GENERAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 140, 16 June 1933, Page 13

GENERAL NOTES

i ■ Body-lice will retard, egg production, ■ and -if 'only a few birfls need treating ordinary flowers Of sulphur well dusted into the feathers will be effective. Repeat again'iu'teu days.' ■. 1 -The regular-' ■■feeding -of chopped-up onions is recommended-both as a general tonic and as - a preventativc for :intestinal worms.. A niincing machine will help, but do not waste the juice, which is the most valuable part. Haw beetroot is a good winter feed for poultry when greenstuff is hard to procure. Mangolds may bo fed, but not in excess. Black Langshans figure high up in the* egg-laying competitions in Australia, and usually lay a very large dark brown egg. They have feathered legs and longer tails than the Australorp. One hundred hens in full lay will consume about 131b of mash, 111b of grain, and 71b of greenstuff per day. If you mix your own mash take care to measure the quantities carefully. Large periodical mixings are better than daily ones, as the mixture is more certain to> be correct. Increase the pro-, tein content as laying increases. When mating up allow one male to every six to eight eggs collected daily. A young cockerel, could thus be mated' to as many as 25 old bens that do not lay very regularly. It is not essential to feed the mash meal in the mornings, and quite a few poultrymen feed the wet mash last thing "at night, considering that the grain feed provides more exercise during' the morning. Grain should, of . course, be scattered in clean Utter. When making feeding troughs of the r "V" type, construct the ends so that they project above the trough in all directions. Thus, when the trough is : turned over, no edges will come in con- . tact with tho floor. Ofter birds' legs are damaged by ordinary troughs. A shortage of green feed will not only cause light-coloured yolks, but also ■ smaller eggs. ' Too much may cause watery whites. . • • Trap-nests arc more widely used than formerly for breeding purposes,^ and ■. their use certainly helps t,o_ c-reate mi ; individual interest in each bird. j 'Lio-ht Sussex are undoubtedly the best table fowl obtainable, as well as being good layers and very, good sitters. They will also sex link with males carrying the." gold feathering factor such as Brown Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds. ' Muscovy ducks are very good for eating, and are easy to breed if plenty j of yard room is available. ... I