POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 169, 12 April 1930, Page 32

POULTRY NOTES

CLEANLINESS AN ASSET IBy '‘New-Laid") Not only does an iusutlicient quantity Ot animal food prevent good egg production, but want of exercise lias the same effect. Inactive, idle hens are never profitable, and the food given to them is utilised to put on fat. Exercise must be encouraged as much as possible, remarks the poultry writer tn the Christchurch "Suu,” and plenty of scratching litter is necessary. Not only is iaek of exercise one of the reasons why eggs are not laid as they should be, but overcrowding has also its share. A ben must be in the pink of condition. and this she cannot be if the house is inhibited by more birds than it should accommodate. Especially does overcrowding show its bad effects at this season when the? fowls have to spend more time indoors. The air becomes foul, and vitiated. Birds kept in an atmosphere of this kind cannot possibly be fit and vigorous. and when the general health Is lowered, eggs can hardly be expected, tn every hen-house there should be ample ventilation to allow of the entry of fresh air and the exit of foul air. This must be accomplished Without subjecting the birds to draughts, otherwise colds and their many complications are sure to follow. Cleanliness Is a great asset. Where there Is hot cleanliness there is sure to be disease, and when disease of tiny kind enters the poultry yard tbo egg outlook becomes very poor Indeed. AU vessels used for food and drink should be kept scrupulously clean, as disease is carried and spread through carelessness here. Wild birds sometimes carry trouble to the food troughs or water vessels. Where these, however, are cleaned out dally the risk Is minimised, and to all drinking water should Be added enough permangate of potash to colour it. pink. This is a disinfectant which will, destroy any disease germs. This and perfect cleansing of tho vessels daily will be a great help toward keeping off disease. Various Hints.

The shank of a hen's leg Is a reliable guide as to her laying ability, and an index of the character of the bones throughout her body. Slender, straight sliunks should be avoided—they indicate that the bird is weak in bone. The legs of a layer Should be Strong, without being unduly heavy, bayonet shiped—that Is, with a flat front tapering to the back—and at this time of the year lighter in colour than tiormal. ' Charcoal is indispensable to hens in confinement. One has only to supply some to hens which have been without it for some time to see how greedily it is eaten. It acts as a cleanser, and absorbs injurious gases in the abdomen. Separate the sexes as soon as distinguishable.

A mixture of straw and shavings will make better scratching litter than either used alone. Use white shavings. Blackwood or red wood shavings are injurious. In keeping records of production each pullet's egg score should be counted from the date of producing her first egg. The eggs should be accurately weighed. The date on which the oggs laid reaches tho two-oqnce standard should be noted. U6O accurate scales aiid find the weight. Do not guess it. It is not uncommon to hear a breeder State that his particular strain of fowls are producers of large eggs. Inspection of the eggs frequently shows that the claim is mere guesswork, and that the eggs are under weight. It is a mistake to run ducks und fowls .together. More so 18 it wrong to Jet ducks have access to the water of the fowls. The economical poultry-keeper will exercise eare in management to avoid Waste, but though ho will invest in the best stock, build the best bouses, and buy the best foods, he will use them ip such a way as to eliminate unnecessary expenditure and maintain production at a high level. There is no better example of economical efficiency than a well-designed scratching shed. Its effectlyeness depends not so much on the number of labour-saving “gadgets.” as upon the accommodation it affords, and the opportunities it provides for keeping the laying stock in active and productive condition, c s J<ecially in bad weather. To expose laying pullets to open air conditions lit cold, wet weather is a sure means of rOdueng the egg yield, so that a scratching Shed Is necessary, since It enables the hens to lead active lives and to maintain productive condition, even in severe weather.

The floor of a laying house is important. Concrete is generally used, but bituminous concrete is better. It must always be Well covered with scratching litter. In many parts of tliO world, especially in Cojd, wet conditions, wooden floors are used. Wooden floors must be well constructed, and should be heavily tarred on both sides and at ull joints. SuCh floors are well above ground level. On sloping ground they have advantages. The floors should be well covered with dry scratching litter. . Points About Egg®.

