POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19044, 12 September 1925, Page 19

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

M NJE.V.”— Don’t feed them at all for the first forty-eight hours. Nature provides all necessary food for the first two, or even three, days in the shape of the yolk of the egg, which chicks absorb as a last act prior to leaving the shell. It is of vital importance that tho yolk be thoroughly digested before any feed is given, as failure in that direotion is usually the cause of bowel troubles and indigestion. There are people who as a rule take a pessimistic view in each and every discussion in which they take part, and when it comes to the question of poul-try-keeping as a business proposition the name of such people is legion. The most dangerous ot this class are those who have tried poultry-keeping for a living and failed to make good. Tho reasons for their failure are clear enough to everyone but themselves—to everyone, that is, who is qualified to judge. There are reasons for confidence in the poultry industry which it is well to make known if. only, to counteract the pessimists, and Dr J. 11. Mohler, chief of the Bureau of Animal industry of the United States, puts some of these reasons very well. He says: “Looking at tho development of the poultry industry over a number of years, it seems probable that there will be a steady upward trend, because eggs and poultry meat are two of the most popular articles of food in the human diet. The per capita consumption of both classes of food is increasing annually, and, with reference to eggs in particular, will probably increase at a more rapid rate as tho factor of improved quality of eggs receives more attention on the part ot producers and shippers of these products. More attention than ever is being given to ensuring the maintenance of the highest possible quality ot eggs from the time they are produced to the time they are consumed, and to the extent to which this can be achieved will consumers use eggs more ireely and have greater confidence in the egg market as a whole. It is perhaps unnecessary to emphasise that poultry producers must enjoy the confidence of consumers if poultry products are to be sold to the best advantage. There is one other aspect that is of importance when considering the luture development of tho poultry industry. It is important to boar in mincl that as tho question of food supply tor human beings becomes more and more acute as a result of steadily increasing population the relative efficiency of the various domestic animals iu producing tho necessary uitrogenous foods to balance the human diet will become of greater significance. As a x*esult there is bound to bo a turn toward the small animal unit as a producer of food lor humans. The chicken ia tho smallest economic unit of all our domestic animals used for the production of food, and to the extent to which eggs and poultry moat cau be produced economically will the industry expand in response to increased demand for tho products of the industry.” „ What is a fresh egg? An attempt has been, made in Pans to arrive at definitions in respect to eggs—“ new laid,” “fresh,” and “ preserved’’—and die following has been adopted;—

causes little muss, and tho audience sees neither blood nor refuse. CROP-BINDING.

—An Easy and Infallible Remedy.—

Tills is the heading of an article in the ‘Poultry World’ (England), and as crop-binding is a trouble often met with in poultry yards the suggestions made cannot have too much publicity. Mr W. Ward, tho writer, says:— Through the kindness and piiblicspiritedness of a well-known fancier I am enabled to give a positive and very simple cure for crop-binding in not only adult birds but the youngest chicks. Just about this time of the year, when there is a lot of drv, stringy grass about, crop-bound birds are a frequent occurrence, —Fifty Chicks Cured. —■ Previously tho only sure cure was the messy and unsatisfactory plucking oi the feathers round the crop, and cutting the two skins, removing the mass, stitching up, and then carefully nursing the bird back to health. Offer as not surgical attention was required again. Through the simple treatment that does away with any cutting, or even loss of the bird, I have recently had my attention drawn to the absolute euro of over fifty young chicks—in their number alone practically impossible to cure by the old method, and all of whom are now in the best of form. The gentleman who has been the means of saving many birds of various fanciers, and wiio has proved his simple cure to be infallible, is Mr G. H. Bown, of Audenshaw, Manchester. —How the Cure Works.— His treatment is so wonderfully simple and natural that one wonders how the knife method ever became universal. All Mr Bown docs is to isolate the birds where they cannot pick up any other food or grit, and allow them only milk 1 It is better that the milk is just on the turn for tho purpose intended. The milk serves throe objects —is food, drink, and cure. The liquid passes through and cooperates with the jumbled mass, which, plus tho warmth, sets up fermentation, us in tho making of cheese. Within throe days the whole of Hie matter is rotted into a crumbly mixture, which, with tho further drinking of tho milk, passes through in tho ordinary way. No matter how young, the bird has not suffered in any way—in fact, has received sustaining nourishment. It must, however, be understood that while receiving treatment it must be ■penned up whore it cannot get anything else hut tho milk—in either a large empty basket, pen, or a boarded light hut—which must be kept clean. When first putting under treatment it may be advisable to feed the milk the first few times by hand—for a young chicken a couple of teaspoonfuls to an eggeupful for a larger bird. This will bo percolating through the mass while the fowl is making up its mind to drink of its own accord. Tho grannies of fat, and the necessary fermenting essences encouraged into “life” by tho natural warmth of tho bird, set up the action of reducing the matted mass to a composition as with the gastric juices. —Biscuit Meal the First Feed.—

