SUMMER FEEDING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 37, 13 February 1931, Page 15

SUMMER FEEDING.

SOME USEFUL HINTS. KEEPING UP EGG PRODUCTION.' It Is appropriate at the moment to consider how best to. keep up egg. production in hot weather. The fattening foods should be reduced in qua'ntity, hut the birds must not be starved, otherwise the means will defeat the end desired. The same weight of food per bird per day must be,given. It is the. proportions that must be altered. I Wet Mash, Wet mash is a mixture of various meals made crunibly-iiloist with" water If made with hot Avater it is more palatable, and therefore more is eaten and inor.e eggs will 'be produced. A meal mixture is essential for egg production and must have the correct ingredients which must be in the correct proportions. If we take 4 parts of pollard, 2 of maize meal, 1 of ground oats, 2 of bran and 1 of fish meal, and mix them thoroughly together (in the dry state), we' have a really excellent mash for producing eggs. . > v The best way to mix is to fill a bucket one-third full of hot water, add the dry meals and stir thoroughly until there is not one patch of dry unmixed meal any. where in the whole sample. Neither must there be a sloppy mass at the bottom. If, the meals are put in first and then water, mixing is more difficult and one finds a dry "jam" lett at the bottom. There is no object in cooking the mash for it increases expense and although it makes the car boil-containing diets (maize meal, etc.) easier of digestion. it decreases the digestibility of the protein content (fish meal, etc.). All wet mash feeding must be cleanly. That is to say. the buckets, must be scrubbed out occasionally, the feeding troughs must bo clean and just the right qua'ntity should be fed that it is cleaned up in one-half to three-quarters of an hour and none left to turn sour. Reduced Rations Don't Pay. There' are three sound reasons why the small poultry-keeper should feed his birds liberally at this time of the year. Decreasing the rations, both in quantity and quality during the summer causes the birds to stop laying weeks before they should. The price of eggs is rising; every egg that can be secured before moulting begins is added profit. Don't let the layers get into poor condition, by reducing their rations, or their change of feathers. It's poor condition, not only inattention, which makes the birds "hang in the moult." Then there are the hens which you intend to dispose of. Keep them on short commons and'they'll be in such thin condition that you'll have to" put them through a course of special feeding before you can sell them. Feed them liberally, and when they do stop laying you'll find they are so fleshy that you'll be able to sell them right away without fattening. Importance of Pollard. Every mash we recommend, whether for chickens or adults, contains a considerable quantity of pollard. We are often asked why this meal should be used to such an extent. We don't advise its use simply : because it is inexpensive. That is certainly a great point in its favour. But the chief reason wo like pollard is that it contains so much real nutritive value. The average poultry-keeper may not realise it, but pollard—that is, a good ; sample —has a greater nutritive value than oatmeal. Oatmeal is deficient in its vitamin, mineral and protein content. Oatmeal can, of course, be used, but ( its deficiency must be made good. Fed alone, it would cause rickets, but this difficulty could be overcome by mixing it wit'h milk. But how many ordinary poultry-keepers can obtain all the milk they require at a reasonable price? Pollard is a better food in certain ways than maize meal a'nd, considering its price, it is much better. ; , Pollard is the finest meal in the world for forming the basis of any mash, whether wet or dry. In all cases, for growing and adult fowls alike, it may safely be used to the extent of one-half, or perhaps a little more, of the total mash. Pullets That Have Started To Lay For the pullets on your place that have .started to lay, the main thing is to see they eat plenty of food., Most likely they are rather underweight. Therefore, you've got to provide sufficient food for further body development as well as egg production.; The last extra feed of grain (after the day's ordinary rations), should be trough-fed; supply it half an hour before the,birds go to roost. -But as soon as the evenings begin to draw in you' should make arrangements; to light the house artificially. These birds must have 'their last meal about 8.30 p.m. Begin lighting the house, therefore, when it gets too dark at this hour. You o'nly want to keep the light ; burning for twenty minutes or so—just ; long-enough, in fact, to give the birds a chance to eat all they want. Any kind ; of light will do, provided it's strong ' enough.- ' Clean Food Pails. How many poultry-keepers, we won- ■ der, realise what dangers , lurk in dirty feeding and watering buckets and troughs Old food clinging to the sides ' may become sour and cause digestivo ! troubles. Mould growths may grow high up the sides and cause trouble; Litter and droppings which, may accidentally drop in from one pen may carry : infectious disease from, that pen to a healthy one. - *■ . Yet how many folks make a point of -regularly cleaning the-pails? It'B not I an arduojus job and, done at reasonable ; intervals, , does not take up a lot of i time. • . _ , . •' ' ■ First of all, fill tlie pails and troughs \ full of water to allow the mash to soak : off.' Then . scrub vigorously and, rinse .: out. But this is not all. This hasn't , killed any germs which may still' be < there. " • ' e ' : . ( - Mix tip one pail: full of disinfectant solution .and allow it to stand in that pail for half, an hour. Then pour the liquid into the next pail and allow it to stand for ahother' half an hour and so < oil until all the pails and the trough : have been treated. <