POULTRY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 225, 23 September 1938, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES.

PREVENTING CANNIBALISM.

MISTAKES IN MANAGEMENT,

(By ORPINGTON.)

We all know how much better preventicn is than cure, and in many instances where prevention is not very difficult cure is almost impossible. Cannibalism in chicks is an example of this, because it has been demonstrated many times that chicks which were cannibals as quite young chicks having been cured of this vice for a time reverted to the disastrous habit as pullets. The vices of toe picking, feather pulling, including tail and wing feathers, sometimes going as far as practically eating parts of the victims and killing them, are generally caused by faulty management. It lias been demonstrated that overcrowding, close confinement, overheated brooder houses, too much light in brooder houses, empty feed hoppers and empty water fountains are among the principal causes of cannibalism in chicks. All or any of these faults in management will set up a nervous and discontented condition in the chicks, causing them to get into mischief. A deficiency in the rations fed may also be a contributing factor causing the chicks to seek for some means by which they can satisfy a craving for these elements in which their rations are deficient.

To be contented the chicks must have ample room, they must not be overheated, over-heating being just as bad as chilling. We have frequently found brooder houses terribly over-heated on warm, sunny days, with chicks shut in when they should have been out, but it is not only on warm sunny days that brooder houses may become too warm, not to say very hot. causing the chicks to be in great distress, leading eventually to cannibalism.

Tt is quite simple to avoid all the mistakes in management mentioned above, but if in spite of all precautions taken cannibalism should . break out anionir a flock of young chickens quick action in removing any wounded chicks and taking measures to cure the offenders may prevent serious disaster. Tho wounds of the injured chicks should !>e treated with pin" tar. as this is very healing and generally prevents further trouble. The chicks should also be kept busy with little strips of lean meat and ju«t a small quantity of chick scratch grain thrown in the litter every onee in n while for several days if weather conditions are such as to make it necessary to keep the chicks in. The chicks should be let outside on to clean ranire as much as possible.

TCemember. however, that every effort should he made to prevent rather than cure cannibalism.