POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 273, 13 August 1932, Page 19

POULTRY NOTES

WHEN AND HOW TO FEED

Care of Baby Chicks

(By

“New Laid.”)

Contamination of water .and’ food m open-topped, vessels and<■.troughs causes touch mortality among young chickens. Metal troughs are best, especially for water. Use those that are easy to clean on the inside and afe fitted with a cover to prevent the chicks fouling the water. Anyone handy with tools can make wooden feeding frbughs. 'A number of short troughs are better than, one long one. A good and serviceable chick trough for the earliest stages "of rearing may be made out of a piece of 41n'.by fin. board, 4ft. _2itU long. Out the board into the following lengths:—Two 12in.; one 14i:i,: and two- Gin. Cut’one of the 12in.’boards down. the centre, making, two strips of T2in.,by 2in., Nail these to the sides of the other 12in. board. This makes a trough without ends. Make ends by nailing one of the: Gin. boards to each end Of trough. In the top of each end cut a piece out Uh. deep and 3iii. long. To form a cover, trim the ends of the 14in. board to fit—do not nail it—in the spaces made, and the trough is complete. The trough will be l|in.- deep, and between the top of the sides and the 14in. board forming the cover will: be a space of lino through which the baby chicks can feed, Such a trough is cheap, not wasteful, and keeps the food clean, It may be used for. either dry or wet math. The top being movable, every corner of it can be cleaned easily. ■ When rearing in a brooder house it is advisable to make one part of the floor the-feeding-ground. 'Place all the troughs in the area chosen and surround them by a low guard about Tin. high. This Will keep the food that is Scratched out •of the troughs in, one part of the house, where it cart easily be sweet up- and cleared away. ■- Much trouble is caused by mash being scratched among tile litter and mahUie It becomes foul, and If eaten by baby chickens -is almost sure to kill some of them. ■ . , . ... t'How should 100 chickens which I intend rearing this season be fed from the shell ’onwards?”. This is the substance of a query addressed to the “Sydney Morning Ileraiii’s” poultry expert (Mr. Jas. Hadlington), who answers as fol- ° There is really no more simple operation on the poultry farm, than the proper feeding of chickens. Starting out with normally good chicks that need no coddling because Of- some suspected inherent weakness, experience with the rearing of hundreds of thousands of chickens, both for utility and exhibition purposes, has amply demonstrated -the efficiency of the following practice in feeding. First of all, baby chicks should not be kept without food longer than 48 hours from the time of-their actual emergence from the shell; it is all the better if they are fed at 38 hours,: but not earlier. This is perhaps in conflict with some theories that have been propounded from time to time. It has beep found that chickens left without food too long do not, as is Often expected, of them, become desperately hungry ; but, as a matter of fact, gradually lose all desire for food, and in consequence pine and die

In Connection with commencing to feed the chicks, the novice is often at a loss to know what to -do in the matter when the clearing up of the hatch is delayed (as It, , often is) as much as 24 hours. It will, however, be seen that there is a margin of 12 hours to bo within the ideal feeding time. In such -cases

where it is not possible to give temporary attention to the very first chickens out, the better plan is to, feed within the ideal time to suit the bulk of the hatch. For the first two days only there is nothing better than to give the chicks to pick at thqn rolled oats, with a little of it crushed to the consistency of course oatmeal. From that period onward to six weeks; and coming to bare necessities, the chickens do ■ quite well on pollard and briln (with or without 3 or 4 per cent, of bone meal or flour), mixed with milk, skim, fresh, or powder. If the last-named, use at the rate of 11b. to the gallon of water for mixing where semi-wet mash is fed. A small amount of maize meal improves the' inash. The proportions of pol- ; lard, bran, and maize meal are not very' material; generally speaking,/ however, pollard Will form, two-thirds of the bulk. This may be fed all day, followed by chicken mixture for the last feed in the evening. As.far as the size of the grains of the mixture is concerned, there need be no worry; any size that the chicks can pick is easily enough digested by healthy birds. All the above can be fed. in the dry state, With this difference, that the niilk powder only can be used, in which case lib. of milk powder is allowed to each 20lb. of mash. Salt is an important item iu feeding, and in the case of wet mash should be used in the proportion of one ounce to tach: five pounds of mush material to. be mixed. To avoid salt‘poisoning, the salt should be dissolved •iu the liquid.with which the mash is to be. mixed.. In the case, of dry mash, use,only half the amount, and thoroughly mix it with the other ingredients, but do not add salt to ready-mixed mashes. Green feed can be supplied after the first week. The chicks do best on wet mash mixed to a crumbly consistency with milk. Milk is a desirable addition to the mash in any stage of growth, but it can be dispensed with after the brooder stage (six weeks). From that time onward the growing stock can be given the morning mash (one feed) containing meat meal or other animal concentrates as fed to the layers, but not all day, which is a mistake being made by many farmers. Mash without meat meal can be fed at other times during the day, with grain at night.

