REARING PERIOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 222, 19 September 1930, Page 14

REARING PERIOD.

FROM ARTIFICIAL HATCHINGS.

MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS.

The end of this season's period for hatching out chicks is now near at hand, and for this reason no further time should be lost in placing the last eggs into the incubator or under the

natural mother. The.chickens should be encouraged'in every way to develop without check. It is one thing to hatch a cliick artificially and another to rear it. For example, much mortality takes place in chicks when from three to six weeks old, due to the yolk, which is drawn into the chicken's body just before it leaves the shell, failing to digest. In such cases the yolk, instead of being gradually absorbed to provide nourishment for the chick during the first four days, as nature intended, gets into a more or less hardened state, and death, sooner or later, takes place, regardless of the birds being properly fed and managed. Many causes are assigned to this trouble, soirte of theiji being feeding chicks too soon after hatching, over-feeding the first few days, breeding from overfat hens, and improper incubation. It is said the trouble occurs very rarely in chicks hatched by a natural mother. It is advisable to open up any chick that dies, in order to discover, if possible, the cause of death, and gain knowledge regarding preventive measures. An instance of this was given to me only last week-etid. The owner of a suburban poultry farm who hatches out about 2000 chicks a year, told me when I was looking over his place,' that half a • dozen of his first hatching of chicks died last week. They are now about six weeks old, and he was at a loss to understand the cause, so he opened them up, and found their crops, packed with a tough fibro- like flax. An examination of his yard and house failed to reveal any likely cause until his eye lit on the stalks of some marshmallow plants which he had grubbed out and left lying in the yard to dry before burning them. These had been stripped by the chickens, and that was the cause of the deaths. The moral is, never leave anything about tlio yard, harmless as it may appear.

Over Supply of Meat Substitute. While blood-meal and meat-meal are excellent substitutes for boiled meat for tlie purpose of promoting egg-production, there is a danger of over-feeding fowls .with these concentrated foods. They do not require the same forcing-food in the present natural laying season as in winter, when egg-production is more or less artificially'forced. The proportion of such materials as blood-meal and meatmeal should be reduced now, especially whero the birds have a free range with opportunity, especially after rain, of picking up insects, worms, etc. In forcing egg-production animal food in some form is necessary, but in the natural laying season only a minimum quantity is required. If over-supplied then ovarian troubles such as protrusion of the oviduct and the production of doubleyolked and shcll-less eggs are apt to result.

Duck Rearing. October is a good period for hatching out ducklings for the renewal of stock. Under proper management ducklings rapidly develop, and may therefore be hatched to advantage much later than chickens. Indian Runner clucks hatched out in October may be expected to lay during the next dear egg season. Ducklings can be hatched by artificial means in a somewhat similar manner to that employed for chickens. The temperature during the period of incubation, at the level of the top of the eggs on the troy, should be 102 degrees F. for the first week; from this on to the pipping stage 103 degrees,'and 104.degrees hatching. If the correct degree of temperature is maintained the ducklings will commence to pip on. the twenty-sixth day, a:nd hatch out on the twenty-eighth. Beware of the common mistake of trying to help the little birds out of the shell,-until they have been given their full time to hatch. When once the eggs have commenced to pip the door of the incubator should not be opened until .the hatch is practically cleaned up. One of the secrets in hatching duck eggs is the application of moisture. The best way of applying this is to spray water at a temperature of 103 degrees with the mouth on-the.eggs every morning after -the fourteenth day. Do this after turning, and immediately place the eggs back in the machine. Do not cool after, spraying. Spray in the mc/rning and cool at night.

Ducklings Easier To Hear. Ducklings are much easier to rear than chickens. If success is -to be attained, however, several. points must be strictly observed. .The young birds should not be fed for 36 to 48 hours after hatching. In. the first week the food may consist of. equal parts of scalded bran and pollard to which is added a small quantity, of oatmeal arid fine;grit, not sand. Feed four times a day a quantity that the; .birds will pick up clean in about ten' minutes. When tile ducklings are abouta week old the grit need not be mixed with the food, but it.should be available to them in a shallow receptacle, so that; they can help themselves. As the duck-; lings, grow older the oatmeal can be eliminated from the ration and maizemeal substituted. Well-boiled wheat nlakes a splendid change for growing; ducklings. Fincly-cut green food, such as lettuce, or young, tender grass, should be fed separately after t'le first week, while a little boiled minced meat should be given and increased' by degrees as | the. ducklings develop. j

Water for Ducks. Water should be given with the first meal, and from then onwards it should be left ip reach of the birds, both day and night. It is of the greatest importance that they be not given water after a long fast until; they hav.e received a meal.° Even-then it is a wise course to provide water with the chill, takten %$-. When ducklings. are. given a - cold drink before food, and especially if they have been confine! in a brooder without. food, they are almost sure to l suffer from staggers, followed by heavy mortality. Ducklings thus affected give every indication of being in a fit, falling on their backs with eyes twitching, and presenting. a generally distressed appearance. They will sometimes behave in a similar manner, aritL -jyifch. serious .lossee, when

enclosed in an over-liot, badly-ventilated brooder. It should be always remembered that provision for an ample supply of frgsh air at all times is one of the chief secrets in artificially rearing ducklings. . _ ' '

Keep Sleeping Quarters Dry. Although ducks are water-fowl, it is imperative for old or young birds that their sleeping quarters be maintained in the driest possible condition, or. leg weakness and other troubles will result. After, isay, three or four days the water vessels should bo placed in the brooder run, and well away from the sleeping quarters, as a means of minimising the wetting of the latter. At this stage the vessels should be of sufficient depth for the birds to wash off any food from their nostrils, and at the same time give them a good blow-out. If the nostrils are allowed to clog the eyes become plastered, while lameness, weak back and an unthrifty condition soon sets in. It is important that young ducklings be provided with good shade during hot weather, as they are prone to sunstroke.

Age Determination. As is the case with chickens, young ducklings should be marked for future age determination. The best way of doing this is to take a V-shaped piece out of the edge of the web of the foot. This should be done with a very sharp pen-knife, the foot of the duckling being held firmly on a piece of solid smooth board during the operation. Ducklings can be marked when leaving the incubator.