POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19550, 7 May 1927, Page 24

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY;]

“ W.S.”—-'There certainly is a cure for- egg eating, and, indeed, there are several ways of putting a stop to this bad habit. It is, of course, better to prevent and thus save the -trouble of curing. If tho nests arc placed in secluded places and a curtain of scriih, calico, or -sacking is fastened before the opening, . and the bird enters through a slit in the curtain, she will not see the egg or eggs laid, and consequently is not likely to start eating themj and if the nesting material is plentiful broken eggs which often cause the habit to start, are not likely to occur. If egg eating has started one way to prevent its continuance is to provide a nest witli the front tilted up, so that the eggs will roll when laid to the back and through an opening there right beyond the reach of the lien. Of course, tho usual nesting material would not allow the eggs to roll, so a strip of carpet, or similar material must lie substituted. The eggeating habit may also lie stopped by supplying egg shells tilled with any ob- ; noxious substance, such as mustard, or I by suppying egg shells to the fowls in (such abundance that their craving for | lime is satisfied. Cutting off the tips of the beaks is recommended by some. “ M.H'.M.” asks for tho analysis of art -egg. He says one authority says;

adhere and dry over the nostrils. Another bird, if the stuff is on tho feathers, ' peei.es at it, and probably pulls the feather out, and very soon they are pulling feathers out for sheer delight, and the beginner writes to know how to stop_ feather-eating. This, it may be explained, is not the only cause of feather-eating, but it is one of them. Improperly-mixed food reduces eggproduction, because the birds can only obtain such small particles that they are tired before they are filled. Anyone who has tackled a “milky rice” with a fork will, have some ' idea of what the “ twixt tho soup and the savory ” state of the wet. sloppy mash is to the birds. Properly-mixed, the fowl can hold a fair portion of food until it is swallowed, and it is altogether much more enjoyable. How to use scraps? Can you use house scraps m a wet niash? Most certainly; perhaps a sample wet mash will illustrate the matter. Take, say, anything from one to four measures (measures are usually most handy) of house scraps, cooked potato peelings, or even green vegetable trimmings. These and warm liquor may bo poured o*cr one measure of bran and one measure of fish meal (if you can get it) or meat meal. Perhaps some day odd hits of moat, “lights,” bits of. sausages, etc., may be available, when they may take the place of meat meal. , Now dry off with two measures of pollard, and if yon have not used too much liquor you will have an excellent wet mash. If still too wet, add more pollard. An exclusive diet of meat would cause death, the result of bowel and other troubles. Tho quantity of meat depends a great deal on the form in which it is served. Hens fed on clover or lucerne meal—a luxurious green food obtainable at small cost—or any succulent green food can consume more meat than those fed largely on grain. With plenty of green food 15 per cent, of the ration may be meat—that is about one-third of an ounce p. r day per hen weighing about 41b. Tho chicken season will soon be upon us, and those -who intend to undertake hatching and rearing should sec that they have everything ready—i.c.,. suitable nests for the Broodies and cages for her and chickens, or clean incubators and brooders for artificial hatching and rearing. From now on my weekly notes will be much occupied with hints regarding what is necessary to ensure good hatches and strong chicks. The necessity of having the breeding pens mated up with vigorous birds has been already dealt with, but it is a subject which occupies attention all the year round. Every- morning the sitting lien should have ;t good feed of hard corn-. this will bo found the most suitable diet, for it is r'commended to give no soft food v ''iatovcr. Either whole or kibbled maize . nvers tho purpose very well, but an alternative ration can consist of a fixture of wheat and maize, which is eoually satisfactory. On no account should food he left lying about, and to obviate this the grain should be placed in a trough or put down on a sack or piece of canvas, which makes easy the job of clearing up. As green food is a valuable aid to the health of tho bird, this must not bo overlooked. With practically no exercise whatever,' the ouestion of indigestion has to bo considered, which means that the hen must ho regularly supplied with grit.

Allis., 13.1; frrts, 9.3: water, GG.I; no carbohydrates. Another says : Albs., 12;’ carbohydrates (starch and sugar), 10: mineral salts, 3; water, To; no fats. Which is right?—Tho composition of an egg is very variable. A standard American work gives the following composite of many analyses:—Whole egg: Water, 70.76 per cent.; fat, 9.14 per cent.; protein. 10.15 per cent.; shell, not membrane, 9.] 2 per cmt. Chas. I*l. Simon, in ‘Text Book of Physiological Chemistry, 1904,’ gives tho following detailed analysis of an egg:— Analysis of shell (9 per cent, to 11 per cent of the egg) • Calcium carbonate, üboiat 90.00 per cent.; water, 1.00 per cent.; magnesium carbonate and calcium and magnesium sulphate, small amounts. Analysis of alburiiin (about 80 per cent, of egg) : Water, 80.00-86.00 per cent.;, solids (including albumins, giucr|;e, and mineral salts), 13.32-20.00 per cent. The mineral ash of the albumin has been found to consist of aoamm, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, chlorine, phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, salicylic acid, fluorine. Analysis of yolk (29 per cent, of tho whole egg) : Gautier gives the following:—Water, 47.19-51.49 percent. ; solids .(which include fats, albumins, mineral salts, coloring matter, and glucose), 43.51-42.51 per cent. The mineral natter in the yolk consists of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphoric acid, salicylic acid, mud chlorine.

