POULTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 14

POULTRY NOTES

Culling The Laying Flock INCIDENCE OF THE MOULT (By Nf.w Laid.) Successful flui'k production depends as much on good culling as on any item of nmnngenn-nt of a poultry plant. Du n modern farm culling is continuous from the egg right up to the time when the adult is sold. Apart from (his, March is tl good lime for a genert.il weeding out of hii'ds nr, ‘ " ot "I’ lll ' ! highest standard so as Io have the maximum accommodaliun for economic srock when egg prices are al the peak. Early moitllers are easily detected ar this time The early moulting hen is almost invitritibly a poor layer and it is sound ptdicv t<> get rid of her. In theory I lies** earlv moiillers should complete the moult and'lie in lay again when egg prices arc at their highest, bur in practice it does not work out this way. These lurtts, though they look on the point of laying, generally have to be caried for months before thev return Io production, A good layer’is, as a rule a late and rapid moulter. Many do not start to moult till April, Mav or even J line and will continue to lay till well into the moult, rest fur a short period till it is completed, and then start, to lay again. Some fowls always look clean and in good feather—there are continuous monitors which moult on and oil throughout the whole year, laying a few eggs at rare intervals.’ They are obviously uneconomical and should' he culled. A keen observer, discussing the incidence of rhe moult, says il is possible, by close examination of the wing feathers, to toll how far a hen is through Ihe moult and whether she has moulted any of these feathers in her pullet year. A fowl’s wing consists of three mi,’tn types of feathers: 10 primary feathers, one axial feather and J 4 secondary feathers situated at Ihe end of the wing, and four little unimportant "fan" feathers at the extreme tip. The axial feather separates the primaries from the secondaries. and may be distinguished by the fact that the primaries point one way and the secondaries point in the opposite direction on either side of the axial feather. The primary feathers _ are of greater importance in ascertaining the rate of moulting. These feathers moult in order, beginning with number one next to the axial fealher. and finishing with number 10 al: the tip of the wing. The quicker these feathers moult the better. The secondary feathers usnaily moult in this order, beginning from the axial feather and counting the leather next to the body or shoulder as nutnhtr 14-—ll, 12. 13, 14, 10, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and one. Number one usually drops nt the same time as the axial. . , The whole body moult indicates the time of moulting: the first feathers to fall are at the back of the neck, then the front of the neck and down the breast to the body. A fowl may only experience a partial moult, i.e,, a neck moult. However, if a full moult ensues it is usually followed by the dropping of the first primary feather. A good layer will not cease Io produce until she is moulting in all parts of the body. , , . The tail moult is irregular and ol little or no practical importance. The oldest. I'enl hers moult tii'Bt, and a hen which starls to moult her primaries in summer and does not complete the process, will in nutumn start where she left off, then complete her moult and shed the few primaries which site changed only a few months previously. Irregular primary moulting indicates a previous partial moult and may tie distinguished front a continuous moulter in that the last feather to drop in the wing of a partial moulter is shorter than those on either side of it. Poor producers only drop one feather at a time, and ten to fourteen days may elapse between the dropping of each primary, A rapid moulter drops two or more |<ritnaries at once and at much shorter intervals. It takes a primary feather six weeks to grow to full length; however, about one-fifth of its total length is grown during the first week. If two or n’ore primary feathers are almost the same length a rapid moulter is indicated, but if there is a great difference between the length of two new primaries (lie fowl is a slow moulter. A rapid moulter shows big bare patches on the body, but a slow moulter rarely displays any' flesh al all. The rale of moulting is influenced by five things: (a) Condilion of (he fowl. (bl Management, fc) Time of year and weather conditions, (ill Length of time spent, both in moulting and producing. (e) Breeding. Points of lesser importance are (1) : Vent. In the heavy layer the vent, is large, moist and oval as compiit’od with the small, dry, round vent of the poor producer. (2) : Temperament, (loud layers are tame. talkative and active. The poor producers are wild, loud when caught, hang about in corners. and are late off the perches. (3): Coarseness. The best layers are fineboned (this can be carried ton far). Fineness of bone is most noticeable in pelvis, shanks and face. (4) : Feathers. Hood fowls are tight-feathered and show signs of wear around ihe tail and body . In chickens a poorlyfet'lher specimen is almost invariably a cull. A Correspondent's Queries.

A correspouilent, "Mrs. E. N.,” slates that she has been unable to obtain any pollard so is feeding wheatmeal and bran but has been told that hens do not lay so well on this mixture and asks for an opinion.

