POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 18057, 26 August 1922, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES

[By Utility-Fancy.]

Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to " Utility-Fancy, " Poultry Editor, 4 Star ’ Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each ■week. “Utility-Fancy" will only answer communications through this column.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. “Puzzled” asks why it is that it is SO difficult to breed Andalusians or any ■other poultry a persistent blue as regards color. The reason is, I believe, because of the colors originally blended by poultnr breeders to make blue are themselves only aggregations of other colors and noncolors. I have by me an opinion on the subject written for a Home paper twelve or thirteen years ago. The writer says: “White in itself is no color; it is made up of .seven prismatic colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, or, if we reduce them to their primaries, red, yellow, and blue. Blended from a state pure S 3 they are in the rainbow, they form a white. Blended impurely, as we have them from our pigments, they form black. Black and white mixed in about equal proportions give grey, and, .according as one primary color predominates, wo have a blue-grey, or a drabgrey, or a brown-grey. By Mendel’s theory, as black Is dominant over white, if absolutely pure blacks and absolutely pure whites were crossed together, we ought to get pure black chickens. Let it stand so for a moment. Of these blacks when bred, inter se ; the chickens should come in the proportion of three blacks to one white, ■which white would ever after breed white. • Of the three blacks bred together, in every three chickens there should come one black, which always ‘ would breed blacks, but the other -two would breed ever, after promiscuously black‘and white. This is the naked theory, derived from experiments with flowers, vegetables, and animals. But, be if remembered, these flowers, plants, etc., were in themselves mala and female. Each flower, we must bear in mind, is capable, without any outside assistance, of producing seed. Not so in the case of fowls. We can readily see that difficulties would arise with birds. Our original black and our original white from which We bred may have been pure; so that ■ blacks bred together would always have produced blacks and whites again whites; or', they may have been those blacks or those whites which would have varied when bred blacks to blacks and whites to. whites. But let us suppose we did fet them absolutely pure. Then, by fendel, in first) crossing black and white all the chicks would be black. Here, again, is a difficulty. One of these blacks, jjpfared iiiter, 'se'(which-cannot be), should

havo produced whites , (or ever. Now, which is it? Wo cannot tell. So perhaps wo get hold of it to produce blacks _ a blue results, which gives riso to complications at once. And as we mix things up wo land ourselves into the position (partly by the fact that birds are not hermaphrodite, and partly by our own want of skill and knowledge) into getting blues, which aro constantly throwing out blacks on one side and whiles on the other.” 4 ‘ G.T.S.” —The reason of the birds dragging their bodies along the ground is apparently dysentery. Continue _ present mode of feeding,, but give no grain. Tho ration should bo moderate.. As to treatment, give five drops of chlorodyno every three or 'four hours. Chopped onions mixed with soft food are also beneficial.

The next committee meeting of tho Dunedin Utility Poultry Club should be exceptionally interesting, judging by the programmed. Mrs .Hazelwood is to give an account of her visit to Australia, where she visited some of tho leading poultry plants; Mr Love is to give an address on ‘ Incubation’; and Mr Smart to be asked to give a lecture on the treatment of tho breeding pen and the rearing of tho chickens. All breeder aro invited to attend, and should watch for the advertisement of tho meeting, which will appear in due course above this column.

Mr Moms Hill has bought out Mr Martin’s poultry plant, birds, etc., at Wakari. Mr Martin’s siock was particularly well known, he having won at different shows, and when Mr Hill adds his own stock, bought from Mr White and Mr Sinclair, ho should be able to establish in due time a good strain. It as reported that quite recently an order was received in Australia (through Mr Horne) for a big consignment of Black Orpingtons; and still other orders to tho tune of £II,OOO and £SOO respectively havo been received. Tho loqsefeathored type favored at English shows is evidently going out of favor. It is not pretty, and docs not mean eggs. By July 7 £2,498 3s 2d had been raised in England towards the £6,500 which has to bo procured .before the Government’s grant of £50,000 towards tho Institute and .Research Fund, which is to be controlled by the National Poultry Council. The money appears to be coming in slowly but surely. When tile chick cuts its way into the world and emerges from the shell, its soft, downy coat is saturated with moisture, and the one thing most essential to its well-being is the warmth ■of its mother’s breast, or of tho nursery tray of tho incubator, as the case may be. It is, previously to hatching, supplied with food to last it for some considerable length of time by the absorption of the yolk of the egg, the last thing before it breaks the shell in the process of hatching. In this way Nature has provided tor, careful brooding of the newly-hatched chick until it is thoroughly dry and strong enough on its feet to follow’ the mother hen in search of its food. One of the most common mistakes of amateurs is to begin feeding the little chicks too early’. As soon as they are thoroughly dry they can be taken from the nests and placed with their mother in the brood coops, when they should be provided with good, sharp grit and pure water, and left to themselves until they are at least twentyfoirr to thirty hours old. Some wellinformed poultry men claim that _ seventytwo hours is still better; but it is a safe rule to never give a .brood of little chicks food tho first time until they manifest their need by their insistent cry and restlessness that all poultry keepers have noticed when food has been withhold beyond the regular feeding time. It is claimed that the yolk of the egg absorbed by the chicle just previous to hatching is fully sufficient for tho support of the chick until it is four or five days old. so tho folly of feeding them so soon as they can be transferred to the brooder ought to be evident to all. Temperature of the Broody.—A doctor in America has found that the average bodily temperature of cockerels is 106.4-5; laying hens and pullets, 106.1-9. these temperatures were _ got by placing la clinical thermometer in the rectum. Have not tested it myself. The figures go to show that what is called the broody hen s fever, that comes to a hen when she gets broody, does not exist. What, then, causes her to become broody? Probably because she has enough fat stored up inside to enablo her to sit still and give out warmth for three weeks. Hatch Early.—Here are some reasons for hatching early: Hatch as early in tho spring as conditions will permit. Ehrly-natched chides grow rapidly, pud have .more vigor. Early-hatched chicks are always the strongest, and are least liable to die from lice and disease. Earlyhatched chicks havo a longer growing season. Hot weather retards the growth of chicks. Early-hatched chicks mature by autumn. Matured pullets produce the autumn and winter eggs. Ihose eggs bring tho highest prices. Early-hatched pullets should be laying when the hens aro moulting. Early-hatched pullets are tho ones that will supply you with broodies early the following spring. Many people may not know—thouglp I made a note of it last year—that, while attending to incubators, they may save time and rough handling in the turning of their eggs (if not using a self-turning tray) by wearing a pair of rubber gloves. It not only is a cleaner and more sanitary way of turning the eggs, but it does away with all excuse for wetting tho finger tips, which is a habit I have noticed many people adopt. Tho rubber seems to ding to the egg just sufficiently to turn it easily arid well. Anyone who has never tried it should do so, and I am sure they will agree with mo as to the effectiveness of this simple plan. Roup.—Roup in advanced stages is incurable, and even if tho fowl seemingly recovers it should not bo used as a breeding bird. Spray the face, head, and throat with peroxide of hydrogen, which can bo obtained at any drug store. Remove tho canker from tho throat and dust tho bare places with iodoform. Wash tho mouth and nostrils daily with a solution of boric acid, fifteen grains to an ounce of water. Injections into the nostrils of a mixture of equal parts kerosene and sweet oil is also helpful. There are several very good roup cures now on the market which effect a speedy cure. Douglas Mixture.—Douglas mixture is prepared as follows :—Sulphate of iron (common copperas), 8oz; sulphuric acid, brio-half fluid ounce; one gallon of water. To prepare this tonic, place the gallon of water in a jug or crock, and add the copperas. When the latter is dissolved drop in tho sulphuric acid, and when the compound clears it is ready for use. A less quantity may be made in a small bottle, in the same proportions. The mixture is a tonic, which may be given to fowls in drinking water, at the rate of a gill to twenty-five head, every other day. Tin's quantity in tho usual dish of water provided for tho number named is not too great, as the-waste is considerable. It is an alterative, with antiseptic properties, and is therefore a remedy for croup or bowel trouble, as well as a tonic.

