POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 154, 26 March 1938, Page 10 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

Question Of Flock Control

BEST RESULTS FROM SMALL UNITS

(By

New Laid.)

The very high return which the small poultry-keeper is able to obtain from his 20 or 30 fowls is due to his having them sunder perfect control. This success encourages many to believe that commercial poultry-farming must be highly remunerative. since, it is argued, if so much can be made from 20 fowls, that amount multiplied by 100 should be made from 2000. There is in practice a very wide difference between these two propositions, and it is quite impossible to calculate business profits on results obtained from a small plant primarily intended to meet household requirements. Since control is. essential to success, the miestion arises, how is it to be effected. This is a problem which has occupied the attention of every practical man and is one of the most difficult to solve because it .is a personal matter that cannot be solved by reference to a text-book. While it is not possible to give definite advice there are certain principles that, if' o *' lowed, will prevent many disastrous blunders even if they do not guide to success. Discussing, ‘the basic principles of success in poultry-keeping, L. Robinson, writing in' “Eggs” (England), says that perhaps the first question that arises is the number of fowls which can be managed: efficiently by one man. Various estimates have appeared from time to time, but a satisfactory answer cannot be given without knowledge of the type of farm, its urea and layout, and, most important of all, the man in charge of the business The personal factor is undoubtedly of primary consideration for some men could not manage a dozen hens in a back garden, while others are quite capable of directing affairs on. farms where many thousands are kept. . In all undertakings where live stock is the source of income it is not too much to say that , the personal element has a far greater influence than that of any other factor. Even so. the best poultryman..in 'the world cannot control an unlimited number of fowls, for the point is soon-reached where, in spite of a bigger flock. • the profits are no greater than when a smaller number of fowls was kept, and if we continue to enlarge profits eventually disappear. The Size of the Flock.

It is nut by any means simply a matter of the total number of fowls. How they are kept has to be considered and this raises the question of the size of the unit and layout of the farm. In chicks, growers and adult stock the size of the flock has a distinct bearing on success m management; the smaller the unit the better will be the return per fowl, for the simple reason that where large numbers are herded together it is impossible to keep them under observation, and so the weakling and the cull remain undetected. Left in the flock they eat up the profits and incidentally become ideal subjects tor the dissemination of disease. Large flock units enjoyed a short spell of popularity in England some years ago, when houses accommodating 1000 layers and brooders tor 500 chicks, were comparatively common. Experience soon taught its lesson and as a result poultrykeepers have now reverted to the smaller flock. Just how small should be the commercial flock is a debatable point. Twelve or .15 fowls in a pen will ■'ive better average returns than one with 80 or 100. but. of course, the additional cost of housing the small flock and the question, of labour and convenience of layout must be taken into account, for all are factors wlik-h must he considered as a matter of business.

While so much depends on the human element, it is probable that on the averuge farm Hocks of between 60 and bu fowls will be found the most economic. With chick's it is undesirable to exceed 10(1 per brooder. The advantage of small or comparatively small flocks on free range is frequently Toot to a' very great extent by placing too many fowls in one enclosure. There may be sufficient housing accommodation for them; there may be an abundance of ground ; but as feeding time approaches they gradually converge on the main gate so that when the attendant arrives with the food he is met by a mass of fowls, perhaps numbering several hundred. As feeding time should be regarded as an opportunity for observing the flock and of noting tlie. behaviour of individual fowls, obviously this cannot be done in these circumstances. Very commonly the attendant .simply walks through the paddock Scattering grain, collecting the eggs Uli his-return. The fowl that fails “to join in the d'east” or one with a swollen eye is, unnoticed and perhaps in the course.of a few days infection has become general. A similar position arises with young stock out on range where they are placed in small units’ in night arks. Unless. there has been reasonably good grading fowls of widely different ages congregate more or less in one spot at feeding time. By distributing the food bullying can be reduced and the younger members of the flock given a chance, but even so, close observation is impossible, and the -effect may be an epidemic of colds, or in the autumn, a large projyortion of the later hatched fowls not in sufficiently good condition necessary to ensure consistent production.

So much is heard of the value, of free range that there is a great tendency on some farms to overstock the ground and to use small enclosures for youngsters varying in age from eight weeks to laying stage. There is more lost than gained by this practice. Where land is short it is better to have stock under control, by adopting semi-intensive methods, than to lose control by attempting to follow the example of the : “big” men and general farmers. It should- be remembered that few- specialist producers keep their fowls under conditions that would justify the description of free range. This is not necessarily due to lack of ground but to the realisation of the value of flock control.

