POULTRY DISEASES

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20989, 18 October 1933, Page 11

POULTRY DISEASES

•——— —- LECTURE BY DR. A. LESLIE

The statement that the cumulative effects of feeding over a period of time had piore effect on the virility of fowls than did disease was made by Dr. A. Leslie, of Lincoln College, in a lecture on the "Diseases of Poultry" to members of the New Zealand. Utility Poultry Club last evening. Mr W. Turner presided. Dr. Leslie stated that where in some cases breeders were of the opinion that the lassitude or debility of fowls was directly traceable to disease, he was firmly convinced and experiments and observation supported him, that lack of vitamins, due to faulty feeding over a period of time, was more to blame. Hatchability in eggs, said Dr. Leslie, was a factor due more to feeding than to breeding. What was in the ■ egg to begin with depended on the i food with which the dam had been fed, and this naturally affected the size, strength, and value of the j chicken. Factors which influenced the j hatchability of eggs were ventilation | and humidity—an adverse one was j the high production of eggs. Losses of chickens were frequently attributed to chills, said Dr. Leslie. "I don't believe there is any such thing as a chill," stated the speaker. "In my opinion it is disease, and disease possibly sponsored by lowered vitalitv through malnutrition." Most losses of chickens were directly traceable to the feeding both in quality and quantity of the. dam, continued the speaker; housing, climatic conditions, virur, and bacteria were also causes but of lesser importance. There was no evidence, to show that there wa* any correlation between the thickness of the egg shell and hatchability. Mr H. P. Donald delivered an adi dress on "Herediiry." He showed that I heredifry influenced the colour and | physical peculiarities of each bird. and in addition influenced its resistI ence to disease, and its virility. 1 Dr Leslie and Mr Donald were ac- | corded votes of thanks.