POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 267, 6 August 1932, Page 19

POULTRY NOTES

STATE EXPERT’S ADVICE

Avoid Late Hatching’ of Stock

(By

New Laid)

August aud .September are generally regarded as being the best months of' the year lor hatching out chickens forthe renewal of stock, and therefore every' effort should be made to secure the re-, quired number of young birds before the end of September, or eady in October at the latest. Chickens brought out at a later period seldom prove satis-, factory. Indeed, at the current prices for foodstuffs, late-hatohed stock may: easily show a loss tor the season iu-l stead of a, profit. Apart from laying-: undersized eggs, the bulk of which are. produced during the cheap season, thei birds are always more iproue to disease : and parasitic infestation than those brought out at the right time. Obviously, the greater the number of late-hatched; birds ou the plant, the greater the drain ' on profits. .. .. Where the natural mothers are depended upon, . the question of securing broody hens at this period of the year, is frequently found to be a difficult one, especially on the plants where nono but' heavy-producing stock are kept, for as the egg type advances the broody ten-, dency weakens, so that the more profit-' able the stock from, an egg-laying viewpoint the grfeater the difficulty in obtaining broody hens. The White Leg’ horu is a case in point, for with the best egg-producing types of this breed the broody propensity has almost dis-, appeared. Even with the noted laying' strains of the heavier breeds, such as Black Orpington, the : tendency to broodiness is weakening, and even where in this class of stock broodies may be de-. pended upon, they invariably -do not become broody until too lute for the hatching of winter layers. Where the plant is on a small scale and an incubator is not used the difficulty is a vital one. There are three alternatives: (1) To keep 1 some poor-laying types' of the heavier breeds: (2) to secure day-old chicks andrear them -by artificial' means; (3) to secure, if possible, eight tq ten-week-old pullets. This trade is now being: catered for by several -breeders, and having regard to, the fact that the birds, are reared beyond the critical stages;: of their life, and to the reduction of; the loss' entailed in rearing cockerels; to an age when the sexes can be deter-: mined, the question of stocking up the plant with young pullets is expected toi appeal to the farmer and Other side- 1 Hue poultry-keepers.—Mr. F. C. Brown,' Chief Government Poultry Instructor, in; the Ayrienltural Journal. Feeding Methods.

Gradually poultrymen are getting away; from the feeding of grain in deep and oftimes not any too clean litter. The Ohio experiment station says: "The feeding of grain in litter is becoming an obsolete practice. The more popular practice is to trough feed the grain, or, better still, to feed the whole grain on top of the mash in the open box type mash feeders. Recent tests at the Ohio exj periment station by. D. C. Kennard sug> gest that the free choice method of feedins’ whole grain may ba the best. With this method the coni, wheat and oats (and barley, if available). are placed in separate compartments provided in mash feeders so’ that the Tfiyers can help themselves to any of the grains. The preference of the birds I varies greatly, depending upon their/condition, the time ■of., (he year,, the weather, and the rate of egg production, “In practice, the different whole grains are placed in separate, compartments of the mash feeder,; chopped legume bay or alfalfa molasses: meal, oyster shells, or limestone, grit,-and the mash concentrate is fed in. the same way. When the .birds recoivo liquid milk instead of water {he mash concentrate is omitted.” EGG-LAYING CONTESTS Massey College Results Totals for the seventeenth week'of the egg-laying contest at Massey 1 Agricultural Col'legcareas-under:—-Single Pens. ■ '■ Section A .-AV. Hv Barker: No. 1, 36: No. '2, 44; No. '3, 61. E. M.. Galvlu: No. 1,71 x;