A new-laid egg is one not moro than fifteen days old in summer and three weeks to a month old iu winter. Fresh eggs are those which have not been preserved in any way, and, though older than now-laid eggs, are nevertheless fit for cooking purposes. Preserved eggs are those which during a shorter or longer period have been protected from spontaneous causes of deterioration.

There is absolutely no question as to tho efficacy of the cure, which is natural, and without any consequence as to the future welfare or condition of the patient. When the binding has passed away gradual feeding on biscuit meal might bo advised before putting the bird on usual rations. It must bo borne in mind that nothing at all should be added to the milk, which should not he new-—fiut, on the other hand, not sufficiently turned to bo clotted —it being remembered that tho liquid must entirely penetrate the mass. Many valuable birds will be saved by ibis simple method that both Mr Bown and other fanciers have successfully adopted, and which they are now passing along for the benefit of others who might experience the trouble that frequently occurs during the summer and dry weather when grass seeds > il. It has been questioned that often feathers get in the bound mass, and as to whether the above cure will have the same action on them, as also on hair. Tho reply is a decided “ \es.” Both feathers and hair contain a deal or oil nlono which preserves them from rotting by air or damp—but through the chemical action or the fermentation they become allies,in their compo.uf mu to the curding of tho milk. These when taken hy tho fowl pass away in the natural way, but only when clogged with grass and other stringy matter aid in the impediment. “ To show how misleading and senseless Professor Thomson’s statements are, we havs had plenty of birds which have given over 300 eggs per year, and in one instance 343 in an official test after crossing the Over and over again have birds crossed to America and beaten in official laying tests tho birds of the United States, tho best being the 343, which was the yield of Mr Thomas’s Buff Orpington. “ We believe wo are correct in saying the Australian record is 339, which is four below the English. “These figures show_ how misleading are the statements attributed to Prolcssor Thomson.