Th 6 following remarks by the National Poultry Council of the United States should be of Interest t 6 farmers who make poultry-keeping a side-line:-— Eggs are of great importance as an article of food, because they ire universally available, eouveuicntly stored and prepared. easily digested, and because , they combine well with other food materials in cookery. Their extensive use in the dally diet is universally recommended by nutrition experts the country over. The Shell comprises about 11 per cent, of tho weight of the egg, the yolk 32 per cent., and the white the remaining 57 per cent. The white is 85 per cent, water, about 12 per cent, protein, and 10 per cent, mineral matter. The yolk is about hfilt’ water, and contains considerable fat. It has about 15 per cent, protein. In composition, eggs are like animal foods, such as meat, cheese, and milk. They contain practically no starch. Hence, it is desirable to combine them with cereals or vegetables in the diet. Contrary to popular belief, there Is no difference in the domposltiou <n With white and dark shells. Egg yolk Is rich In mineral matter, and Is an Important source of iron In the diet. The fat in egg yolk contains substances which stimulate growth. Ugg white is rich lu sulphur, which is shown by the readiness, With which silver iB darkened In its presence. Frbsli eggs contain more water than stale eggs. For this reason fresh eggs sink in water when immersed, while stale eggs float. The flavour of eggs deteriorates with lige, even if no spoiling can be detected. Eggs readily absorb odors. Hence, they should be produced In a clean place as well as kept in an addrless storage place. The white of egg Is coagulated at aboqt 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If this temperature Is Increased, the white becomes hard and leathery. The yolk of Ogg is coagulated to a tender, jelly-like consistency at about the same temperature. Eggs codked below the boiling point or water arc more easily und quickly digested than arc boiled eggs. Compared with Other foods, eggs arc easily and quickly digested. Eggs are a tissuc-biilldllig fdod, being rich in protein aitd mineral matter. They, therefore, serve aS a meat substitute, and require the addition of carbohydrate material to form a balanced diet. A dozen eggs arc worth as much as two pounds of rnent, so far as food value is concerned. They are rich in iron, und the proteins, fats, and mineral substances are especially well suited to building body tissues. General Notes.

The main causes for shortage of eggs at this season .are late hatching, improper food, overcrowding, bad housing, insuflieicncy 'of exercise, neglected ventilation, and keeping birds not suited to climatic conditions. A pullet in its .first season will require a more, liberal diet than a hen of more advanced maturity, and a bird of a heavy breed more than one of a light breed. Ignorance of these tacts frequently results In inactivity. To ascertain if the inactivity of a flock of layers Is duo to an overfat condition is quite a simple matter. The fowls must be handled, and the most convenient time to do this Is when the birds ate at Most. The proper feeding of poultry is, without doubt, the most essential factor in the raising Of any kind of fowls for proflt. As this is the largest Item of expense in tlie running of a poultry business, it is a subject which every poultryman should study with n considerable amount of original commonsensc, as there are no bard and fast rules that can be laid down as applicable to every ease—climate, breed, price of grain aud general environment—all having to be considered in determining the proper rations. A very easy way of determining the approximate time that pullets commence to lay is by- noting carefully the development of'the comb and wattles, and the width between the pelvic bones. From practical experience In America it has been found that birds of the lighter breeds there, such ns Leghorns, should commence laying at about .180 days of age. and birds of the heavier breeds, such ns Plymouth Koeke and tVyandottes. should commence laying at about 20(1 days of age.

Considerable advancement in the feedlqg of poultry has been made of late years, especially in the feeding of little chicks. The old way of feeding chicks was to mix up meal and wi)ter, or meal and sour milk, ranking t| sort of dough for them. On nearly all noliltry farriis. chicks are now started entirely On some modern, readymixed, dry-grain chick feed. _