POULTRY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 26

POULTRY NOTES.

To Make Hens Lay in Winter. A correspondent writes me thus, “As J. am going into the poultry business, 1 want to Know tho best feed to make hens lay in winter. There is money in winter eggs,” writes “Optimist” tu an exchange. There is, indeed, money in winter eggs, and there is nioro money in them now than at any previous time within my recollection, provided that it. docs not cost too much to get them. But when people ask me a question like this—a perfectly legitimate question, I grant—l query, at once, of myself: "What does he mean by •winter ? Does ho mean autumn, say, April or Mav, or is it Juno or July eggs that he'is in search of” AH these arc termed winter months by some people, and most breeds can be made to lay iu July in most climates. "Yet this does not satisfy the general run of people. There is more cash value in winter eggs, as a rule, in April and Muy than at any other time, for the very plain reason that fewer people can get the hens to lay then than- at any other period in the vear. Sometimes this period of top prices lasts into June pretty well, but very seldom with us docs it last in July. Some say “It's all.in the feed.” others aver “It’s all in the breed”:, still others believe that it is all in the housing, if the feed is reasonably good and abundant, and the breed a popular one. For what makes popularity in a breed? Is it. not eventually its performance of that which is demanded of it by the owners thereof’? The breeds which (ho advertising pages of tho poultry papers show to be popular breeds are Orpingtons. Leghorns. Rocks, Wyandottes. and Rhode Island Reds, all except the . Leghorns being "made” breeds, partaking of the blood both of the Asiatics and the quicker maturing breeds. Tho Asiatic blood is the true winter-laying blood, provided only that it can be matured sufficiently early. But since tlio Asiatics require well toward a year to mature, ingenious breeders gave them a dash of the quick maturing Mediterranean blood, and evolved what aro chiefly known as the “American” breeds. Granting that winter in the minds of most inquirers really means autumn, I think it may be safely said that, in the hands of the average person, there is no feed that will make the Mediterranean lay, speaking in general; for the Asiatic must bo well matured and the Mediterranean not only must no well matured, but also must be kept in a sufliciently warm, well-ventilated bouse. There is left. then, for the average poultryman the medium breeds, those which mature earlier than the .Jsiatics, yet! which have the cold ■.Mediterranean blood warmed by an Asiatic stream; so that, before it is of nny use Io consider what feeds are best for winter laying, the breed mid flic shelter must first be considered. Now, shelter is of quite as much importance in (ho light of a desire for winter eggs ns in the quality of 'he feed, or it is tho hick of proper shelter which makes all tho fit-bits that aro offered in the hope of producing early winter eggs a dead loss very often: and by proper shelter I do not mean, necessarily, a warm house; indeed, I think tho first attempts to keep fowls in a warm house, when (hey luivo not been accustomed to one, are likely to result in Kick flocks and great discouragement. By shelter, I. mean protection from the extremes of wind and weather incident to the climate. Tlio poultry houso may have an open front, but the thing most necessary is that it be either sheltered from the prevailing winds by a i-iso of ground or other buildings, or thal it be warmly built oh Hie windward side. On flic sunny side, in our latitude, I am almost ready Io say “the mere open tho belter,” and there is sufficient testimony Io the soundness of this even for colder latitudes to render it well worthy of trial. Th'cro is yet one more thing to consider before wb come to the question of foods, without which any special effort to provide exactly the right food may as well be given over, and that is the age of tlio layers. The, one point which it is most difficult to make the average person see is that it is entirely useless Io try to make old birds supremely profitable in winter, and that it is equally useless to expect laggard and runt young stock to be highly profitable in April and May. Wliafs the use of continually attempting impossibilities and courting certain failure? It is the concerted testimony of about 90 per cent, of those who get eggs in tho early winter months that only the first-class, well-grown pullets, reaching maturity just at the right time, can bo expected to pay’ a profit upon feed at this period. Why not accept this testimony and shape our action according to it? Such birds as these, iu a good, sheltered locution, will pay a profit on almost any kind of food that is iu good variety and in liberal quantity. The best feeders use maize liberally during tho coldest months, hut they vary it with other available grains, and most of them use a warm mash once a day, either at morning or at night. Perhaps morning i s more common. It is generally agreed that some meat meal or milk is essential to a good egg yield. Of tf.e two, meat meal is the more generally used, being more easily obtainable and cheaper in most districts. Lucerne in some form is an accompaniment of most of the successful systems of feeding for eggs, and as it helps considerably to cheapen the ration and also adds colour to tho often pule yolks of winter, ho. is not living up to his privileges who does not use it. It was told Inc on a farm where I recently visited that the fifty liens kept during one winter used up an entire ton of hay. Of course, (hey scratched it over and spoiled much of it. Hay is always available in some degree on tho farm, aud lucerne heads and leaves are just what the bens need; but I think probably two hundredweight of uico cut lucerne < r lucerne meal would keep fifty hens well supplied more than half tho yuar; and if hay was any price at. all, .1 would prefer to sell tho buy (much of which the neus might waste) ami buy nice, green, cut lucerne,' which is a little higher iu Hie ingredients needed by tho laying hens. It is very handy to use iu many ways, and wc sometimes make nests of it and dry-lioor the coops lor newly-hatched chicks. It is usually fairly expensive, but, results considered, is economical enough. Pollard ig a most excellent, ground stub' to mid to the niMcr mash, ami it is well to remember that any mash iiliieh is coarse ami rough may lie made smooth by the addition of pollard iu not very largo quantity, or scalded maize meal may do this kind of oilico if pollard is not available. Iu any case, it will pay to attend to getting this smooth consistency, sinte liens"will not eat enough of a mash which strikes them as being too rough. Cabbage, lettuce, Swiss chard, and rape make good green feed for. layers. Cabbage is the handiest but the least nutritious, and the incut likely to give a foreign flavour to the eggs if fed in too great quantity. Perhaps most people do not need a warning against overfeeding of vegetables, as usually not enough are fed. But it would be quite possible to defeat one's own aim by feeding so liberally of vegetables that no more nutrition would be secured than is necessary for sustenance, leaving no surplus for egg-making. It is to provide this surplus sustenance that the breeder must st rive.

Proper Selection. Intelligent selection in mating and proper feeding and housing will build up a strain that will excel in egg production the average specimen of the breed. Always Furnish Grit, See that there is a plentiful supply of ground bone and crushed oyster shells within reach of the fowls, for without these soft-shelled eggs will soon appear, and then will begin the habit of eggeating. which is so annoying and so bard to slop. Farm Poultry Poultry on the turm is a paving proposition. It will bring in more for the investment than any other stock.