POULTRY KEEPING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 46, 23 February 1934, Page 14

POULTRY KEEPING.

PROTECT THE PULLETS. SPITEFUL HABITS OF HENS. (By ORPINGTON.) Where there is only one fowlhouse on the farm,'and the birds arc. on free range or confined to one pen, it is often the practice at this time of year to put young pullets with the old layers just as soon as they are fairly feathered and separated from the cockerels. This may save work in feeding, but unless the pullets are so very early hatched that they can stand a severe cheek, and yet come into lay by March or April, then it is a very short-sighed economy in labour. Hens are spiteful things—more particularly the light breeds —and invariably bully the stranger amongst them, especially if she should be younger or not so robust. When hens and pullets are mixed, even if the pullets are fed at a separate trough, the youngsters will be chivvied about during the day and kept off' the perches at night, and probably pecked wlieij they go to take a drink of water, so that they get thoroughly unhappy, and feathering, growth, and the development of the ovary are all checked. This amounts to taking about three weeks off a pullet's life as far as its development is concerned. Avoid Moving Birds. Moving birds from one house to another checks them also, even if the surroundings and feeding remain the same. Indeed, hens will be put off laying and will go into a moult if they are moved at this time of year. This is why the young stock should be into their laying quarters about a month before they are expected "to lay, for if they are put off after they have started to produce eggs, they may lose a lot of valuable laying time at the season when eggs are scarce. The novice must understand that hens are either "in lay," when the ovary is full and active, or "out of lay," when it is a shrivelled or suspended condition, so that a hen does not just lay "when she thinks she will," jjut because the egg is ripe and ready for laying. Thus, although egg production may not fall off the day after birds are moved, it affects their feeding, which in turn affects the manufacture of eggs, which would have been laid in seven, ten, or even fourteen days' time, according to the bird. A big change may even hold up the laying of eggs, almost formed, or cause them to be laid not fully formed —that is without shells. It is only natural that- such marvellous machinery should be rather easily put out of gear.

Where young and older stock have to use the same house, it is advisable to divide it with wire netting. If there is a run and free range available, let the flocks use these on alternate days. If there is just one run or free range for their use, let one lot of birds out in the morning and the others in the afternoon. Even if birds are on range they soon learn to come in for a handful of corn. The change that checks pullets more than any other, of course, is when they have been reared on free range, and are at this time of year shut into a bare run or an intensive house. If they were hatched in July or August, it will not mattor, but no one can afford to check later hatchcd prospective layers. When the older stock are almost through their moult they can be mixed with the pullets without fear or loss. Autumn Colfls and Housing. With the harvesting over and the chicks well reared, even the cockerels should all be out of the way unless a few that are being kept for stock purposes. So there should be time now, even on the busiest farm, to clean out the fowlhouse and see that it is repaired for the winter. The droppings and caked dust on the floors are useful, being highest in nitrogen and phosphate manure values. If left to get wet out in the weather, most of the value goes into the soil beneath, being soluble matter, so it should be used right away or stored dry, in bags. Mixed with fine, dry sand or soil, it is excellent for dressing azaleas, rhododendrons and for topdressing lawns. Used for liquid manure it should. be fed to apple and pear trees this month. Birds that have free range, and roost in trees or large open sheds, as they often do on farms, rarely are troubled with autumn colds, which, if neglected, become an epidemic of roup. It might well be called a disease of civilisation. But too often, when the farmer's wife thinks she will increase her flock, and perhaps rather overcrowds the accom-' modation available, disaster occurs, or, at best, disappointment in autumn production. - j

On too many poultry firms every autumn sees a fair proportion of birds suffering from cohb. No doubt every effort is made to cure the 1 birds as soon as possible, but even a slight cold will put a pullet off laying, and colds can reduce the egg production to an alarming extent. The trouble is that, in big brooder-reared flocks, pullets, have hardly had to stand up to any cold weather or great changes of temperature such as may . oCctir in 'the autumn. The most that can be done for them is to see that houses are well ventilated and free from draughts. Some houses, though, made so that they are free from draughts, are abominably stuffy, s& thaf the birds breathe and rebreathe air which gets warm, and even hot, atid then they go out, as the young-, sters do, at the very first peep of dawn, into a cold and dewy morning. The change is much too great, and colds re-, suit. And prevention is a hundred times easier and more effective than cure in this direction. Just sample the ventilation of your hen house one night when the birds have been roosting for a few hours. The air should smell quite clean and cool, without being unduly draughty.

Slatted floor and fold houses are designed to overcome the usual defects in ventilation that occur so readily in the lean-to type of house. There should be ventilation at the bottom of the Walls for the entrance of clean-air, and an outlet high up for used air. The house that is raised from the ground, with slatted floor, and has ridge ventilation, is- perfect in this respect, and colds are unknown where birds are so housed, unless they have been introduced by other stock., . This system, of housing also allows a far greater number of birds to be kept in the same size of house, saving capital outlay on a flock. So where it is realised that the birds are overcrowded, it is strongly advised to raise tlie house off the ground on blocks, to allow a free current of air underneath it. Slatted floors should be fixed five or six inches above the lower edge of the sides. Whether the front is entirely open, or only half-netted, rome ventilation, under the lower eave should be arranged, preferably so that it . can, if necessary, ;be closed during severe winds from that direction. A sliding panel, with holes or slats through which the air may escape, may be used, or just a, hinged weatherboard,;.to prop open, orbutton "down. '