POULTRY-KEEPING FOR PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22590, 21 December 1938, Page 18

POULTRY-KEEPING FOR PROFIT

FEEDING DURING HOLIDAYS

(By LEGHORN.)

While attention to the flock on a commercial farm continues without interruption during the whole year, it very often happens that the small or backyard poultry-keeper finds his pen of birds rather a nuisance during the holiday period when the owner has planned a holiday. There is frequently a reluctance to ask neighbours to give the birds daily attention, but it is usually found that a neighbour will be only too pleased to feed and water the birds in return for the eggs. If, however, the proposed holiday is for two or three days only, it is possible, by providing a well-filled dry mash hopper and ample, well-filled water containers, to obviate the necessity of daily attention. While this is a possible solution to meet the need of short absence, it is not recommended, first, because the change in feeding is liable to put the birds off, and, second, because of the accumulation of eggs in the nest with the danger of breakage and the starting of that distressing eggeating habit. The kindly attention of a friend or neighbour to the birds will remove all worry and doubt from the mind of the owner. It is better for the birds and better for the owner, as it is not much good going away for a holiday and having periodical thoughts and worry about the fowls at home. Cull Out Poor Pullets

Egg production is the most profitable branch of poultry keeping. The object of the poultry-farmer should be to get most of his pullets into production in early April. With that in mind, he should be looking over his growing pullets frequently. On most of the good poultry farms the pullets are developing well. They are picking up health and strength and an abundance of other good things. The something that the pullet gets when she is foraging on free range, or among a patch of greenstuff, does her the world of good. It is under these conditions that she gets something that the pullet in confined quarters cannot and does not get. The pullet that has a good run round the free range area or a well-grassed run for several months will always be the better-conditioned layer than the one that has been confined in bare yards for a similar period. Pullets should be so hatched, so reared, and so cared for that they will be in full production during the high-priced period of the year—April to July, inclusive—really the winter months of the year. With that thought always being considered, now is the first good culling time for the pullets. When they are running on free range, their good and bad points are more easily noticed than is the case when they are running on restricted areas; further, there is little or no necessity to handle them. The pullet that does not come up to a good standard of apparent productive ability while she is maturing should be discarded early, because she will not reach that eventual stage of profit-earning ability. Every poultry-keeper will be well advised to stand among his maturing and growing pullets fairly frequently, and make a careful study of their movements.

Look for the pullet of good, smart, active appearance—one that moves about quickly with, a sprightly walk; in other words, the pullet that is constantly on the move and' eager to pick up that extra bit of. something that will assist her in building up her body, and will provide the possibilities for fast and regular egg production. She will be the worker. She is so vastly different from the sluggard type of pullet, the overgrown, heavy class of bird, slow in movement, coarse in body, legs, and head, and invariably idle. She, as well as the undersized, lagging, fine-headed, and fine boned pullet, should be culled. A percentage of these undesirables is in every flock, and they should be culled early—they never pay.

Vigorous Birds Proper sanitation does wonders in -disease control with poultry. Sanitary measures, however, represent but half the battle tactics. Inherited constitutional vigour in the birds, plus the right .kind of feed, is just as important. A practical poultry-keeper and nutrition authority is' responsible for saying that if each farm flock-owner would keep a bale "of leafy lucerne hay in each hen-house the increased stamina of the poultry would eliminate' most of the diseases prevalent today among poultry. This is a startling statement, showing one of the things the poultry-keeßer can do to keep his poultry flock in a vigorous condition so that the birds may more readily overcome disease infestations.

The value of inherited constitutional vigour in poultry in the control of diseases cannot be over-estimated. In the Wilds of the jungle nature controls this through the "survival of the fittest." Poultry breeders should take a lesson from nature in their flock selections. Carrying to the extreme the saving of the weak has made poultry flocks more and more susceptible to the ravages of disease. It is time to call a halt on this practice if a sanitation and disease control programme is to be effective. N

Maintain Green Food Periodically throughout the warm ■weather a fresh planting of green food should be arranged. Green food is essential to maintain good health in the birds during the hot weather and it is the cheapest of all foods, but it must be fresh. Silver beet and other green foods make rapid growth, but after a while the leaves on the plant lose their crispness and are not nearly as appetising. For that reason do not rely upon one planting only, but make periodical and smaller plantings and thus ensure a constant supply throughout the planting and growing season