Dead in the Shell. ‘ Nothing' takes the heart Out of a poultry breeder more than finding a large number Of eggs in the incubator that have failed to hatch out when On examination they have. been found to contain chicks almost fully formed, in fact were “alive” until the eighteenth day, l ' and thtn for some reason or other died. Where fertility has been poor throughout, of . course, the fault lies with the breeding- stock, and in such cases one must expect poor results even from the fertile eggs, owing to weak .germs. ,«■ If, the early tests for fertility showed good results, and the incubator has been running satisfactorily, one naturally' expects a good hatch, and' wh'en 'it does not eventuate the disappointment is very great indeed. ■ ; . -' t. Dead in shell is the result of. weak: germs or mismanagement.' The first lies with the breeding stock'Or through the eggs having been, stored too long

before setting, Dealing with mismanagement, provided, of course, the incubator has wbrked correctly as regards temperature, the two important factors are fresh air and moisture, and the whole secret of success lies in arriving at the perfect balance: of these two. The embryo chick cannot iive without oxygen, and if the moisture supplied is not sufficient the egg wiil dry down, a point that Will be noticed by the size of the air space When testing, and although this, may bo remedied by extra moisture being sup ; plied, the effect is not as good as- if the condition had not arisen. But this is not the only purpose the moisture serves. 'Combined -with the temperature it acts upon the egg in such a manner that carbon dixide is formed, which frees the lime in the shells, making them thin and easily brpke.n; the .moisture, also, softens the inside membrane. This being the case, if you have a large proportion of dead in shell at the completion of the hatch, examine the shells, and in all probability you will find them thick and .strong.’ If this is the case the trouble lias either, been insufficient moisture or over ventilating or over cooling. With thick shelled eggs su'eh as those of ducks, geese, and certain heavy breeds, insufficient moistur* is often the cause of bad hatches, the shells being too hard for the chickens to break through. Opening the door of the machine once the eggs are chipping also upsets this balance, and is fatal to the results. ■ With regard to the ventilation, carry out carefully the direc- ' tions given by (he makers of the machine. but the operator should bear in mind the following 'points-More moisture and more oxygen are required during the second part of the hatching period than dur-ing-the first, and eggs with thick shells require more moisture than thin-shelled ones. Let the air space be the guide; test some of the eggs every night, taking notice of Whether, the space is decreasing or increasing, and regulate the ventilation and moisture till the eggs ore in a normal condition. To sum the matter up, success with artificial 'incubation does hot merely depend on keeping the machine at an even ,-tempCratlife and turning the . eggs twice ,a day. The operator must have some knowledge of the principles underlying incubatiori, and .so work out his own salvation. The directions given by the makers are a good and valuable guide,'but they are only a guide; many circumstances may arise, both foreseen and unforeseen, on which the operator must bring his knowledge and skill to bear.—“ The Australasian.”' EGG-LAYING, CONTESTS * < Massey College Totals The egg-laying contests at Massey Agricultural College shows the following results at the'conclusion of the eighteenth week of-the tests: — y . Single Pens. Section A.—W. H. Barker: No. 1, 36; No. 2,.50; No. 3, 06., H. M. Galvin: No. 1,74 x; No. 2, 98. G. 11. Cross, 30. F. Ecob: No. 1, 90; NO. 2, 71; No. 3, 89. A. 11. Watson, 94; C. Goodson, 27x. L. B. Maunsell: No. 1, CO; No. 2, 82; No. 3, 74. Mrs. Stewart: No. 1,3 C; No. 2, 67; No. 8,83 x. S. G. Batten: No. 1, 81. R. R. Cannon, 70. Miss Mitchell: No. 1, 73; No. 2, 75; No. 3. 83; No. 4,.63; No. 5, 90; No. 6, 93. T. Bruce: No. 1, 54; No. 2, 81; No. 3, 31. A. J. Slialier: No. I, 77; No. 2, 70.H. Rushton: No. 1, 73; No. 2, 76; No. 3, 70;: No. 4, 75. . S. G. Batten: No. 2, 50; No. 3, ,

