THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1431, 4 May 1912, Page 14

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY.

(By Chanteeler.)

THE KGG FAMINE. The egg market, is just now in a stato of famine, 12s. a dozen being readily obtained for guaranteed fresh eggs. It is strango that eggs should be so scarce when we are led to believe that tiio industry is being overdone. The writer's opinion is that the egg demand is increasing faster than tho supply. It is so in nearly every country. We could do ivith a great increase in poultry-keepers in New Zealand, notwithstanding that many assert thero are too many launching into the business. Poultry, too, is dearer now than ever in tho history of New Zealand poultry, and chickens and ducks are hard to secure for table purposes. What is wanted for the industry are capable men—men of-practical experience that can bring intelligent effort, to bear upon their wors. Failures would not bo .so prominent. Too often tho inexperienced are led into the work only to find themselves in a work of difficulty, as keeping and raising poultry is a much more difficult problem than is generally assumed. How to Get Eggs in Winter. With eggs at. 2s. per dozen, the matter of producing his own supplies in the back ; vard should interest the suburban householder. The I>est way of all of obtaining eggs in the cold weather is to place the birds in a closed shed facing north, completely closed at the ends and back, and with wire netting in front, the netting to be covered with a windbreak or shield, for 2ft. up l'rom the ground. The llnor of the shed should be thickly shrewn with straw, or cocky chaff, or dry horse manure, or any other form of light litter in which the hens may scratch. The grain should bo thrown in this litter, so that the birds will have to scratch hard. This scratching exerciso makes for warmth, health, contentment, and general vigour. The water vessel .should be raised well off the floor, so that the birds cannot kick the litter into the water. A tax or tin filled with shell grit (to supply lime to the fowl and to make the eggshells), crushed charcoal (to act as a bowel corrective, internal cleanser, and absorbent of evil humours), and small, sharp stono (to help the gizzard to crush the gram, etc., and extract the nutriment) should also be placed well above the floor and kept full. A perch, or roost, about 15 to 18in. off the floor, with a flat board about 18in. wide underneath, which should be covered with sand, or dry earth, to catch and absorb the liquid m the droppings, and which should bo cleaned every day, will be required. A nestbox, stuck in a corner, and a vessel in which to feed, the mash, finishes the equipment of the shed. Feeding. Morning (7.30 o'clock) a mash composed of bran (one part), pollard—the whiter it is the greater the feeding value—(three parts), and the house scraps (bones in particular) mixed with hot water. A good plan is to have a pot (a kc-rosine. tin cut in half with a handle fixed in, is as good as anything) in which the house scraps may be thrown during the day. Xext morning, water should be added, and the pot brought to boiling point and kept there for half an hour if possible, in order to soften vegetable scraps, etc., and to extract the juice from the bones. Then the pot should be taken off the fire, and the bran stirred in. the pollard, (lumped in loose, on top, and the pot left to stand for 10 or 15 minutes. This steeping of the bran converts it into a jelly like mass, and adds to its feeding value, which is not high at any time. .At the end of 10 or 15 minutes the pollard should be thoroughly mixed with the other contents into a fairly dry and crumbly condition, and fed warm, not hot, to the birds. All vegetables should be boiled up in the pot; cabbage and cauliflower leaves and stumps should be chopped up small so that the fibre may bo broken down, and the juices be more easily extracted.

Animal Food Required. Bones and lean meat have a high feeding value, because of the elements which they contain—elements'which maintain the blood, bones, feathers—the whole fowl in fact—in good hearty condition, and enablo the hen to do its duty in the nestbox. The fowls, should be given as much of the mash as they will eat up cleanly, nnd it should be placed in the food vessel previously spoken of; never on the ground. A handful or two of wheat should be thrown into the litter at mid-day, and also some grass, or any other green stuff that can bo got hold of. Green feed is important, and confined hens ought to have some every day. In the winter there is natural grass, while barley and rape may be easily and quickly grown, An hour before dark a good feed' of clean, hard wheat should be thrown into the litter— a bit over won't hurt, because tho birds will get ,to it at daylight next morning, and keep busy and'warm' until their breakfast of mash conies along. A dozen hens may be kept in a 12 x 10ft. shed.

Easy to Get. If the above suggestions are followed the task of obtaining eggs in'tho cold weather will become easy, and there will be ' no mud and slush to set up insanitary conditions. The eggs will be clean, and gathering them will be an easy and clean job, while 'the hens will also be clean and bright because of being under cover. The Open Yard. Where open yard conditions obtain the shed should face north so that the sun may drive in and dry up any dampness, and the floor .should be raised some inches higher than the surrounding ground, so that no water may run in. The shed should be half-closed in in front, and the perch fixed behind the screen so that cold wind may not play on the hens. If the cold air plays on them it causes the mechanism of the birds to generate moi;e warmth and send it on to the outer ex-: tremities as a protection against cold. This generation of warmth uses up the food so that there is little or no surplus over out of which eggs may be made. This is the simple reason why hens that roost outside at night in cold weather don't lay well. On the other hand, when they are in a warm shed, with the cold air kept off, there is not nearly the same call on tho food for warmth-producing purposes, and so there is a surplus of food which it available for egg-making. (To be continued next weel.)

