POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 264, 3 August 1929, Page 30

POULTRY NOTES

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“New-Laid”)

Government Export Guarantee. The Government announces the present season guarantee rates on export eggs as follow: —14Jlb. pack (limited to twenty per cont. of shipment), £2 15s. per case of thirty doz.; Jslb. pack, £3 per ease: 161 b. pack, £3 2s. lid. per case; 171 b. pack, £3 ss. per case. In view of the fact that the various grades, according to weight, realised prices on the London market in accord with the respective weights per long hundred, it is felt by the Department that the rate for this season must be on a sliding scale. The 141 pack has been included to contain eggs of a 230 z. to tlie dozen standard. The adoption of a HJlb. pack will mean that the 151 b. pack will practically comprise eggs of 20z., and in actual practice will increase the number of 101 b. cases packed. The New Zealand Poultry Association has endeavoured to obtain a flat rate of £3 2s. fid. per case, as it has been pointed out that the 151 b. pack is the producers’ main crop, an dthe £3 ss. for tlie 171 b. pack is considered out of the question from the practical point. It now remains for the New Zealand Poultry Association to accept the regulations as set down.—“ Poultry Bulletin.” Artificial Incubation.

Having set the incubator up, care must be taken to see that it is perfectly level in ail directions; otherwise an uneven distribution of heat will result, in addition to which, if the discrepancy in level is very marked, the regulator will not have the freedom of action which it requires. Before commencing incubating, the machine must be run empty in order to ensure that it will maintain an even temperature of 1(12 deg. When this has been done for a couple of days, the eggs may be placed in the cgg-chamber, and operations started in earnest. Mention has been made in a previous article of the necessity for the correct recording of the temperature in the incubator being required at all times, aud in order that there may be no doubt as to the accuracy of the thermometer used in the incubator it should be tested in conjunction with a clinical thermometer, and any variation noted, and duly allowed for. Should a clinical thermometer not be available the necessary testing can be done by any chemist for a small fee. With most machines it is usual to maintain a temperature of 102 deg. for the first week, and 103 deg. for the remainder of tlie period. Mt tlie time of hatching out it may run as high as 101 deg. without any injury being done to the hatch.

Tlie question of what eggs to use for the batching is one that will require careful consideration, as it must be borne in mind that all the eggs from a breeding pen may not be suitable for the purpose. It is of course, quite impossible for anyone to distinguish fertile from infertile eggs until they have been kept in a suitable temperature for at least least four days, but it Is also quite possible to guard against poor hatching when selecting eggs at the outset. For instance, all eggs with roughened surfaces, thin shells or In any way badly shaped should be discarded, as their inclusion will only lead to disappointment. As far as possible, all the eggs set should be of nearly the same age, it having been proved that stale eggs take longer to hatch than fresh ones. As a general rule it is not worth while to put eggs that are more than a fortnight old into the incubator, the best results being obtained from those set within a week of being laid. It should be also noted that eggs from light breeds are best incubated apart from those from tlie heavy breeds. In filling the trays of an incubator with eggs for hatching, it is a mistake to attempt to make them carry more than they will do so comfortably. Some people fall into the error of placing a second layer, the idea being that after the interfiles and dead germs have been tested out they will stKl have a machine full of eggs. It is an unwise proceeding as a little reflection will show that the eggs on the upper layer will be subjected to a higher temperature than those underneath, In addition to which the circulation of air will not be as effective as if tlie machine were only filled to its normal capacity. Some machines are provided with “dished” trays, while others have plain flat trays, a third kind being provided with ridges to separate the linos of eggs. The first two kinds lend themselves more readily to the overcrowding habit than the latter, ■which it is impossible to overload without actually placing one layer on top of the other, whereas in the first two the mischief can bo done also by placing the eggs in a practically upright position. A comparison of this with the eggs in a nest made by a hen will show the fallacy, as the eggs should naturally be laying on n slope with the large end slightly elevated, instead of being vertical.