POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 269, 7 August 1920, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

(By "Chanticleer.")

• Speaking of artificial hatching, Mr. C. Oussen, Government Poultry Instractor, pointed out in a recent address at Duncdin that definite instructions civild not safely be given, because, no matter what kind of machine was used, do much depended upon locality and the varied con- ■ ditions peouliar to environment. However, he dealt very thoroughly with the ; Question or temperature, Ventilation, and ■moisture, both as regards tho. machino and the room in which it. was placed, and explained the. methods found most successful to secure the proper airing • for the eggs. In speaking of the brooding _of chiokens, Mr. Oussen Baid that in his opinion there was only ono way. in which a person could becomo capablo of.handllng j .a,!,large brooder-houso full of chickens, and that is by practical cxperienco... His eyes must be: trained to tco at_ a glanco whether the chiokcnß are doing well, his ear must be trained to • distinguish the different chirps of the chickens : and so know when he enters a. brooder house whether tho 'chickens arc comfortable, and his nose must b® trained to know whethor there is any dampness, mustiness, or stateness in the ■.-■brooder house. He muet also bo in'.cuoh • a. position as to bo able to tell whether /•■the general vitality of tho chickens is .going backward or their sprightliness it *7 being maintained. ' Tho two mothods of ' rearing'chickens artificially, i.e., either' ~ by heated or flrelcss broodew, were explained. Personally, he liked a little - "heat to start with, for where a person is doing his own hatching and rearing • : time is a big item, and when a little heat was applied to a good .brooder the chickens did not roquire the samo amount of care and attention in handling as they did in the tireless brooder. The threo chief ipoints to start with in rearing chiokens wcro: Don't over-heat i don't over crowd; don't over-feed. Other poiirtS t were cleanliness and regular feeding. Chicken* 1 should not be fed for at least 48 hours, and the first feed should'be a little g-it. Ho liked to give them a little of tho egg ■ shell they had. como out of finoly broken lip. An hour after this grit a littlo coarse pin-head oatmeal is as good as anything. This food would do for at least (wo days, when a little finoly-crack-.ed ferain'can be given. l All crackcd grain . should be fed in litter, the object hiiing to' get the little chickens to learn . to scratch. This'was very important, as exercise to chickens is a great .help, and the more they can. be got to work and exercise this better. about a- week give a little maßh, day twice a day. 'ihn mash can consist of oatmeal, bran, and pollard. The mixture used at Ruakuru Government Farm for a number of years (said Mr. Cussen) was four parts pollard, two parts bran, one part maizemeal two of finely-cut lucerne, and about half a part of meatmeal. -This mash was, mixed with hot water or anything in tho way of soup that might be available, and made into a crumbly mass. Oatmeal, is added to this mash'for the first two weeks only, and then withdrawn. With regard to grit-, it should not bo of too hard a nature for littld' chickens, as too Sara grit, being too greedily eaten, causes.many deaths. He recomended a free use of oyster'shell, finely broken, and thrown ' 'among the litter. The lecturer laid stress on the need of charcoal for chicken*, also '■"■ of any amount, of green food, a,nd said ■j-that they-should not be'removed . from ...the brooder until they wore at least seven weeks old. and the heavy breeds should ,bo kept there for nine weeks, and then • care should; be taken 'after placing them ■'in larger, houses to see that they don't •crowd: into the corners.: In fact, there • should be no corners for them to crowd ...into and .this could be .arranged by tho 'use of a little : fine-meshed wire netting. Fresh ground should be. used, ,if posslbio' provided each year, for chickens, as they ...would- then make' more growth in four months than they could in six months "on old. ground, and would be in evory "respect'better and more profitable stock. '■ Mr. Cussen illustrated from a model, and • explained the fir'eless brooder in 'use at . Milton,:- and produced, a photograph of a heated brooder of the Doran type, used last-season with excellent results at Caali..mere Instruction I'a.rm. At the conclusion of the locture, quite a number of questions were asked and answered. Totes of thanks were accorded Sir. Cussen and Mr. Geddes. In moving ■ the; votes, Mr. J. ,Burke suggested that ...a,utility club be formed in Dunedin, and lectures could be arranged. Mr. Oussen, in acknowledging the vote of ' thanks, heartily approved- of the suggestion, as such-a-club would be an educative body. Word has' been "received 1 - that Mr'. J. B. Merrett. lias left Vancouver by the Niag"•ara;.: :He is-expected to arrive here about •'-the-second week 'in August.