POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19616, 23 July 1927, Page 24

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

“ Fairplay ” writes from Kaitangata askin<': *‘Js it true that a protest was lodged against tho Minorca __ pullet in the utility section at tho Kaitangata Show? If so, whai was tiio protest upheld?” I, learn that a protest was laid, hut what became ol it 1 do not know.

frothy, yellowish substance, somewhat resembling what figures as “ pea soup ” (in the menu of an inferior restaurant) is diarrhoea', and a very common symptom of liver trouble. Other variations—a more or less normal excrement with what appears like a streak of raw beef in it, a viscous brown or yellow-brown dropping that looks as though it had been squeezed out of a paint tube, and a very moist motion resembling the raw white of an egg, with a dash of Chinese white in it—arc all signs of intestinal trouble, from simple diarrhoea to dysentry and enteritis. It is impossible for the amateur to distinguish between the different phases of liver trouble, and the best thing to do is to treat the fowl immediately on showing signs of diarrhoea. Buy Your Pullets Now.—Don’t for a moment think that pullets just purchased will commence to lay immediately, even if tho advertisement says “on tho .point of laying,” for it does not work out that way at all. Even if tho birds are purchased from a fel-low-townsman, moving them will chock ; heir laying, and much more so when llio birds come from another part of tho country altogether. However economical youunay wish to bo, it is false economy' toMeavo tho purchase of tho birds until just the time that eggs arc required, in the endeavor to save a week or two’s keep. A wise choice of feed is, of coarse, everything.

“ E.P.”—I think if you put some kerosene on top of the drinking wataj, as you say you have been recommended to do, it would put a stop to the cough. If its comb is over the probability is that any birds bred from it would show tho same fault. Mr Bartley’s address it Watts road, North East Valley. Mr M. Bclten, Tonuika, or MEAT. Murdoch , Invercargill, might bo able to supply what you require'. Mr J. P. Hoaro (Dunedin), wellknown the last three or four years as a brooder and showman of utility Minorcas, did very well with a Minorca hen at the Balclntha Show, winning in a strong class of over a dozen entries. Ho also did very well at the show held in the exhibition buildings with a Black Minorca cockerel. Mr Hcaro would have hud a team at the Dunedin Show this season, only that acting as judge’s steward, he could not show. His birds arc nicely mated up for this season’s breeding, and Minorca breeders may look forward to specially good stuff at nest year’s Dunedin and Christchurch Shows.

The Dunedin Specialists’ Young Bird Club held a general meeting on Monday. the lltli inst. After attending to general business a letter of resignation from Mr W. E-.qiiilaiit as president of the chib was received, and it was moved that Mr Esquilant lie written to asking him to reconsider his decision in the inteiest of the fancy. Tile financial statement showed that tho year had commenced with i liability of £'3? Gs lid and had ended that this was now reduced to £l3. 11s !)d, and the opinion was expressed that it members wiio have not already paid came Jorward with their subscription flic fund would soon bo in credit. The. enthusiasm shown at this general meeting goes to show that, although the clnh lias had two bad years, there is every prospect of it reattaining its position of tho best club of its kind in the dominion.

Shell Grit and Bono Meal.—Tho purpose of shell grit is to furnish carbonate of lime for egg-shell formation, shell grit consisting chiefly of carbonate .of lime and eggshell being 91.41 per cent, of it; honcmcal contains 85.72 per cent., phosphate of lime (the boiiecuilder), and only 11.96 per cent, carbonate. Therefore shell grit is also required when bonomeal is fed. TO ENSURE FERTILITY IN 1 HATCHING EGGS. [By F. R. Teffe.v, in ‘Michigan Farmer.’] Why does tho hen cackle after laying? From close observation of the habits and natural instincts of the fowls, several of the leading poultrymen have come to the conclusion that the hen cackles before and after laying to notify the cock bird of her whereabouts. When a hen has laved her cackle is different from that before laying, and this difference is understood by the cock.

Mr 0. C. Stephens (Tsmtika), who has Minorcas of Mr TI. L. Sproscn's strain, reports that he is doing line with them. They are laying well. “ One of the commonest causes of infertility is overfeeding,” so say officials of the United Suites Department of Agriculture. To*, warm and too cold Quarters lor the layers are other causes, and the subjection ot eggs to extremes of temptation may be added to the list of causes of infertility

Nature intended every egg to hatch, and hatch a strong and vigorous chick intended to live. Man must assist Nature; he has learned tin's in agriculture and other lines. He must assist Nature to get tho best results from poultry. It seems impossible to expect all fertile eggs from pens of from twelve to fifteen liens or more. Nature never intended such matings.