When the shortage of pollard was first felt last year the New Zealand Poultry Board consulted the Department of Agriculture on tile matter of *ubst illites and the department advised that wheatnieal. barley-meal, or ricemeal were all suitable oubsl illites for pollard. Any of these preparations. it' gradually introduced into the mash feeding, it was stated, should give good results without having any detrimental efleet mi egg production. Whealmeal and ricemeal generally, it was added, contain more body than pollard and should be used at the rate of 1( parts (by measure; to 1 part of bran, with 8 per eent. to 10 per cent, of mcatmeal included. Some stores can still supply small quantities of pollard and if this can be obtained, a good laying-mash can be made by using 30 per cent, each of pollard and wheatmeal. 33 per cent, bran, and 7 to 8 per eent. of a good mentmeal. In mixing, it will be found that the best result will be obtained by first wetting the bran and other coarse ingredients, then working in (lie pollard ami wheatnieal. Treatment for worms: The treatment you have given your birds is one of rhe best available. When there are indications that Hie out* treatment has not been elTectivp ii should be repealed in about a week's time. It is sound policy to confine Hie bird* lo the house for at least a day or two after being treated so that the eleaning-up process may be thoroughly carried out. After treatment the house' should be thoroughly sprayed with a strong disinfectant and the run dug up and limed. If sanitary conditions are maintained so that worms cannot be picked up by the fowls no internal parasitism of disease-producing extent will become a menace to i lie flock. (’tiiek-renring with broody hen*: As vou have had experience in feeding dayold chicks you should have no ditlieulty in handling a broody ben and chickens. Yes. you can give the chicks milk to drink but water should also be always available lo them. Following the usual feeding rules there will be no danger of the chiekons being over fed. EGG-LAYING CONTEST AT MASSEY COLLEGE Following are the forty-third week’s results of the egg-laying contest conducted at Massey College:— Single Penn. Section A. —J. A. Annan, W.L. (5), 224: F. P. Lungbottom, W.L. (4), 219; G. Clark. W.L., No. 2 (7), 215; A. G. Mumby, W.L., Xo 4 (5), 211; A. G. Mninby, W.L., No. 1 (s)’ 210. x: Argyh* P.b'.. W.L. (5). 20’1; S. I). Morris. W.L.. No. 1 (5), 20(1 x ; 11. A. Lucas, W.L.. No. 1 G'G. 199; K. E. Boyd. W.L. <r»i 195; A. .1. Shailer. W.L.. No. 1 (5), 182’* B. E- Wilkinson, W.L.. No. 1 (5). 17S; G Clark. W.L. No. 1 (3). 158; A. .1. | Shatter, W.L.. No. 2 (6), 153: B. Pimm.

W.L. (5). 151; A. G. Mumby, M ,L., No. 3 (5). lit): S. I>. Morris, W.L., No. 2 (Ob 13<>. Section B. —W. A. Larsen. A. 0.. No. 1 13). 215- K. Mullins. R.I.K. (4). 123: Mrs. R Willers. A. 0.. No. 1 (1), 187: S. Street. It. Lit.. No. 2 (4). .181: F. Moughan, A.<>. 13) 172- E (). Collier. Lang. (5). 166: Mrs. It. Willers, A. 0.. No. 2 (6), 158; S. Sireer, 1t.1.11.. No, | nt), tt'.i; .1. H. " ealle.’ins. A i>. (5). 144 - B. Pimm. A t'. (<"■ D"': L. Mason, 1t.L1?., No. 1 ID. 144: L. -Mason. KI K . No 2 10), 4S9x: W - 1 - Larsen. 40. No 2 10). 134: T. B. Holdawar. R.LR. 16). 110. Teams Results. Section C. J Wilson, W.L.: 118. 207. 187 , 206. 217, 123 d ’37 (27). 12115. *B.’ E. Wilkinson, W.L.: 204 , 210. 2Hx, 10.3 x. 198 d. 103, 90 (17), 1179. W. F. Stent. W.L.: 186, 117. 200. 192. 90. 149, 172 130), 1117. Section I). W. A Larson. A. 0.: 209, 217, U»sx. 18S. 212. BIS. G7d (21). 1220. .1. I). Wealleans, A. 0.: 3(d. IbS. 14(. —. 172 x. 20H. 202 (15). 954. E. W. Stephenson. A. 0.: 125. L»0, 109. IIL 27. 152. 178 (11), 855. d Bird dead. x Disqualified egc weight clause