POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 38, 8 November 1919, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

(Pv "Chanticleer.")

Chicken Raising, At the request of tho Canterbury Egg Circle, Mr. J. Liggius last week gavo the iirat of a scries of lectures on •"■Successful Poultry Farming." The chairman (Mr. W. A. Gee) explained that Mr. Liggius had been deputed to speak on "Chicken Itaiuiug." Mr. Liggins said that ono of tho many reasons way so many peoplo did not mako a success of poultry farming was beciuse of their inability to reproduce, stock. Chicken raising -was absolutely essential to replenish stocks. Mr. Liggins said ho found his method simple, yet efficient. Chicken raising really commenced in tho autumn with the selection of the breeders. Experience bad taught him to breed from late moulters, strong birds, which possessed the standard requirements of the breed. Ho never bred from pullots, as they laid too many !>ggs to produce tho best of stock. He prelerred an early hatched cockerel mated with second year lemiues, aud got good results from mating 100 breeders with six male birds. They should bo mated for two or three weeks before the eggs v. ere required for incubation. The ureeders should bo fed on groin and made to scratch for it; it was important not to overfeed them. Ho adyiscd giving them plenty of free range und green feed. With tho help of a youth he was caring for 20M) chicKeus and about 1500 aduit birds, and did not iiud tho work a drudgery. He favoured Lire semi-cold brooder lor chicken rearing, and only, supplied artificial heat for a few days. ' ,

Mr. Liggins Eaid that when he removed the chicKs from the incubators he placed sixty to a hundred iu each brooder. The brooders were kept in an open Blied iac'ing north, and the chicks had full advantage of tho sun, and -were protected from the winds. The lamps of the brooder wero put out at night after the chicks were comfortably settled, aijd after a few days no artilicial heut whatever was supplied. Plenty of fresh air in brooders was absolutely necessary. When the chicks were a ■week old they were placed in lots ol thirty in outdoor coons, or "brooders." as some call them. The brooders must be supplied with a good bed of chaff to keep the chicks warm, and they must be draugnt-proof; also kept scrupulously clean, iliese outdoor brooders wero boarded on i.ie sides, with wire-netted tops and front. Thirty chickens supplied enough heat to keep themselves- warm. Tne earthen floors wero covered with sand and chaff. He believed in bringiug them up hardy, as later on ho found they wero ablo to resist cold snaps and not go out of profit. Tho chickens wero kept in the brooders described for eight or ten weeks They were supplied with a perch to encourage them to rcrch early. As soon as a chicken took to it ho considered it, Eafe. Tho cockerels wero thrown out -when two or three weeks old to c/.ow tho pullets (12 to 15) it better chance to thrive. The pullets, were next placed in largo grass runs in lots of one hundred. A watchful eyo had to-be kept on tho pullots, as they were liablo to crowd into corners instead of taking kindly to the perches. In tho autumn they were again removed to permanent houses. v;heu tho underflights of ono wing wero out.

Mrs. Goriuski 32 839 Waitoitoi Stud Farm 26 753 V. Davcjr 33 721 li. D. 'J'omkies 28 700 Oxford Poultry Farm 31 838 11. W. Coombes 34 822 Verrall Brothers 31 556 liangirurn Egg Eanch 28 749 G. Geo 33 857 Indcr and Phillips 28 830 A. U. Skilton 33 740 J. liobertson 35 830 A. 31. liovo 29 746 D. Graham 32- 825 O. Thomson 37 918 J. Webb 36 598 *T. Richards 30 777 Brown Leghorns— '- til. Hunter R3 398 ■fYerrall Brothers 23 351 Totals 1722 11,894 LIGHT BREEDS. (Two roars' Test.) White Leghorns--H. W. Beck 27 2132 Mrs. Gorinski 23 21C6 J. Liggins 23 1838 Blnolt Min'ircas— H. Williams 29 1941 Totals 107 6017 HEAVT BREEDS CONTEST. 'For six purebred pullets between the atrf:» ol 6 and 9 months.) T«t»J Weekly to total, data. Silver Wyandoltcs— T. Kennedy 29 435 A. W. Adams- 20 529 T. Dowthwaito 19 680 White Rocks— h. T>. Adams 23 569 American Barred Rocki— D. Allingham 24 382 Black Orpingtonß--0. n. Izard (No. 2) 30 643 T. E. Conway 2-5 814 . W. Bloomiield 20 585 C. J. Norton 27 632 0. H. Izard 'No. 1) 25 649 Rhode Island Reds— P. E. Knyvett 12 399 Totals , 280 6975 DUCK OOSTEST. Total Woekly to totul. datb. Indian Runners— R.. M. Copland 31 827 G. Bonnett 33 774 *T. Dowtliwaito uul 29 792 W. T. Green (No. 1) 30 978 Mrs. 0. 11. M'Dougall 35 643 *J,. Donald .' 35 895 *Heretaunga Poultry Farm 27 674 W. T. Green :No. 2) 29 878 #llrs. E. H. Huutej 27 699 Totals 276 7160 TWO YEABg' .TEST. Indian Runners— *W. T. Green 26 2192 ". SINGLE DUOK OOOTEST. \l'ot purebred ducks, over 5 and under 9 months.) Total Weekly to total, datt. Indian 'Runners^ It. Meadows 4 133 W. T, Green 6 196 ' L. Wadham 6 167 T. Meadows 7 105 J. Douald 5 129 Totals 26 730 *One bird dead. {Two birds dead.