POULTRY-KEEPING FOR PROFIT

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22636, 15 February 1939, Page 16

POULTRY-KEEPING FOR PROFIT

MOULTING PULLETS

(By Leghorn.)

It is usually the objective of poul-try-keepers to have their pullets old enough to lay in the late summer or early autumn, yet not old enough to be likely to moult before the winter. Whether a pullet moults before the winter depends whether the pullets were hatched very early in the season, or the weather was unseasonable. Some commercial egg farmers are definite that the early pullets show the best financial return, and other poul-try-keepers are equally convinced that October pullets are a better financial proposition. It is difficult to express an opinion upon this question, because the weather has a proved influence on egg production. I have had pullets laying before Christmas and they have laid right through the winter without any trace of moulting, but nevertheless the risk of moulting is lessened if the birds do not start to lay until February-March. Pullets at the start of their laying life should be kept as quiet as possible, because at this stage they seem to be very nervous and flighty. Regular feeding with plenty of green food, grit, and fresh water are all-important just now, and it will usually be found that once a pen of pullets has started to lay in earnest the birds settle down, and much of the previous nervousness disappears. Moulting Hens Last week I described the moult and its cause, and it should be remembered that a fright, or change of housing or feeding, is likely to cause the hens to cast their feathers earlier than they ordinarily would do. Many a poultrykeeper has suffered severe financial loss through moving a flock of hens from one house to another at this time of the year. This changing is frequently made necessary when the house previously occupied by the hens is required for the pullets. This is another argument in favour of the desirability of transferring the pullets to their permanent laying quarters at least six weeks before they are likely to lay. If this is done, the hens will be moved before the changing over from one house to another takes place and the moulting risk will be minimised. Pallet Nests It is important that the nests in the pullet houses be as secluded as possible. If a number of nests are erected in a row, it is wise to place a tin or wooden partition between each nest. This partition, besides helping to darken the nest also removes to some extent the costly risk of vent picking. Do not erect the nests too high from the floor of the house. About two feet to two feet six inches high is enough. Surplus Stock While it pays to keep a constant look-out for unprofitable birds, with a view to their removal and sale, this is the appropriate time to sort out the cockerels and send to market all those birds which will not be required for the coming breeding season. Early moulting hens and last year’s breeding males, which are not required, should be sorted out and sold. It is only by constant culling of the flock that the maximum financial return from the flock is made possible. Watch Maturing Pullets During unseasonable weather, such as has been experienced during the last few weeks, the poultry-keeper has had to keep his eyes closer on his maturing Stock, as well as on the older birds. The egg yield has diminished, and there has been the need to give special attention to the feeding. Then there has been another matter which has required close attention, and that is to watch lor colds, especially in the growing and maturing pullets. The ordinary fowl, even though it might be well bred, is subject to many troubles that have their start in a common cold, which must be guarded against at all costs. When once a cold has been contracted, it is in the best interests of the maintenance of egg production that such colds are not allowed to spread. Simple catarrh or cold is a common disease or ailment Of poultry, and at this time of year is usually prevalent. It is a disease of the air passages or bronchial tubes, very often associated with improper bousing, that permits of a damp atmosphere. and an undue exposure to draughts during cold snaps or changeable weather. It must be realised that weak stock and poorly nourished birds are more likely to be affected by these conditions rather than the strong, healthy stock. In fact, that is one of the secrets of poultry culture—that is the best results and the least worry and anxiety are always associated with good, healthy, vigorous stock. This, then, is another reason why it should be seen that the best birds are being reared. Now that the pullets are approaching maturity, it is the wise poultrykeeper who is continually going over them to see that only the best are retained. and that those which will go into the laying sheds will be full of health, strength, and vigour. Nothing but a vigorous, healthy bird should be placed in the laying shed. The bird which becomes infected with catarrh is generally more or less dull, its appetite' shows a falling off, and then the breathing becomes * affected. This is the stage when the cold can be readily detected. Soon this is followed by a watery discharge from the nostrils, which becomes viscid, and escapes from the mouth as well. If neglected, this cold will invariably develop. Into something more serious. The best thing to do is to remove the cause, isolating any affected birds, and preventing draughts and damp places in the houses. Before placing the pullets in their permanent quarters, see that the houses are all quite free from draughts, that they are roomy, and that the birds get an abundance of fresh air. The stuffy house, often made so through overcrowding, can usually be looked upon as the cause of most of the troubles which affect the respiratory system of fowls.