three houses of the size stated above, providing accommodation for 150 birds. If plenty of land is available a greater area could be allowed with advantage. It is essential, however, to keep the birds confined in a small portable run around the house for a week after they are firs.t put in, otherwise they will not stay in their own locality. ; . ■ • With the colony system the yards, being so long, do not become* constaminated, provided that are not kept,occupied all the year. The chickens have plenty of exercise, keep clean and healthy, and grow into strong, robust birds, which is *so important in maintaining a profitable flock.

Economy in Feeding. With the upward tendency of prices for the main poultry foodstuffs, it becomes necessary to review the position as regards the coat of feeding. Seeing that the field of substitutes is extremely limited, the next question to consider is in what other directions we can look to keep down the cost of feeding. . It is. in this connection that each individual poultry-farmer should review his method of feeding to see if economies can be brought about without loss of production, but it has to be borne in mind that any sudden change in even portion of the ration may result in a setback to production for a time, and, therefore, any changes should be made gradually.

Avoid Wastage of Feed. One direction in which the coet of feeding is often increased in on account of wastage due to faulty feed hoppers, or by over-liberal feeding with wet mash. One of the chief faults noticed in feed hoppers is in the tray from which the birds feed. In some it is too shallow, or the front wall of the hopper does not come low enough, and therefore the feed comes--out'to-, the level of the top of the trays, which allows the birds to scratch it out eaeily. Others have the tray too wide, thus permitting the birds to scratch the feed out, but much of this trouble can be overcome by having a flange on the inside of the tray to make it more difficult for the -feed to be worked out on to the floor.

A Simple Brooder Method. During the course of my rambles this month,. I-.-visited, a poultry farm at Manurewa, and while looking over the chickens, my attention was drawn to a novel form of brooder heater. Instead of the usual kerosene lamp there was a home-made arrangement which consisted of an ordinary electric radiator sunk in a hole in the centre of the brooder liouee. The heat from this is regulated by the power of the globes. There wae the usual guard outside the lamp and the cover was made from the pointed top of an old galvanised iron tank, with sacking curtains. It was inexpensive and at the same time efficient. Preparing for Warmer Weather. All parts of the poultry ho.uees, the nest boxes and. runways should be thoroughly : cleaned. Brush'the ground thoroughly with a stiff broom, disinfect the perches and ground, and generally make it hard for vermin to stay about. Where the runs are small, dig up tho soil and turn it under. Attend to plantings of green foods, and as the weather grows warm give more green food and change .the water more frequently. The fattening foods should be reduced in quantity. Feed lee's corn in both grain ration and dry mash.