Onions and Garlic for Poultry.—A correspondent to the ' Daily Telegraph ’ (England) remarks that for many'' years past the poultry-keepers’ attention has been repeatedly directed to the wonderfully invigorating properties of onions as a tonic for all breeds of fowls. In .. a

try districts finely-chopped onions largely assisted in the growth and of young turkeys, and experienced readers always mix them in soft food. They are also most beneficial when regularly fed with other green food once daily or included in the morning mash for growing chickens. Garlic-fed chickens make rapid growth, and their general health is preserved. When garlic is assimilated 1 by the young birds’ system, insect pests will not torment them, and for this reason alone it is recommended. Mixed in soft food in any large quantity for adult fowls, onions admittedly convey a pungent flavor' to the eggs, which is naturally objectionable, but for chickens in course of development they form an excellent substitute for meat and nitrogenous foods. Feather Plucking.—Poultry scribeslike their readers—are always learning, and one thing it is well for them to learn soon is not to be too positive about anything. Another lesson to learn is that it is foolish to throw over an old theory too readily because of a new one which is advanced, The neyr thepirjp have much.

to recommend it for acceptance, but there may bo come truth in tiro old ono nevertheless. For instance.. I—like others—have often said that “ feather plucking ” was a bad habit acquired by biros in confinement and too well fed to bo industrious; but Mr E. Cobb, who writes a great deal lot the ‘ Feathered World.’ England, says it is not so. and gives a cure which I think is worth noting. I mav remark, however, that perhaps “idleness’' is the primary cause,' and provides the favorable conditions for the mite ho speaks of to bo generated. Mr Cobb says: “ Feather plucking is not a ‘ bad habit * caused from inactivity or confinement; it originates from the fact that the birds have no really suitable dust baih. or, if such is there, that it requires renewing with fresh materials. This is the primary cause, but when once established! in any one specimen it will quickly spread to others in tho same pen. The disease is caused by a minute sarcopt mite, which is to bo found at tho base of the feather shafts amongst tho powdery white substance. Tho irritation sot up by this insect is so great that tho bird tears out its own feathers, and, quite naturally, swallows them. It is a well-known fact that most animals assist in destroying ono another’s parasites, and this is what happens in a pen of feather pinchers. To prevent tho fowl that you see feather plucking from doing it again is stopping Nature’s only method (under the conditions previously mentioned) of curing the disease. You are doing nothing to cet rid of tho cause. It is just possible that by the removal of the bird that was being plucked you might succeed in stopping the disease from spreading; bnt tho probability is—especially if a male bird is in the same pen—that every occupant has the disease more or less, and will eventually become affected in a like manner. The Cure: There is only one practical method of stopping feather .plucking, and that is by destroying the mite (Sarcoptes mutans) which causes the mischief. One or other of the following will do this, and at the samo time give instant relief to the poor sufferers—for they aro far more to be pitied than blamed. Obtain from your chemist either some oil of cloves or else a mixture of one part of creosote and thirtv parts vaseline. Rub one of these well" into tho roots of Hie feathers. In most cases if either dressing is applied to the neck, breast, abdomen, and_ parson’s nose’ it will be found sufficient; but to bo on the safe side all birds in the same pen should be similarly treated, and provided with an efficient dust bath, with a fair proportion of flowers of sulphur and insect powder, placed under cover for tho birds to resort to.”