POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21973, 23 December 1936, Page 4

POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

HOLIDAY ATTENTION

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT "Puzzled”—The cause of the trouble with . your chickens is probably some disease transmitted from the mother of the chicks. Occasionally a hen is strong enough to withstand disease, but the little chickens quickly succumb when they become infected from the hen. Another possible cause of the trouble is lice. If the mother hen is badly infested with lice, these are transmitted to the chickens with serious results, The feeding is not, In my opinion, the cause of the trouble.

ioy a-.xl.vj numN. j During the holidays, when most persons are intent upon enjoying themselves, the birds frequently receive very scanty attention. Irregular feeding at this time of the year is apt to cause a very noticeable drop in the egg yield. Particular attention should be paid to the provision of ample drinking water, because lack of water during the warm weather will have disastrous effects upon the birds. Short food rations are harmful, but shortage of water is much more serious. Many people say that poultry are a nuisance because they x-cquire constant attention. Certainly attention to the birds is necessary, but the provision of dry mash hoppers capable of holding several days’ supply of dry mash, and the installing of some system of watering which will ensure the birds having a continuous supply, will enable the small poultry keeper to reduce the time needed in caring for the birds in the holiday season. Dust in Drinking Water In all poultry drinking systems, automatic or otherwise, the container should be—for adult stock—at least six inches above the ground level, or more if possible. After exhaustive tests, it has been found that there is less dust and foreign matter in drinking water when vessels are so placed. The wind moves the yard dust in heavy clouds at ground level, and this falls on the water. The higher the container the less matter falls in. The birds soon learn to jump up on a small platform to drink, but in all cases the platform should be right round the vessel, to allow full access to the water. Protrusion What is known as protrusion or prolapse of the oviduct, is really due to a weakness of the muscular parts of the walls of the oviduct, which makes the oviduct unable to stand the strain of great egg production. At times it appears that this weakness is inherited. as plants have been visited where pullets bred from certain males have shown a marked tendency to this trouble. Further, it may be brought on by feeding too much animal food, such as meat, meatmeal. or milk, and on occasion the bleeding is caused by other hens pecking at the oviduct just when a hen is laying. This often brings on a hemorrhage, and then the other hens in the flock will also pick at the bleeding part. If such is the case it is as well to darken the nests by tacking scrim or sacking in front of the nests, or make the nests so deep that the oviduct of the bird cannot be seen or picked at when laying. When this trouble begins in a Hock it is advisable to keep a close watch on the birds for an hour or so during the morning, and often the culprit may be seen walking along in front of the nests waiting for a chance to pick at other birds when laying. If these birds are detected and removed from the flock further trouble may be checked. . ' , Though protrusion of the oviduct is often caused by the feeding of too much animal food, cases of cannibalism have been known to have been caused by pullets not being £d sufficient animal food. It is well, therefore. when this trouble starts in a flock to make every effort to find the cause and to remedy the conditions. A regular supply of succulent green feed, the feeding of a little more gia.n and less mash, the addition of one packet of Epsom salts to each gallon of drinking water every second day until the trouble is checked and the increasing of the amount °f mter to encourage exercise, is a suggest treatment.

Stamina in Young Stock The maintenance of stamina or constitutional vigour m PGiiUry stock - mainly mode possible by caretui breeding. Chickens bred from healthy stock of good type are not only easici io rear, but in time they are far more profitable than birds which are bred from ordinary or indifferent slock. There is another important aspect also to be considered, and that is the susceptibility of birds to disease Poultry keepers, no matter how healthy their own Hock may be. cannot but be perturbed at the increase in poultry diseases. In all parts of the world grave concern is being expressed at the phenomenal increase in poultry maladies. „ , . , When disease appears, the birds which are the first victims are invariably those of weak constitution. Without being an alarmist, I cannot but predict that the comparative freedom from disease in this country will not last. There has never been a time when poultry keepers should be more careful in their breeding and flock management. When disease docs appear, those poultry keepers who have concentrated on maintaining stamina in their flocks will be best able to withstand the ravages of infection. This is not the breeding season; therefore the obvious advice to-day is to care and provide for the growing birds so that they can develop a constitution which will stand them in good stead during their lives of egg producing. The attention given to young pullets makes all the difference in the world to the value of these birds when they reach maturity. This week I visited two poultry keepers, each having about 30 birds 12 weeks old. Housing conditions were similar, and in both cases the pullets had been bred from good stock. The first lot were well grown, active, bright of eye, rich in leg colour, and, generally speaking, looked a picture of health. The woman who was rearing these birds exhibited them with justifiable pride, for the condition of the birds was ample testimony to the care and attention they had received. The birds had been supplied with ample goodquality food, and had been given green food several times each day. The second lot of pullets I inspected did not look anything like the first lot, although they were the same age. They had been well fed, no doubt, but they looked listless and dull. In answer to a direct question, the owner frankly admitted that they were not regularly provided with green food. They were fed only twice daily, and there was no variety at all in their feed. The best advice I can give to those who are rearing pullets i§ to feed ample green food; twice a day is better than once a day, but feed it every day without fail. The writer of these notes takes this opportunity of wishing readers the compliments of the season.