POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22310, 26 January 1938, Page 15

POULTRY KEEPING FOR PROFIT

NEED FOR ADEQUATE

SHADE

[By "LEGHORN."]

Tt is essential that poultry be provided with adequate shade. When birds are on free range they naturally find shade during the warmest part of the day, but birds kept in confinement often suffer greatly from heat in the summer.

A fowl-house constructed of iron is naturally warmer on a hot day than a wooden house, but this does not mean that because the shed is wooden the provision of shade is unnecessary. It is, of course, advisable to build a fowl-house facing north, and it is also advisable that the house be as dry and draught-proof as possible. This type of house has many advantages over a house facing east or south, but as it faces the sun it becomes very warm in hot weather. The best method of providing shade is by loosely tacking some light scrim along part of the front of the house. If the netting opening in the front of the house is six feet high and 12 feet long, a piece of scrim, three feet wide, can be tacked along the length of the house. It should be attached to the lower half of the netting and the top half left open. At the back of the house some satisfactory method of ventilation should be arranged, and on hot days the rear ventilators should be left open to permit of free circulation of air. In hot weather, of course, special attention should be paid to the water supply, and also to the supply of green food. Census of Poultry The last census of poultry taken makes interesting reading, and the following figures taken fr6m the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture are useful. The number of fowls (both sexes) in the North Island was 1,939,581, and the number in the South Island 1,548,935. The size of flocks of fowls and ducks is given as follows: Birds. No. of flocks 1-11 .. .. 65.669 12-24 .. .. 68,479 25-49 .. .. 21,286 50-74 .. .. 5.266 75-99 .. .. 2,030 100-149 .. .. 1,179 150-199 .. .. 565 200-299 .. ~ 546 300-399 .. .. 258 400-499 .. .. 167 500-749 .. .. 202 750-999 .. .. 108 1000 or more .. .. 194 * Total .. .. 165,949 On a basis of population the South Island has more birds than the North. The fact that out of a total of 165,949 flocks in the Dominion 134,148 flocks do not exceed 24 birds is no doubt responsible for the difficulty that has been experienced in efficiently organising poultry-keepers.. Feeding: During* the Moult Because of the nutrients required for growth and body maintenance are practically the same as are required for egg production, hens in the moult should receive the same kind of feed as when they are producing eggs. Some poultrymen feel that mash feed need not be provided when the birds are in the moult. This is a mistaken jdea because the protein present in the mash is needed during the moulting period to produce the new coat of feathers. Inasmuch as the feathers contain from 20 to 25 per cent, of the protein in the hen's entire body, feed [ containing animal and vegetable pro- | tein should be available during the j entire time the birds are in the moult. When such protein is not available during this period a breaking down of the protein in the tissue of the bird is apt to result, and the time required to go through the moult will likely be prolonged. In order to keep the birds in a good physical condition and enable them to moult in less time, it is always advisable to provide a well-balanced feed during this period. Birds that are in good physical condition when they start to moult will not consume as much feed as they would when they are in production. However, the same ingredients (protein carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and so forth) must be present in the feed in proper amounts during both of these periods. Hens that are in poor physical condition when they start to moult should be encouraged to eat as much feed as possible to enable them to gain in body weight during the time the new coat of feathers is being produced. Most poultrymen have found it advisable to feed their birds about as much mash as grain during the moulting period and to keep them as comfortable as possible. The Value of Charcoal Many poultry-keepers , contend that charcoal is useless in poultry feeding. As a food possibly so, but as an aid to feeding and health it stands alone in value. Digestive and gastric troubles, with their irritating gases and liquids, are quickly absorbed by charcoal, which is of a porous and absorbent nature. Hence the simple homely ingredient prevents the inroads of such digestive troubles that ultimately lead to bodily disorders and, at times, disease. Charcoal ensures that food eaten does its full duty in being properly assimilated for health, flesh, and production, thereby eliminating waste in feeding. Surely then as a corrective in improper feeding, and a further safeguard in the bodily functioning of the fowl, charcoal wins its place as one of the recognised constituents in the flock diet.

The greatest factor instrumental in causing worthless poultry to develop on the farm is disease. Therefore, it behoves the producer to eliminate every possible hazard that may have a tendency to bring about disease conditions. In turn, he must counteract the disease by following a systematic plan of sanitation, because diseases will not be present to any great extent where thorough sanitation is incorporated in the plan of management.

Points to Remember

Culling must be as accurate as any job on the farm, for one cull can' spoil the profit of two good layers. Cull intelligently and do not place too definite emphasis on any onfe sign. By this time of the year nearly all cockerels can be sorted out, and the surplus should be cleared as soon as possible. Where there is no chance of fattening on the farm they should be marketed without delay.