POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 18714, 16 August 1924, Page 17

POULTRY NOTES

IBx UTILITY-FANCY.]

“Minorca.”—The change from wheat to barley as the birds looked like laying would most certainly put them off producing for a time. Another point is that barley is moro fat-producing than is wheat, and when feeding it it is necessary tc give meat if you want a fair supply of eggs.

“M.B.”—You say your birds are scouring and becoming paralysed in their legs. Tlie food you are giving them, if sound, could not cause such symptoms; yet it is evident they are eating something which is injurious over and above what you serye them. First of all, taste and smell the grain you are using, and if it is musty or sour discard it at once, for it is sufficient to destroy your whole flock. If it is sound and the pollard and bran are sweet, then look around and see what the birds are •helping themselves to. A laurel bush, for instance, adjoining their run at which the birds can peck between the wire netting would account for the trouble, .and quicklime lying about would he equally injurious; it would cause them to scour and squat about, giving you the idea that they were paralysed in their legs. When bird's are supplied with an abundance of green food they are not so eager for green stuff which is injurious. A correspondent who, for health reasons,, has taken to poultry farming tells mo that ‘the outdoor life is setting him up. A fact which he mentions in his letter is sufficiently interesting in my opinion to pass on. He keeps Black Minorcas and White Leghorns, and notes not only that the Minorcas lay the larger eggs, but that as second-year hens they beat the Leghorns in the number of eggs laid. The only complaints I know of in respect to Minorcas is that the grocers complain that they make all other eggs look so small! Those who keep Minorcas do not complain - about the size of the eggs they lay, nor do those who buy them. Another good point in regard to the Minorca is that it is the heaviest of the light breeds, and fionsequently looks well and goes far when on the dining room table.

In poultry-keeping you haven’t time to be unprepared! Keep this fact in mind, and then when the chicks arrive—as they will do soon—-you will bo prepared with proper brooders and brooder accommodation. Even a mother hen requires suitable accommodation, or she is handicapped in looking after her chicks. For one thing, see to it that the brooder is properly cleaned out. See also that you have suitable draining vessels—i.e., vessels that the chicks cannot get into. Have some suitable litter ready, also some fine grit. Chickens will be appearing shortly, and sometimes in great numbers, and inevitably there wili ho cases in some yards of white diarrhoea; consequently breeders should note that the following is recommended as beneficial—viz.: Ten drops of powdered catechu in each gallon of drinking water, continuing this for a fortnight, and to all soft food add just a little linseed meal. Prevention, however, is better than cure, . and one way to prevent diarrhcea in young chicks is not to give sloppy food. Coarse oatmeal and ground grain arc the host foods for chickens during the first three weeks of their lives, and wjym soft food isigiven it should bo dried bv mixing in pollard or suchlike meal till it becomes a crumbly mass. Green food chopped up fine, grit, and a regular supply of clean water (changed often and put as far from the food supply as possible) are necessaries to health. Sloppy food and unclean water cause more diarrhoea than anything else. The Sitting Hen.—Captain W. H. Cadman, _ lecturing at a conference in England in August last, was very illuminating on the subject of the sitting hen, and as it is a matter of great importance to all poultry breeders to get the best possible results in the hatching of eggs, they will be well advised if they learn all they can, from whatever source it may come, about the sitting hen or her substitute —the artificial incubator. Captain Cadman is reported upon as follows; —He stated that the average hatch from an incubator was 65 per cent, to 70 per cent., which ho considered very unsatisfactory. In Egypt, where his work lay, they obtained over 90 per cent, hatch from the fertile eggs placed in the Egyptian egg ovens, and the late Dr King reported that in China they obtained from 93 per cent, to 95 per cent, hatches as an average for millions of eggs incubated. Captain Cadman was of the opinion that our present system of rearing departed too far from natural methods, and ho had therefore made a particular study of the sitting hen. The statement found in many text books that the hen, when broody, was in a state of fever was contrary to fact. The normal temperature of a hen was 107 deg approximately, and when broody it was never above normal, but as a rule several degrees below. Tho reason why people supposed that a broody hen was feverish was possibly because she felt hot when the hand was placed under her breast owing to our own temperature being considerably below that of the fowl. Tho broody hen shuffles her eggs about fifteen times in every twenty-four hours. She does not turn the eggs right over, but moves them with her beak. She must seldom sleep. Towards the end of the hatch sho shuffles them more in order to equalise tho rising temperature caused by tho development of the chick. Captain Cadman brought off_ two 100 per cent, hatches, ono from a sitting bos on earth in the open, the other indoors on a wooden floor. He used a wonderful instrument called a recording thermometer, designed by Negretti and Zambra, of Paris, which mado the respective broodies record their own temperatures automatically at regular intervals. He showed diagrams giving the fluctuations in temperature and the relative humidity. These demonstrated that tho hen took little time in heating up her eggs from the room temperature to her own—about six hours; that when she went off to feed the eggs were not cooled to any appreciable extent; and that the temperatures varied and wero not nearly so constant during the first and second weeks of incubation as compared with the second and third weeks. Tho egjj had lost 12 per cent, of its weight by the nineteenth day, and the difference of humidity from the top and the bottom of the egg varied as much as 10 or even 20 per cent. In Egypt little attention was paid to carbon dioxide during the first eleven days of incubation, hut after that they took great pains to provide as much ventilation as possible to get rid of it. Ho had himself stopped up all the ventilation holes in a Hearson incubator, and, allowed no cooling for the first eleven days, afterwards opening up the holes, and had a 98 per cent, hatch. It was well known that cooling the eggs was inadvisable, and, as Mr Brain mentioned in the discussion, it saved trouble to turn the eggs a little way, and not all the way round,' as sometimes recommended.