96x; No. 4, 63; No. 5, 87; No. 0, 51. No. 7, GG. Section B.—Mfs. HeUaby: No. 1, 67; No. 2, 86. Mrs. Youngson, 72. 'Larson Bros.: No. 1,103 x; No. 2, 40; No. 3, 63; No. 4, lllx. T. Do uth watte, 52. E. JI, Galvin, Ox. Teanis Results. Section C.—F. Ecob. 90, 85, 86x, 70, oS, 83 (29), 472; M. L. Boyce, To, t», 73x, 80, 01, 43 (29), 401; M. Macrae, 25, 53x, BS, 32x, 75, 50 (24). 332; Mrs. Stewart, 68, 28, 43, 53x, 30, (59x (20). 293; P. B.Harrlson, 02, 71, 41, 21. ♦l, 30 (21) „ 256. , q««tion b.-r-Mrs. Ilella-Uy. 50, 97, 73x, 56x, 53, 75 (18), 404; McLean and Whitworth, 3d. «vx. Mix, 40x, 71x, 85 (34), 371;. W. B. Jones, 56. 31, 51. 44x. 25, (Mx (28), 273; W. Bish, 82, 2x. 19, 39, GUx, 53 (10), 264: Larson Bros., 21, 40, 29x, 43x, ISx, 22 (20), 173, Taranaki Competition The close of the nineteenth week of thO Taranaki egg-laying competition shows the following results in the various sections;— White Leghorns.—Turuturu Poultry Farm: No. ], 4—76: No. 2, u—7B: No. 3, 4— 73. Barkers. Nolaatown: No, 1, 1—52;. No. 2, 5—41; No. 3, I—sB. A. J. Cadman: No. 1, 5—100; No. 2, 0—110; No. 3. 5—88; No. 4, 5—92: Nm 6, 5—88; No. 0,- u-r-i)8. R. R. Cannon: No. 1. 5—97; No. 2, 4—67; No. 3, 5—91. M. Scanlon: No. 1. 6—105: No. 2, 4 —55: No. 3, S—OS. G. L. Gaylard: NO. 1, 4—59; No. 2. 5—64; No. 3, 6-68. Gibbous Bros.: No. 1, 4—98; No. 2. 5—92; No. 3, 5—91. J. Meuli: o—Bo. T. Bruce: 5— 02. G. Kent: o—ls. W. Crompton: 6— Brown Leghorns.—C. Goodson: No. 1, 3--28; No. 2, 5—44; No. 3, 4—31. Black Mlnorcas.—A. Hopkins: o—B2. D. Swadling; No. 1, 4-1-20; No. 2. 4—!B. .. Light Sussex.—C. Murray: 5—93; R. R. Cannon • m o—7o. Black Orpingtons.—D. M. Waddell: No. 1. 4-r77: No. 2, 3—61; No. 3, 3—86. F. A. Warren; No. 1, 5—02; No. 2, 5—54; No. 3, 5—76. V. L. Gane: No. 1. 6—79; No. 2, 3—79; No. 3, 4—50. S. Paterson: No. I,' 0-14; No. 2.4— OS; No. 3. 0-105. Larsen Bros.: No. 1. 5—7.1; No. 2, 7—130; No. 3. 5—70. G. L. Gaylard: #-81. R. J. Youngson: G—OS. AV. Wordsworth: D. SWadllng: 2—51. T. King: 2—75, Rhode Island Red.—J. W. Carrick: No. 1, 5-103: No. 2, 4—78: No. 3. 4—86. DuOlts—Fawn ■ Indian-" RufinOrs.—l".' 'A. Warren: No. 1; 0—49; No. 2, 3—73;.N0. S, o—ll. T. Dowthwaitc: No. 1, 3—83: No. 2. 3-—l9; No. 3, o—o 4. V. L. Gane:,5 —85. Gibbons Bros.: 3—28. White Runners.—J. O. Law; 4—l. . S. Beauchamp: 5—78. T, Dowth,walte: 3 —21. Khaki Campbell.—C. C. Cleaver: Pekin.—Jl. A. Lucas : ; No. 1, 4—33; No. 2, V ■ ...• THREE-BIRD TEAMS. . ’ ’ ■

IJzht Breeds. i Total Weekly to 2 3 total date .TurutUru ,, Poultry ■ Karin, W.L. ...... 4 5 4 13 229 Barkers, Nolantowii, 5V L ' .... * i. 5 1 7 131 A. J. Cadman, No. 1, W.L. * o 6 5 16 304 A. J. Cadman, -No. 2, W.L. 5 R. It. Canhon. W.L. .. 5 45 14 25S M, Scanlon, W.L 6 4 5 15 258 G. L. Gflylard, W.L. . 4 5 6 15 191 Gibbons Bros.. W.L. .. 4 5 5- 14 , 281 C. Goodsoa, B.L • 8 5. 4 12 103 Heavy Breeds. D. M. Waddell, B.O. .. 4 So 12 224 F. A. Warren, B.O. . 0 5 5 13 186 V. L. Gane, B.O (1 5 4 15 214 8. Paterson, B.O (1 4 6 10 217 Larsen Bros., B.O. .;. i) 7 5 17 277 J. W. Carrick, R.I.R. . 5 . 4. 4 . 13 267 DtCKS. F. A. Warreil. F.I.R. 0 3 0 3- 133 T. Dowthwaite, F.I.R. 3 3 5 11 H6 W.L.. White Leghorns ; B.L., Brown Beghorns; B.O., ‘ Black R.I.K., Rhode Island Red;-F.I.R., FaWn Indian Bunner.ducks; in, signifies moulting.