Mashes, Wet and Dry.—lt has boon pointed out that it is all very well in writing for tho novice to say “give them wet mash.” or, perhaps “ dry mash.” as the case may be, overlooking the fact that the beginner has the most hazy notions of what these mashes are. When p, poultry-keeper knows the difference between these mashes ho has left the beginners far behind. What is a wet mash? To begin'with, it'is not “wet’ as given to '.laying hens, but may be used wot for’ other poultry. The component parts of a wet mash are of endless variety, but the word “mash” means a’ mixture of various meals, such as bran, pollard, etc., and moat and fish meal, etc. Some of these m’eals are mixed with warm or cold water and then dried off with other meal until the whole is a crumbly mass that will adhere when pressed into a ball, but will break up into several pieces when dropped on to the ground or into a trough. Tho difference between wet mash and dry mash is that in wet mash some of the meals are moistened with water or some other liquid, whilst in dry mash no liquid of any kind is used. .The ’ veteran poultry-keeper knows the importance of properly mixthd wet mash. The beginner does not, and probably thinks the veteran _ too fastidious. Should the food he mixed into a : sloppy condition some of it adheres to the birds’ wattles, or it may adhere to the neck feathers, or it may

To the hen this operates in identically tlie same way its teeth to tho human being; hence flic reason for this safeguard. Fresh drinking water every day completes tho feeding of the sitting hen. It is essential to treat and handle her gently so as to remove that natural nervous tendency and inspire that confidence in you which is necessary to secure a successful hatch. Wo mention this again because it sometimes happens that when a hen is taken off the nest she will refuse io cat and will appear dazed, possibly on account of tho natural desire ro return to the eggs. This may onidaue .for a few days, but there should be nothing to worry about, for tho bird usually takes to her food when she properly settles down to her task. In this stage it is advisable to keep something bc-

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fore her, and if maize .is refused a mixed grain will possibly entice her. Nest Boxes.—Great help will bo found in the eradication of insect pests by either creosoting or whitewashing the interior of the nest boxes, the former for preference. The most suitable size is about 15iu square, and, with a view to making the nest comfortable, why' not shape the floor like a shallow saucer? This can easily ho done with a couple of inches of soil or peat moss on the floor and filling up the corners. Finally line with hay—it’s - softer—or broken straw for more ventilation. Breakages; If by accident an egg gets broken there is no alternative than to thoroughly clean out the nest and reline it; the sound eggs must bo sprayed with warm water ,to remove any albumen and shell that may adhere to the surface. This obligation should be carried out while the hen is feeding. To assist a lien in the matter of cleanliness it is a good idea to dust her feathers and also the littv; wilh a sprinkling of insect powder; this should be done at the commencement of her long rest. The freshest eggs take twenty-one days to hatch, while older ones require up to two additional days.

Does_ Poultry Farming Pay?—From 'the' School of Agriculture, Cambridge University, there has-been issued a booklet, f A Successful Norfolk Poultry Farm,’ which has been sent out so as to show that poultry farming does pay. This farm was commenced by an exservice man in September, 1920, with 100 breeding White Leghorns and six cockerels. On September 30, 1926, the stock was. Leghorns, 2,076; R.1.R., 232: ’Doties, 60; Sussex, CO; cockerels, 77. The net profit for the year ending Michaelmas ras £Bl5 15s lid, which represents 35 per cent, on the assets of the farm. Tables are given showing how the-birds are fed, cost of food, number of eggs laid in each month of the year, the revenue accounts ('which show a turnover of £-1,318), also a bal-ance-sheet.

The best way to prevent soft-shelled eggs is to let the fowls have a plentiful supply of oyster shell of medium size, flint grit, and charcoal always before soft food. Keep the birds in a lean, hard condition, always active and scratching for their corn, which should be buried in the scratching litter. Give a little iron tonic in the drinking water at regular intervals. It is also a good plan to soak the grain occasionally in a lime-nnd-water solution for about twenty minutes before feeding.

Perching and Crooked Breasts. —Ono often hears about the danger of allowing chicks to roost too soon, lest crooked breastbones should result. Now. the question of whether chicks should _bo allowed to roost or not is of some importance, hocapso, given the chance, they will certainly do so,at the earliest opportunity, and the fancier will have to decide whether or no the. birds aro to bo allowed, to follow their inclinations.- Ono seldom Lears of crooked breastbones amongst naturally-reared game, while to all intents and'purposes the evil is unknown amongst wild birds. In the poultry yard this, deformity is generally met with amongst quickgrowing, heavy breeds, Man has a way of altering the animals lie fancies, and has generally to pay the penalty, especially if his alteration or “ improvement ” takes the fonrt of an increase of size. When one considers what baby giants aro to be found in certain yards nowadays, and how rapidly the young birds are pushed on—i.e., made to grow beyond their strength—it is not Kuril rising to find that very little causes things to go amiss. No forward chicken of a heavy breed should bo allowed to roost early in life, the best plan being to bed such oirds on straw or moss litter, the more plentiful and the softer the bedding the better.