GENERAL NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 126, 23 November 1935, Page 32

GENERAL NOTES

The annual meeting of the Nortn Island Poultry Association was held at Palmerston North this week. Regret was expressed that greater sales of tha new standard had not been made and several expressed dissatisfaction with the description of some breeds. There is a growing tendency to vote for one breed, one class in the shows. Fancybred birds always have an advantage and the real show place for the utility breed is in the egglaying contests Whenever possible keep birds of the same age together. This facilitates management and tends to better eg* production. The old hens that will be passed out to the butchers next autumn can be forced for higher egg production for the remainder of their life. Some of the first-year birds may need culling out, too, and they should be marked when noticed. A good plan is to use a red leg band as a danger mark, and then when culling commences all birds carrying a red ring can be sold at once.

Regular cleaning out of the litter in the nests is most advisable, especially as the weather becomes warmer. Broken eggs tend to produce ideal places for the breeding of vermin an-i often red mite will be found near the nests. All fittings in the sheds should be movable.

Broody hens must be removed at once. Not only will they be more difficult to "cure," but if allowed to sit on eggs during the daytime such eggs will deteriorate much more quickly. All male birds should be removed from the pens as soon as breeding operations are completed for the season. Do not sell a good cockcm! buc keep him for at least one more season, as much trouble results from the continual use of cockerels.

Egg-production tends to slacken from now on and prices should show a slight increase. Watch out for thin-

shelled eggs at this time of the year and on no account" allow the. birds to be short of grit. All orders for preserving eggs should be completed as soon as possible. Just as soon as the cockerels weigh over three pounds live weight arrangements should be made for their disposal. There is usually a keen dej mand for such birds prior to Christmas and Is per pound live weight is considered to be a fair return to the grower for birds in really good killing condition. Good feed must be used to secure such prices. Ducklings can still be hatched if sufficient young stock has not alrealy been obtained. Duck eggs hatch best under hens, but if hatched in an iricu-' bator, see that they get more ventilation and more moisture for the last two weeks. They are very easily reared under hens and as many as twenty can be placed with one broody hen.