POULTRY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14535, 10 December 1910, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES.

[By Minorca.] 'Contributions and questions for answerinn should be addressed to " Minorca," Poultry Editor, 'Star' Office,'and received not later than Tuesday of each week. "Minorca" will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must reach the office by 'noon on Thursday. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. " Bellekno wes." The tymptoms you give aro certainly strange, and without knowing more- it is hard to say what is the trouble. Let me! know the size of your run, and how long bird-- have been kepi on the same ground. Neither the mustard nor the pepper would cause the trouble. Have the birds ever had symptoms of roup or cold in the head? I should be- pleased to hear from you again, and would like your address, so that 1 codd come and see the birds if necessary. hi the ni'.Mtitiiiic give a tablespoonful of Glauber's falls in Iho soft food twice a week. Stop giving the liver. Feed two [tarts of pollard and one of bran for breakfast, a handful of oats to each bird at noon, and the same of wheat at 5 p.m. Place the hard food among litter, so that the birds have to scratch for it. Give good supply of green food.

"Score Card."—Nearly all beginners seem to fancy the score card, but asi you become nioro used to shows you will tin.? tho English wav is the better, at leas'. most judges consider it to. If you get on the Committee, a.s you desire, you might get the judge to judge one elai-:s according to the American system. It you leave your address I will send you a. specimen of the chart used in America.

Some hens aro now taking a rest, and in consequenco eggs are likely to rise a little. At present new-laid eggs are istill selling from Is to Is 2d per dozen. It is now time the cockerels and pullets were separated, especially among chicks hatched in August and September. If left together the cockerels start worrying the jullets, and prevent them thriving so well. Lately we havo had very hot weather. Breeders, should remember that this promotes the increase of lice and red mite, and) 6teps 6h.0u.1d be taken to keep them down. Chicks won't do well if they have no shade in their mu. If you have- no trees or natural shelter put up some artificial shelter. Mr Adamson. of Maori Hill, has hatched over 1.000 chicks this season.

Mr Coxon, of St. Clair, has a tine lot ef chicks this year, aid has also sold a largo number. Considering the small space ho has at hi 3 command he lias done wonderfully well. I- is wonderful what a largo number of birds can be reared on a small plot, but, of course, green food and cleanliness is required. Out of 500 chicks hatched this season Mr Shrimpton has only lost twenty-four, and most of these were killed by accident.

Type should bo the chief feature in a bini of any class. In Wyandottes and other laced "breeds type often givei way to feather. Of course, if two birds are equal in feather, tho bird having also good type wins, but when a bird fails in type, but its lacing is extra good, most judges would give the prize to the well-laced bird. Some breeders say tliis is wrong, and so it is; but tho judge knows how hard it is to get good feathering, while t\pe is fairly easy to get. Of course, this is apt to cause a breed such as laced Wyandottes to lose type, as a breeder usually breeds from his best laced birds, and type each Year is likely to get worse. Want of type in a bird should certainly be heavily penalised. If yoa look at the American judging chart published in this column you will see type is not mentioned, but shape is mentioned under almost all headings, therefore shape, which practically means type, is made a strong point of in America, and should certainly l»- made so here, and in other places where comparison judging is used. Therefore breeders should stick to type in their breeding pens. CLEANLINESS. During hot weather it is leves.siry <o keep small yards very clean. The danger is not while the ground is dry, but afdr a heavy shower such as we hud dining the week. The heat alter the rain causes dangerous fumes to arise, and this lauses poisoning of the whole system. Birds have been known to drop ntf by the score in such eases. If possible, (lie birds should be placed in a fresh run. but where this is impossible the best plan is In hammer the earth down as hard as possible, and k L rp the run swout. Slaked lime should also I e sprinkled over the ground once or twice a week. Some people advise digging the run, which is quite ri;'ht when the run is of good size, but whin ;.nn only have a small nm it is far better to do as [ have said. If the birds can bo placed in a spare. run the ground of the old run should be dug, and grass or any vegetable which grows quickly be sown in it. This absorbs the impure material, and makes the run fresh and sweet again. DISEASES IX POLTLTOY. —lioup. Among tho different ailments to which poultry of all classes are most subject, roup perhaps btanda out amount these to be most dreaded and carefully guarded against. An eld proverb, and ;i very true One, is "Prevention is better than cure," and no ailment lends itself more to this teeatment than roup. The first thing therefore, is to ensure a Jiealthy situation for our birds, as dry as pebble and freo from cold draughts "and ehilly winds, with good shelter accommodation for rainy days or snowy weather. Nothing so quickly spreads "colds and sickness*'in a yard as standing about all day on wet, muddy ground, whore no protection is afforded from wind. AM houses should, if possible, be provided with a scTatehing-fhcvl littered down with old leaves or chaff, and in this, if a few grains of corn are buried every morning after breakfast, the birds keep themselves warm scratching eagerly for any chance tit-bit that may turn up. By this method not only do the birds lay better during the cold" winter weather, but the fertility of tho eggs is greatly increased, and th'e birds in all probability will bo kept entirely free from colds and all ailments attendant on chills.