I fancy that Now Zealand housewives would not approve of such a classification as the foregoing. Three or tomdays is surely full age for a new-laid. An egg might be fairly_ designated “fresh” by a grocer provided ho had not been displaying them in his snop window or doorway throughout a sunny day. My idea of “ freshness ” with respect to eggs is that they must be palatable and that the shells bo not naif empty through evaporation. To my mind time has little to do with ■‘freshness.” Mr Edward Brown, the veteran authority 1 so often quote, says: “There have been many attempts to define what is a new-laid or fresh egg, but hitherto without any great suc•ess. In this respect it is difficult to adopt a hard-and-fast standard, for the reason that conditions vary so greatly, and that an egg may lose much of hs pristine quality in a few hours it exposed which would be retained for several days if kept in a proper manner. When, as is often the case, eggs are in the full glare of a hot sun, either behind glass or unprotected, it is not surprising that they quickly become second or third grade in quality, and are tainted. In that direction traders have as much to learn as have producers, which latter sacrifice values by their own carelessness.” This question or what constitutes a fresh egg is a serious one to those who do not keep a lew fowls. Those who do keep fowls are happy in the knowledge that they may break the top off their breakfast egg with full confidence. _ Nest boxes require special care, they should be frequently cleaned and tho litter changed often. Perches should bo frequently removed and scrubbed with boiling water, and the ends dipped in sheep dip or kerosene. Dust baths should always be provided for the birds; tho contents of these can bo well sprinkled with powdered sulphur or pyrethruin powder. Broody hens should have these insecticides well dusted into their feathers. Incubators and brooders should be sprayed between each hatch with some disinfectant, borne recommend for tho latter purpose a 10 per cent, solution of formalin. Ernest Hausen, of Wisconsin, according to ‘Hoard’s Dairyman,’ holds tho world’s record for poultry plucking. Under test he has plucked a fowl in 4Jseo 1 Li 1923, during a challenge endurance teat. “ Ernie ” picked 1,472 birds in 7h 45min, while the so-called champion picked an even 1,000 birds in tho same time. This iVas continuous work; the birds were of all varieties, and neither contestant had any selection ; they lust took them as they came. When Mr Hausen had picked 800 birds, to prove that he wasn’t fatigued in tho least, ho picked the next five birds in 58scc—less than Imin. Sava ‘Hoard’s Dairyman ’ i “So expect'is Mr Hansen that ho can pick a chicken In many different ways—as blindfolded; with rubber mittens on; with one finger; with hands crossed; with handcuffs on. He can pick a chicken with his feet. Ho can pick them two at a time. One of his novel stunts is to take the chicken from a person walking toward him, pick all the feathers off, and hand the bird to the follow as he passes behind and on tho otlier side. ‘ Ernie ’ also shows how to pick, a chicken so as to remove all the hah- and pin feathers.” The only equipment used by Sir Hausen in his remarkable demonstration is a common pail for hot water and a small table. The official rules of the National Poultry Association require that the table top be loin square and the table at least 80in high. Mr Hausen built his own official table, which he can fold up and carry with him. j

“Professor Thomson is also said to have stated that climate has nothing to do with it. This proves he knows very little about the matter. Everyone knows that tho climatic conditions prevailing in Australia are totally different from those at Homo. In Australia some of the largest poultry farms have no poultry-houses. Tho birds live in the open the whole year round. Neither the English climate nor the Scottish would permit of this being done, and it is worse than idle talk for Professor Thomson or anyone else to say different.

“The world’s record is not held by an Australian hen. English and Now Zealand hens have each topped the Australian record in official laying tests. AVI icre comes the 100 per cent, superiority?” Writing on minerals, Dr G. H. Conn says: “Various reactions in the body, which we know as digestion, breathing, heart beats, etc. ; are all due to stimulation of the various tissues of the body by dilute solutions of the various mineral salts, and it is thought that this stimulation is duo to the fact that these mineral salt solutions carry very delicate electrical charges which cause stimulation, like tiny electric batteries.” Inheritance of Fecundity.—ln the report of the Poultry Institute submitted at the meeting of the National Poultry Parliament (England), held in July last, reference is made to research work carried out by Professor Punnett at Cambridge. The reports reads: “The main research in progress is that connected with the inheritance of fecundity. It is generally agreed that high fecundity in the hen is hereditary, and that it depends upon at least several distinct factors. But as no adequate analysis has yet been made the precise number of such factors, as well as their nature, remains undetermined. The first thing to be determined is whether any of the hereditary factors show sex Unit age—whether the highly fecund hen gets from her sire a something that makes for extra fecundity which she cannot obtain from her dam. Dr Pearl eays that she does* Dr Goodaii saya

One of Hansen’s stunts is to drop every feather on a newspaper or in a small box in spite of the great speed at which he picks. His demonstration