!t has been found that there is a wide range in the conditions under which eggs will hatch. A weak embryo may not hatch under the best possible conditions, while a strong embryo will hatch under quite unfavorable conditions. lam rem.ruled, says a poultry .scribe, of an incident that happened to eggs set by n next-door neighbor. When ue thought the hatch finished he gathered up tho unhatebed eggs and threw them over the fence hack of his garden, then went to his work. The next morning he heard a peeping ever tho fence, and on investigating found chickens hatching out from those eggs, which had been out all day and all night in the grass. It was warm weather, the grass was thick, the shells had not broken, and the chickens finished tho job of hatching all by themselves. It goes to show what strong embryos can endure. The incubating of so many eggs from trap-nested hens brought out the fact that some hens laid eggs that were not hatchablc under tho best conditions; though the eggs were tortile and the germs started to grow, a very large percentage would die in the shell. The individuality of the hen is a most important factor.

The cock bird is naturally of a gallant nature, and will starve himself looking after their wants. He is used up in a short time, both from the waiP of tho proper amount of feed and worrying over the welfare of his mates. Of course, the fewer tho liens to a pen, tho larger will he the percentage of fertile and hatchnblc eggs, and strong, livable chicks, hut by employing the proper system it has been demonstrated that ono cock bird can head a, pen of from fifteen to twenty hens, if kept separate from the Hock in a pen by himself.

• The percentage of hatchable eggs is as a rule much higher with broodies tin a with incubators, but there is no reason why. with reasonable care and attention, tho artificial moans should not give results nearly ns good as those obtained by natural means. Tables published by tho Ministry of Agriculture (England) show that the production of eggs from hens on holdings of over one aero was in 1903 960.000. and in 1925 1.453,000,000. From ducks the figures for the two years 190 S and 1905 arc 18,300,000 and 43.000. ouO respectively. If tho eggs from small holdings were included the figures would probably be double those given. Anyway, it is evident that egg production is, as the Minister says, now deserving of careful study on the part of all connected with husbandry.

Owing to th'-ir excessive activity tho heart beats of birds are quicker than in any other animals, numbering 120 to the minute during rest, and during flight reaching a far higher figure. In u bird which has just alighted the pulsations are beyond the count of the ears.

During the work of brooding it is to be remarked the blood vessels ol Iho abdomen of a hen become distended and form large “ inflamed ” areas known as hroed spots, which, applied to the surface of the eggs during incubation, generate the heat, necessary lor the development of the growing thick.

Don’t keep grain, pollard, and bran or any foodstuff for poultry in bags or sacks, but in galvanised tinware or other rat-proof containers. Once rats get about a fowlhouse—and nothing tempts them more than get-at-able food—it is no easy matter to get rid of them. Anyway it is unprofitable to feed vermin of any kind. Kill tho Weaklings.—Unless a. chick is strong and active when taken from the incubator it should ho killed. Very seldom, indeed, is the weak and puny chick worth saving. The majority of those which are weak at the time of hatching die before reaching maturity, and of those which survive comparatively few become profitable fowls. As a fact, if the weaklings are allowed to live they constitute a danger to the more robust birds, for it is the weakly ones which first of all contract (ho diseases which destroy the flock. The Hen Leaves Her Mark on the Egg.—Knowing all facts about the hen before considering her as a prospective breeder is of prime importance. Not only must sho be a good layer, a bird typical of her breed, hut sho must lay tho right kind of eggs. Professor C. S. Platt, of the New Jersey Experiment Station, has obtained some interesting facts about eggs and the liens that lav horn. Ho found that certain hens continually laid, heavier eggs than others, and that color ol egg shell was another characteristic that was peculiar to the individual. By selecting hens for breeders that lay heavy eggs con-

A “balanced ;ation ” is a ration balanced so that it will, serve the desired purpose—i.c.. cither to provide eggs or meat, or to meet the requirements of the fowls at different periods ol their lives--rlnring growth, laying, moulting, etc. In balaiicins the ration we arrange a definite relation between tho amount of albuminoids, carbohydrates, and fat used. Earth is a, great deodoriser and disinfectant if dry and friable, and it is a good plan after the litter in a scratching shed has boon swept out, and before the new litter is put in. to sprinkle thickly Ihe whole floor with drv. clean earth from the garden. The garden will not he robbed ol soil by doing so, because what is taken away is replaced by the soiled litter. Fair exchange is no robbery. I lie garden wanl.s manure and the scratching shod wants the clean, fresh, and sweet earth to deodorise what has .been tainted. Tho fowls henelit greatly by being on nncontaminated ground, and a great many poultry troubles are consequently avoided.