LAYING COMPETITIONS. EIGHTH FOR FOWLS. The following are the returns for tile third week of the Now Zealand lltilily Poultry Club's eighth laying competition tor fowls;— Total lotal for to• Week. Date, ffni. Scull, Christchurch, B. Wyandottes 11 30 W. A. Nison, Burwood, W. Leghorns -N'o. 1 29 74 H. Leger, Weraroa, W. Leghorns ....i 22 33 John Wordsworth, Geraldine, White Leghorns 17 83 James Ashton. Hanmer, Silver . Wyandottes .... 0 0 Martin Bros., Auckland, White iighoms 20 81 Verrall Bros., Swannanoa, B. Leghorns .' 27 SO W. A. Nixon, Burwood, W. Leghorns No. 2 20 (SG Heretaunga P. Co., Silverstream, \\\ Leghorns No. 1... 29 SB H. S. Woodnortii, Winton, \V. Leghorns 0 21 W. A. Nixon, Burwood, White Leghorns No. 3 26 50 li. M. Smith, Auckland, W. Leghorns 0 0 Eangiuru Egg Ranch, Otaki, Leghorns 0 11 I!. \y. Hawke, Papanui, White Leghorns ■. 27 91 E. Willis and Son, New Brighton, W. Leghorns 5 H A. E. Wilson, Shirley, W. Wvandottes 0 5 D. Stewart, Normanby, White Leghorns U 19 Master G. Wilson, Shirley, W. - Leghorns 12 47 Eomain Munger, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns 0 23 Mrs. K. W. Hawke, Papanui, White Leghorns 17 63 A. Stevenson, Karori, White Leghorns •/ 14 47 H. K. Wainman, Runanga, W. Leghorns 8 12 A. li. Browne, Petano Beach, White Leghorns 6 0 Prankish Bros., Wanganui, W, ... Leghorns 18 73 W. Knight, Lower Hutt, ■ Silver Wyandottes 23 63 J. 11. Shaw and R. James, Christchureh, W. Leghorns... S 15 W. G. Goodwin, Thames, B. Omingtons 3 13 W. A. Nixon, Burwood, Silver Wyandottes 20 50 A. E. Wilson, Shirley, Silver Wvandottes 9 3i Hisses Bradley, Pnpanui, W. Leghorns 16 *- T. Kennedy, Rangiora, Whit« Wyandottes :••• 0 C. 11. Peck, Avondale, White Leghorns 5 5 J. W. Green, St. Albans, White Leghorns 26 62 N. Solomon, Westport, Black Orpingtons 7 20 A. W. Irvine, Epsom, White Leghorns No. 1 27 70 C. 11. Peek, Avondale, Black Orpingtons 5 11 G. H. Bradford, Cust, Silver Wyandottes 3 9. A. W. Irvine, Epsom, AVhite Leghorns No. 2 18 64 Heretaunga P. Co., Silverstream, W. Legliorns No. 2... 2S 80 Hiddlcpark P. Farm, Eiecarton, W. Leghorns 16 41 T. Strong, Doyleston, White . Leghorns 0 2 P. Keller, Eollcston, White Leghorns 12 40 Percy Holt, Papakura, Whito Leghorns 17 32 W. Knight, Lower Hutt, Whito Leghorns ..10 _ 33 G. Anderson, St. Albnns, Silver 1 '■ Wyandottes .....v...:.. 8 22 J. W. Bradley and Son, Papanui, Whito Leghorns 0 0 Mrs. J. Mills,/Dunedin, White Leghorns IS 30 W. 5. Sail, Cust, White Leghorns ® ' Crawford and Pudsey, Lower Hutt, W. Leghorns 25 35 R. A. Lazarus, Lower Hutt, White Leghorns 17 20 W. O. Sail, Cust, Silver Wyandottes # 1 Misses Radford and Barker, Ohau, W. Leghorns .17 , 2G A. W. Adams, Sheffield, Silvor Wyandottes 6 10 'A. F,. Kent, Shirley, White Leghorns 29 90 J. Corrio, Bockenham, White Leghorns .r. 8 3 E. H. Borchart, Eltham, W. Leghorns ; 5 23 W. A. Nixon, Burwood, White Leghorns No. 1 27 48 T.' K. Collins, Lower Hutt, Black Orpingtons 0 10 Dominion P. Plant, Coromandel, White Leghorns 15 35 T. Kennedy, Rangiora, Silver Wyandottes 21 70 Totals 7G7 2170 FOR DUCKS. The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club's figures for tho third week of its third competition for ducks are as follow:— Total Total for to • , .week, date. Thos. Dowthwaite, Avondale, Indian Runners 23 25 ' W. Knight, Lower Hntt, Indian Runners 8 0 ; S. H. Scott, Onehunga, Buff ' Orpingtons 6 17 1 T. R. Hall, Wereroa, Indian Runners 4 .14 ; P. Keller, Rolleston, Indian : Runners 2a 4g D. M, Peck, Avondale, Indian '■ Runners 20 35 1 S. H. Scott, Onehunga, Indian " Runners 12 31 ' Heretaunga P. Co., Silver- ' stream, Indian Runners ... 24 <4 t Miss A. J. Donald, Dunsandel, ! Indian Runners 11 55 " P. Keller, Rolleston, Indian Runners ' 0 0 Totals 125 269