How to Maintain Winter Production. All that is necessary to maintain the health of a normal well-culled flock through the autumn and. winter, according to an experienced poultry-keeper, is good, clean housing conditions, plenty of house room, correct feeding, freedom from parasites, and protection from extreme cold. A healthy flock should not need salts, tonics, internal disinfectants, etc., but' a faint tinge of Condy’s crystals in the drinking water will act as a check on the spread of colds in the autumn should such develop. Points vital in the maintenance of steady winter production are: —(1) Draught-proof houses; (2) adequate ventilation, particularly at night; (3) protection from cold winds; (4) evidence

of condition, and the presence ot a reser.e of fat at the beginning of the season ; and (5) the maintenance of condition by the feeding of grain ad lib and judicious and fearless use of kibbled maize as required. Referring particularly to the value o yellow maize in the grain ration, tbe authority under notice says:—Tt is a , good plan to anticipate the birds need j of maize, during the autumn, by ?ra<l“al- I lv introducing it into the e, ialu . which is best given in the afternoon only. | Up to 25 per cent, kibbled maize can be , given with the wheat to begin with. Xfter tbe birds have been laying tor some j time they should be handled for condidon and if necessary the mauze in be ration can be increased to about one I third. After the birds have been , for about three months, they should be | handled about once a week, and if th y , «rp any condition, the maize ration can be increased one-half or even - more.” Soft-shelled and Over-sized Eggs. The production of soft-shelled, shellless, or double-yolked eggs is not uncommon when pullets first come m to lay. Generally speaking this trouble is due to a tendency of the ovary to be over-active at this stage. The trouble is not as a rule connected with the feeding and wil. right itself in time, but something musl be done to check it as the laying of overlarge eggs may lead to protrusion of die I aviduct. egg binding, or rupture, and possibly the loss of a good bird or two. Lbe I best check is to slow down production a little This can be done by adding extra pollard io the mash. If enough is used to reduce the protein content from 10 or 12 per cent, to about 6 per cent, tins, according to an authority, should suffice to make die ration into a .very plain ami I unstimulating one for the time being, on- | til the over-activity of the ovary subsides. It is as well not to hurry to introduce a layers’ mash in the birds die.but to continue with a gramers mash containing plenty of bran and not too much protein -until the over-active period referred to has been passed. Packing Eggs for Export. Exceptional results are claimed as, a result of experiments in egg packing for export conducted by the Cape Egg Circle (South Africa) in conjunction with Government authorities. An experimental shipment was made to test the possibility of minimising' evaporation. Three types of packing were used: (1) regulation box and pack; (2) box without space, ventilated; (3) closed box, no ventilation, lined with crystalline waxed paper over top and bottom. The eggs were identical in every, way. . Shipped under identical conditions ot cool storage, the eggs were inspected on arrival in London in the presence of the Trade Commissioner and others. Tests in connection with evaporation revealed that when inspected in Rondon No. 1 consignment had suffered_22.33 per cent, evaporation ; No. 2, 15.15 per cent., and No. 3, 9.8(1 per cent. As a result it is proposed to amend the regulations to permit of the use of the No. 3 pack in the 1938 season, and if the same excellent results are noted, to make that method compulsory in 1939. The official opinion of the No. 3 consignment was that they were the best eggs ever to have arrived in London’ from South Africa. Temperature and Egg Quality. While it is difficult to find a definition of egg quality which will be applicable under all conditions there is ample evidence to show that while many producers are marketing quality eggs and are reaping their reward by receiving top prices for their product a great many eggs of poor quality are produced. High temperature is one of tbe biggest factors in reducing the quality of eggs, but according to N. F. Walters, of lowa State College, still greater damage to quality is a combination of high temperature,and a fertile egg. When a fertile egg is laid it contains a potential embryo consisting-of j many thousands of cells. - These cells re- I main quiescent; chat is, little or no de- I velopmeut takes place for a certain period | of time, if the temperature does not ex- i ceed GSdeg. F. If, however, the fertile egg is exposed to temperatures above ! GSdeg. E„ the embryo will start to de- | velop. Once development starts after the , egg is laid it must continue or death re- 1 suits. If eggs are held at high temperatures ■ in the laying hours or place of storage for 24 to 48 hours during the quiescent period there will be considerable germ development. If fertile eggs are exposed to very high temperatures for one or two days there will be a visible embryo. Such | an egg is not marketable for human eon- | sumption. Every producer should realise , the importance of holding eggs in tern- I peratures between 45deg. to 55deg. F„ j and to remove all males from the flock as ■ soon as the breeding season is over. Size, cleanliness, shell texture, flavour - and yolk colour all play their part in the makeup of a quality egg. j