When tho droppings of a. fowl aro crisp and small and black, white, and grey, they denote health. When the frecal matter is unusually massive and looks as if it has been whitewashed over, broodincss is suggested. A while

Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to Utility-Fancy, Poultry Kditor ‘ Star ’ Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ Utility-Fancy ” will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must ho handed in to the office before 2 p.m. on Friday.

tinually and eggs with the desired color, a man can feel reasonably sure of improving . these characteristics in his Hock. It is a good plan, then, to note the hens that lay tho desired kind of eggs during the year rather than wait until just before selecting breeders in the fall. “ Probably the greatest value from this study,” states Professor Platt, “ lies in tho fact that individual birds produce a certain definite type of egg. In order to produce tho desired type for market purposes, therefore, it becomes necessary for us to have the birds that will produce what we desire. This leads to the problem of selecting breeding stock and hatching eggs according to a definite type of egg.” A Lover of Poultry.—“ Chantedcr,” of the ‘Daily Chronicle,’ is by way of being something of a fancier: ho is continually giving his readers notes _ on hens. Here is the latest: “It strikes me that hens have the best Press agents in the world. Here is a newspaper story of a British Columbia hen that laid 351 eggs in 365 days, thereby establishing a record. ‘lt is estimated,’ says Eeuter’s Ottawa correspondent, ‘ that sho will produce £252 a year for her owners by the sale of eggs.’ My hat! £252 for 351 eggs! It isn’t a lien. It’s a great auk.” PAPANLI EGG-LAYING CONTEST. Leading Pons, Fourteenth Week, Ended July 9 (98 days).

FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST. Light and Heavy Breeds. -White Leghorns.—

• Week’s Weighf., Eggs. oz. clr. Tl. J. Liggins 31 Go 15 421 J, G. Verrall ... 34. 08 1 420 H. C. West 28 63 4 404 A. Woolley 24 51 (5 399 T. C. AVilee ... 31 58 16 384 F. Hawes 26 54 15 379 SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Light and Heavy Breeds. —Black Orpingtons.— Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. Tl. Mrs Hellabv ... 7 14 1 79 H. W. Beck * ... 7 1G 1 79 H. ,J. Ballin ... 5 10 6 73 A. M. Espio ... 7 # 14 G 73 J. Kingsland ... o' 8 15 G9 —White Leghorns.— J. Hawes G 12 11 80 A. C. Goodlet ... 5 10 10 72 W. E. Ward ... 3 10 15 72 H. G. West ... G 14 3 72 S. E. Davcv ... 5 10 11 70 SINGLE DUCK TEAM CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. ■—Indian 11 miners.— Week’s Eggs. Tl. F. 11. Cotton, No. 1 7 97 A. G. F. Ross, No. 2 ... 7 95 Mrs Geo, No. 1 7 94 A. G. F. Ross, :No. 3 ... 7 93 J. AV. Thomson, No. 2 ... 7 92 SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. •—A.O.A 7 Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Eggs. Tl. P. Bailey, R.I.R., No. 1 ... 6 P. Bailey, R.I.R., No. 2 ... 6 85 85 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 1 4 77 —Black Orpingtons.— G. A. Grainger. No, 1 ... 7 86 T. D. Dnlziel, No. 2 6 83 R. M. Cookson, No. 3 ... 6 81 J. Kingsland, No. 2 G 79 J. Kingsland, No. 1 G 78 T. I). Dnlziel, No. 1 4 76 WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. AA’eek’s Eggs. Tl. A. R. Brown, No. 1 7 87 H. Williams, No. 1 G 86 AA’. H. AA'est, No. 2 G 84 AV. H. West, No. 1 G 83 H. Williams, No. 3 6 82