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that she does not. At Cambridge a now method had been devised for attacking this problem. It depends upon thejact, ascertained from experiments with other creatures, that characters which are sox linked also show linkage with one another. In poultry rock-bar-ring and silver are characters which aro both sox linked, and consequently also show linkage with one another, if now there is a fecundity factor which _ is sex linked, it will show linkage with these two plumage characters provided that the matings aro made in a proper way. The experiment consists in mating a Barred Rock hen of high fecundity with a Black Sumatra cock. Barring, silver, and high fecundity go in from the hen’s side of the cross, while from the cock’s are derived non-bar-ring, gold, and low fecundity. A number of such first-cross birds wore bred in 1924. This year some of these firstcross cockerels have been mated to (1) Sumatra and (2) to Silkie hens, and about 100 chicks are now in course of being reared. The pullets will be trap-nested during the coming year to ascertain whether the better layers are more often found among the barreds and the silvers than among the unbarreds and the golds. Should this turn out to be the case it will point to there being a definite sex-linked factor for fecundity, and further experiments would then be devised for putting the matter to the test.” But down as many eggs in lime or water glass as possible against the big 1 demand at Exhibition time. A good lime water pickle can be made by mixing four parts (by measure) of finelyslaked lime to every twenty parts of cold water, and afterwards adding one part of salt. It is necessary, to mix the lime and water together a week before it is required. This should be stirred each day, and the salt added about the fifth day. When everything is ready the eggs should be placed in the vessels for preserving, and the clear solution poured over them, taking care that no sediment is allowed to pass over. Leave a space of two or three inches above the eggs, so that they Will all be covered, and a little fresli solution can be added from time to time to provide for evaporation. Waterglass is a solution of silicate of soda, which quickly decomposes, forming insoluble silicic acid. This completely closes up the small pores of the egg shell, thus enabling the eggs to bo kept for a considerable time.

PAP ANRI EGG-LAYING COMPETITION. Leading Pens, August 29 (347 days). FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST (Six birds). —White Leghorns.— Week’s W'elght,

SINGLE HEN STANDARD TEST (For Light and Heavy Breeds). —White Leghorns.—

LIGHT 111! GKOS SINGLE HEN CONTEST (Throe birds, same owner). —White Leghorns.— Tl. H. Williams, No. 2 ... ... 136 H. A. Dawher, No. 2 ... 119 .C. H. Izard. No. 3 ... 118 •J. Liggins, No. 2 _ 116 111. Williams, No. 3 ... ... 110 Hiss M. White, Nor 1 ... ... 1.14 SINGLE HEN CONTEST (Three birds same owner, restricted to certain breeds). - I !■>:)'.■ v Breeds.—* TL C. Beimeft, W.W., No. I 127 C. llenncil. WAV., No. 3 _. 120 fI, Williams, 8.0., No. \ 114 Hopkins and Sorenson, 11.0., No. 1 114 SINGLE DUCK CONTEST (Three birds, sarno owner}. T!. -T. G. Grecnsladc, No. 3 ... 129 ,T. W. Thomson, No. 2 ... , 121 11. W. Ha who, No, 1 ... ... ... 3]p J. W. Thomson, No. 1 119 A. G. F. Boss, No. 2 116 FLOCK TEAM (Six ducks). ■ —lndian Runners.— Week’s Eggs. Tl. 11. W. Bock „ ... 39 707 H. A. Dawbcr .« ... ... 30 688

*-egs. oz. dr. TI. W. E. Ward ... 32 66 8 629 M. 0. Crate ... 36 77 0 690 (i. H. Bradford 30 63 4 686 Colder Bros. 36 76 2 575 Croon Bros. 32 69 15 674 J. Liggins 35 76 8 569 —Heavy Breeds.— Ropers and Thomson, B.O. ... 33 79 8 617 H. W. Beck, B.O 33 63 8 478 Philip Bailey. R.I.R 34 71 0 468

w eek’s Weight, i-'ggs. ax dr. Tl. YY. Ncwall ... — 6 12 8 122 G. H. Bradford... 6 13 7 114 J. Biggins - 6 13 13 111 W. Ban-ell a 13 2 108 , Orem Bros. 5 10 9 108 i J. Biggins 6 13 11 105 | J. Biggins 5 12 2 104 ■ —Heavy Breeds.—■ i H. W. Beck, B.O. 6 12 n 104 : 0. W. Black, B.O. 7 13 2 83 iC. Bonnot, WAV. 5 11 7 76