No. 2, 93. G. H. Cross, 31. F.’ Eeob: No, 1, 90; No. 2, 66; No. 3, 83. A. R. Watson, 89. C. Goodson, 25x. L. B. Maunsell: No. 1, »<; No. 2. 77; No. 3, 69. Mrs. Stewart: No. 1, 53; No. 2, 62; No. 3,78 x. S. G. Batten, 77. R. R. Cannon, 72. Mies’ Mitchell: No. 1, 69; No. 2. 70; No, 3, 79; No. 4, 60; No. 5, 85; No. 6, 89. T. Bruce: No. 1, UJ; No. 2, 70; No. 3, 26. A. J. Sbailer: No. 1, 72; No. 2, 09. H. Rushton: No. 1, 69; No. 2, 72; No. 3, 72; No. 4, 70. 8. G. Batten: No. 2, 55; No. 8,90 s; No. 1, SS; No. 5, 82; ?\o. 6, 4S;No. 7, G2. , Section B.—Mrs. IJellaby: No. 1, GO; 12. Mrs. ,Youngson, G 7. Larson Bros. : 1,07 x; No. 2, .35; No. $, 58; No. 4,105 x. T. Douthwaite, 46. E; M. Galvin, Ox. Toom Results. Section C.—F. Eeob, 85, 80, S2X, 05, 53, 73 (28), 443; M. L. Boyce, 70. 64, 67x, 76, 57, 33 (Si), 372; M. Macrae, 21, u3x, S 3, 28x, 70, 51 (23) SOS; Mrs. Stewart, 63, 24, 41, 51, 30, 64x (25), 273; P. B. Harrison, 58, 66, 36, 19, 36, 20 (24) 235. Section D.—Mrs. HeUaby, 45, 91, 79x, sex,: 53, 73 (23), 386; McLean and Whitworth,' 34, 50x, 74x, 34x, 66x, TO (29), 337; W. Bish, 77, 2x, 19, 37, G2x, 51 (17), 248; W. E. Jones, 56, 26, 45.-38 X, 21, 61x (26), 247; -Larson Bros., 18, 35 25x, 37x, 17x, 21 (15), 153. "x” signifies disqualified for egg weight clause.*' Taranaki Tests Following are the figures for the eighteenth week of the Taranaki egg-laying test, which totals give the tinkl ; returns, for the autumn and winter test’ of 126' days:—. -i .i ■ White Leghorns.—Turuturu Poultry Farm: No. 1, 4—72; No.- 2, 5—73; No. 3, 4— 71. Barkers, Nolantown: No. Im, 0—51; No. 2,4 — SC; No. 3*. 4—37. A. J. Cadman: No. 1, G—101; No. 2, 5-104; No. 3, 6-83; No. 4, 5-87; No. 5, 6—83; No. 6, 5—93. It. R. Cannon: No, 1, 6—92; No. 2,'5—63; No. 3, 4—86. M. Scanlon: No. 1. 5—99; No. 2, 5—51; No. 3, 4—93. G. L. Gaylard: No. 1, 4—53; No,-2. 4—50; No. 3, 5—62. Gibbons Bros.: No. ,1, 6—94; No. 2, 4—87;No. 3, 5—86. J. Meuli: 5—83. T. Bruce: 5— G. Kent: o—ls.0 —15. K. Crompton: 7—Bo* • Brown Leghorns.—C. Goodson: No. I*. 3—25; No. 2*, 4-39; NO. 3*. 5-27. Black Minorcas.—A. Hopkins: 4—77. D. Swadling: No. 1, 2—22; No. 2. 4—44. Light Sussex.—C, Murray: s—BB. R. R. Cannon : m’, o—7o. Black Orpingtons.—D. M. Waddell: No. I*. 4—73; No. 2 m, 0—58; No. 3\'6—Bl. F. A. Warren: No. 1», 5—57;.N0. 2*. 5-40; No. 3, 5—71. V. L. Gane: No. 1. 6—73; No, 2, 3—74; No. 3‘, 1—52. S. Paterson: No. 1, 0—14; No. 2, 4—94; No. 3, sr-99. Larsen Bros.: No. 1, 4—GO; NO. 2,,6—123; No. 3, 6— G. L. Gaylard: 5—76. R. T. Youngson: .5—02. W, Wordsworth :■ 3—78. D. Swadling: m, o—4o. T. King; m, 0—73. Rhode Island Red—J. W. Carrick: No. I*, 4—08; No. 2, 4—74; No. 3. 4—82. Ducks—Fawn Indian Runners. —F. A. Warren: No. 1 m, 0—49; No. 2 m, o—7p;0—7p; No. 3 m, o—ll. T. Dowtbwaite: No. 1 in, 0—30; No. 2, 2—10; No. 3, 2—50, V. L. Gane; 4—SO. Gibbons Bros.: 3—25; White Runners.—J. 0. Law: o—o. S. Beauchamp; 5—73. T. Dowthwaite: 4—21. Khaki Campbell.—C. C. Cleaver: 2—77. Pekin.—H. A. Lucas: No. 1, 5—29'; No. 2/ I—2l. THREE-BIRD TEAMS.

W.L., White Leghorns; 8.L., Brown Leghorns; 8.0.. - Black Orpingtons; Rhode Island Rod; F.1,R., Fawn Indian Runner ducks; m, signifies' mofilting; •underweight eggs.

■' ridght Breeds. 12 ■'Total weekly to 3 total date Turn turn- \ ’ Poultry • Fam, W.L. ...... 4 5 4 ■ 13 216 Barkers, . Nolantown, W.L 0 4 4 8 124 A. J.' Cadmart, No. 1. W.L. G 5 6 ■ 17 288 A. j, Cadman, No. 2, W.L 5 6 5 ' 1G 203 R. R. Cannon. W.L. .. G □ 4' 15 241 M. Scanlon, W.L. .... 5 5 4 14 243 G. L. Gaylard, W.L. . 4 4 5 13 176 Gibbons Bros., W.L. . « 4 5 15 267 C, Goodson, B.L 3 4 0 12 91 Heavy Breeds. D. M. Waddell, B.O. . 4 0 6 10 212 F, A. Warren,'0.0. ... 3 •u 3- -15.-. 177 V. L. Gane, B.O. ..... 6 3 1 .10' 199 S. Paterson, B.O 6 4 5 9 207 Larson, Bros.. B.O. .. 4 G 6 16 260 ■ J. W. Carrick, It.I.R. 4 4 4 12 .254 DUCKS. F. A. WarrOn,- F.I.R. 0 0 0 0 130 T. Fowthwaite, F.I.R. 0 2 2 4 103