The Egg.—Dr .Tull, in the course of an item headed ‘Autocrat of the Breakfast Table,’ quotes Stacpoole, one of the fafnous old French chefs, as follows:'—“All cookery rests on an egg. The egg is the Atlas that supports the world of gastronomy, the chot is the slave of the egg. What is the masterpiece of French cookery, the dish that outlives all other dishes, the thing that is found on His Majesty’s table no less than upon the table of the bourgeoisie—the thing that is as French as a Frenchman, and which expresses the spirit of our people as no other food could express it?—the omelette. Could you make an omelette without breaking eggs? Then cast your mind’s eye over this extraordinary Monsieur Egg and all his antics and evolutions. Now ho pennits himself to be boiled plain, and even like that, without frills, naked and in a state of Nature, he is excellent. Now he consents io appear in all ways from poached

Contributions and questions lor answering should be addressed la “Utility* Fancy,” Poultry Editor, 1 Star' Office, and received not laid than Tuesday of each week. “ Utility-Fancy ” wili only answer coisaunlcations through this column. Advertisements lor this column must he bonded In to the oSlca beloru S p.m. on Friday.

One pound of eggs can bo produced with every 41b of food if the proper ration is fed and if (a big “ if ”) the birds arc capable.

PAPANUI EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. Leading pens week ended August 2 (119 days). —Flock Teams Contest (six birds). — -White Leghorns.-

—Single Hen Open Championship. For light and heavy breeds.— White Leghorns. Week’s Weight,

—Light Breed Single Hen Contest. Three birds same owner.— White Leghorns. Eggs. W. Barrett, No. 1 ... _ 96 T. Dalgleish, No. 3 „ 95 G. E. Moody, No. 1' ... ... 94 Fa Ellis, No. 5 ...... _. 94 W. E. Ward, No. 1 ... 94 Green Bros., No. 1 ... _ 92 Brown Leghorns. Smart Bros., No. 1 .„ _ 86 Smart Bros., No. 2 84 —Heavy Breed Single Hen Contest. Three birds same owner.— Black Orpingtons. G. A. Grainger, No. 3 ... _ 93 ■ If. Hondron,' No. 2 95 J. P. Hrewitt, No. 3 86 C. T. Graham, No. _ 84 G. A, GrsiDger^N4o. >^r ,j 5? t > B4