Roup, so-called, can roughly bo divided into three headings—influenza cold, bronchial attacks, and diphtheritic roup; either of tho first t'.vo, although not correctly termed roup, will develop readily into it if neglected. On tho first sign of sneezing, coughing, or rnnning at tho eyes, birds should be isolated from their companions and removed to some warm quarters. If, however, the whole pen is allotted, keep them shut in a few days, and givo a good doso of roup or condition powder every morning for a week or ten days. Keep always a little permanganate of potash in the drinking water to kill germs, and as the birds become convalescent tho addition of a little iron tonic is a fillip, and helps to pot on condition. For this, half a pound of sulphate of iron dissolved in a pint of •water and kept in a bottle is most handy, about a dessertspoonful being added daily to the water dish, which should be cleaned out every day. In the case of a bronchial attack, whore a rattling in the throat will immediately be detected, together with a difficulty of iimthing, warmth is essential, and tho

' bird must be at onco removed to a nico dry shed. An excellent remedy if used in time is 20gr of liquorice powder and lOgr ammonium chloride, dissolved in a (|Ui'jter of a pint of water. Pour it down, the bird's thro.at, making this quantity do for four to six dosos. The effect is marvellous. If, however, the attack is too advanced to gain relief from this treatment, get a jug of boiling water with a little hay or grass at the bottom, and into this drop a few drops of eucalyptus oil, and hold the bird's head over it for five or ten minutes, covering head and jug willi a light cloth, but taking care not to suffocate the bird. Three or four inhalations usually quite lelieve it. Should the bird refuse 'food, givo egg beaten in milk, and feud with a spoon. Do not let the strength run down if it can be avoided. In cases of roup proper, which usually follows on neglected colds, the birds must be at onco isolated, as it is ono of the most contagious illnesses in the poultry world, spr.n-.ling rapidly, and leaving the birds out of condition for weeks. It usually takes the form of a cheesy growth in the mouth, with a disinclination to eat. Thi? growth mii:t be carefully remove 1 every day. Take a small piece of liiit or soft rag about 2in square, have a small basin of hydrogen pernxido at hand, out of reach of the struggling bird, and. keeping the rag well rinsed in the liquid, wash the bird's throat and mouth well out as far down as the finger will go, removing all foreign matter; then paint well nil round with canker cradicator, to be bought from most vendors of poultey drugs. In about thrco days the mouth will be perfectly clean, and if each day two or three roup pills have been regularly given the bird will shortly be on tho high read to recovery, and only warmth and good food will be needed to pull him round.

Another phase- of tho illness, and the most unpleasant to deal with, shows itself in curious blotches all over tho head and face, ono eye, as a rule, being entirely closed up. Very little can bo done beyond washing all affected parts daily with a good antiseptic lotion and warm water, painting the whole comb, face, and lobes after with the canker cradicator, to prevent it spreading. Givo roup pills night and morning, and keep the bird warm and away from draughts. As soon as the bird reaches a convalescent stage, drop the pills, and givo a good condition powder in the morning, soft food, and iron tonic in the water.

All these cures, of course, mean endless trouble, patience, and time, and unless the bird is of value it will probably bo the best in the end to destroy it at once and luy another. Should the whole yard be effected, and it be- impossible to give tho birds individual attention, give a strong dost; of roup powder every morning, with half the usual quantity of soft food, to ensure it being finished, and keep permanganate of potash always in the water to kill tho germs, as it is in drinking disease is chiefly passed from one to another.

As toon as the birds are completely recovered get a sack of quicklime and spread it thickly on tho ground ; then dig it in to the deptli of 9:n to 12in. Let the house be thoroughly limewashed, putting down entirely fresh bedding, and seo all utensils, perches, etc., are disinfected. A further precaution in tho form of a sulphur candle burnt in the empty house, with all crevices closed, can be used if desired. With such treatment disease will soon die out; but if it is never to appear again caro must be taken not to breed from birds that have suffered from roup, as it has been frequently proved that a tendency to roup is hereditary.