perdu, now he is the soul of a vol-auvont, now of a sauce; not a pio crust.fit to eat but stands by virtue of my lord tho egg, and should au the hens in the world commit suicide, to-morrow every chef in France worthy of the name would fall on his spit, 10l fish is but a course in a dinner, whereas the egg is tho cement that holds all tho castle of cookery together.” In England Dr S. Henning Belfragc, an eminent physician, writing on the subject of ‘ New-laid Eggs for Health,’ said: ‘Very great attention is being paid nowadays by doctors to the question of food and its influence on the prevention of disease. It has been recognised for some time past that birds kept under artificial conditions must be provided with a definite quantity of ‘live’ foods—i.e., foods containing vitamin substances—if they arc to bo healthy. Scientists have proved this beyond any question of doubt, .and it is familiar knowledge to all poultrykeopers. But tho bulk of the people of this country have not yet learned that these vitamin substances are equally important to man if he is to keep in health. There are many foods which have been preserved by salting, freezing, or other methods which cart provide body-'building and energy-pro-ducing substances; but let the diet consist solely or mainly of these foods, or of foods that have beer cooked ‘to death/ and health will surely suffer. Doctors arc now tracing tho causation of such dire diseases as appendicitis, gastric ulcer, cancer, tuberculosis, and rheumatism to vitamin starvation—i.e., to an absence of sufficiency of ‘ live ’ foods ; constipation and its long chain of consequences is largely due to the same cause. In this respect it is well to note that eggs play a very important part in providing some of these necessary vitamin substances, especially when the eggs are taken raw or very lightly boiled. If, with eggs, oranges or lemons, fresh green vegetables (best steamed or lightly boiled) are taken daily, there will be an ample supply of these life anff health-giving substances. It is therefore of enormous importance to the national health that the home-pro-duced egg should be made accessible to the .public at a reasonable price all the, year round, anfl that the eggs should be given full vitamin content by providing an adequate supply of these substances in the feeding of tho 'birds.” There is certainly enough evidence of a substantial character on which to base an “Eat More Eggs ” campaign. Of all foods known, eggs are less liable to convey disease or certain harmful properties tnan any other single food of animal origin. Literature is singularly free of instances of sickness attributed to eggs. There is no known infection of- the hen transmissible to man through eggs. Eggs do not agree with some people, who are particularly susceptible to ill-effects when partaking of this food in producing in their persons various forms of nettle-rash, with its intolerant itching, and sometimes a condition of protein snock known as’ egg anapolylaxis. When an active cockerel is mated to a small flock of hens cockerels are likely to predominate in the progeny. The more hens tho higher will be tho proportion of pullets—i.e., up to a certain number. - Over that number a proportion of the eggs are likely to be unfertile. Colds rapidly develop into roup if neglected, and just at this season (early spring) poultry-keepers should bo looking out for colds duo to changeable weather conditions. The discharge from the nostrils in the case of roup becomes thicker, and it is often offensive in odor. Sometimes the face is badly swollen, or tho eyes appear frothy, and at other times one eye is completely closed. The birds lose I their appetities and mope about. Roup is i very contagious. If the cases are few they may bo isolated. One ounce of sulphate of copper should be dissolved in a lOoz medicine bottle of water, and using a teaspoonful of this solution added to half a pint of drinking water. When this remedy is tried soft water should bo used for the drinking water if possible, as tho limo in hard water causes a precipitate. The water also should be placed in stoneware or enamelled vessels. If placed in zinc or iron vessels a chemical action takes place, which, though not dangerous, is not so wholesome. “ The effect of this remedy is,” says the Rev. Sturges, M.A., ‘‘ wonderful, and it is simplicity in its application.” Although roupy cases are to be found all the year round, it is chiefly a spring and autumn scourge. If tho bird cannot see to drink, pour it down its throat and wasli face, eyes, and throat with the solution also. In mild cases a little Condy’s fluid put in tho water, or as much as would lie on a sixpence of permanganate of potash, added to 2gal of ■water, stops the contagion from spreading, and remedies tho discharge. Another well-known remedy is to place in a jug or quart bottle 4oz of Glauber salts, 4oz Epsom salts, sulphate of iron, ten drops of creosote (a pharmaceutical preparation). Pour over this a quart of boiling water; add two tablespoonfuls to each gallon of drinking water. ‘Note: Tho sulphate of copper mentioned in the first prescription -given above is not the sulphate of iron prescribed in Dougina mixture. Both are known as copperas, and I | make this note to show that i am making | no mistake. Sulphate of copper is poi- I sonous, but not when diluted as prescribed. | Twenty-five per cent, meat meal is a; sufficient amount of animal food in a dry i meal.

White Wyandottes. C. Bennett, No. 1 98 0. Bennett, No. 3 81 —Single Duck Contest. Three birds san t owner. — Indian Runners. Eggs. ■W. Nimmo, No. 1 ... It2 - H. P. Slater, No. 2 105 H. A. Dawber, No. 2 103 J. G. Grc-cnslado, No. 1 ... 100 H. A. Dawber, No. 1 - 97 J. W. Thomson, No. 5 ... 94

Week’s Weight, eggs. oz. dr. Tl. J. Liggina 32 64 4 495 c. V. M'Beath ... 27 66 10 494 H. Williams ... 20 39 6 489 J. D. M'Kechnio ... 31 62 10 487

eggs. oz. dr. Tl. Mrs F. Gorinski ... 6 9 14 94 J. C. Musgrave ... 5 10 0 90 W. Spence ... '... ... 4 8 6 88 S. Loader ... ... 5 10 2 85 H. W. Bock „ ... 6 12 6 82 W. H. West _ 5 ' 9 10 82 Black Orpingtons G. Grainger ... 6 11 9 93 J. P. Prewitt „ 6 10 0 93 E. E. Graham 5 9 6 88 E. J. Wilkins ... ... 6 13 1 89