POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 19764, 14 January 1928, Page 22

POULTRY NOTES

“M."— I The cost of feeding a fowl' raries according to whether the bird is kept intensively or has range, and it also depends to a great extent upon the knowledge of feeding and the buying power of the owner, Young chickens require little food, but, generally speaking, they are fed more expensive foods than is served to older fowls. In consequence of this fact, it is customary to strike an average in estimating the cost of feeding from the brooder stage onward. When birds are kept intensively or have comparatively small yards, all food has to be supplied (bought), and the estimated cost just bow —and it is unlikely to become less—is about 2;]d or 3d a week, with good management. (l Novice."—l do not care to recommend any particular make of incubator. The makers advertise their machines, and each and every one of them proclaims that their make includes special features. Any of the standard makes are good if properly handled, but don’t expect a 100 per cent, hatch from any man-made machine, because even the natural" mother incubator cannot do that hatch after hatch. As regards buying; a second-hand machine, you may have luck, but a question you should ask the seller is: “Why are you selling?" If the answer is “ To buy a better make,” then vuu should follow his example. Mr H. C. Broun, uliu has lor some years managed what is so well known as Shacklock’s poultry farm, and who now, I understand, is running it on his own account, informs me that, owing to the prolonged bad weather, lie has not had quite as successful a season as last year in raising chickens. The chicks never had the liberty they would have enjoyed had the weather been warmer. However, the birds lie has raised are doing very well, and some of the earlier pullets have already started laying. I told Mr Brown some year or two back that I did not see how he could further improve his farm equipment; but one never knows! 1 now learn that Mr Brown has installed a machine for mixing the bran and pollard for the wet mash, and also a most efficient cliallcutter (for cutting lucerne grown on the farm), and both machines are driven by a 2 horse-power electric motor. Ho finds these machines to be great labor-savers. Those who would like to see how an up-to-date poultry farm of considerable size is run will be glad to learn that Mr Brown extends a cordial invitation, as his plant is always open for inspection, and he is only 100 glad to give advice

gular order for the moult is; Ifirst, neck feathers, then body, tail, and wing. The wing moult serves as an indicator in production, in that it tolls us many interesting tilings in regard to what a particular bird is doing. It is generally believed that when a general moult, as opposed to partial moult, starts, that fact is registered in the wing. The wing is composed of primary and secondary wing feathers, and the primaries are separated from the secondaries hv a siuull feather called the axial feather. The primary feather next to the axial feather is the first one to drop when the wing moult starts. Each subsequent leather is then dropped. Birds do not shed the feathers from the one wing without shedding the sumo from the other wing at nearly Hie same time. When one feather is Inst from the one side of the axial feathci the companion feather on the other side disappears very shortly afterwards. “HAM AND EG US ” APPROVED. Another tradition is safe. . Ham and eggs, probably as ancient and honorable a combination as corn beef and cabbage, and eaten for years by enthusiastic but unscientific diners, has now received the dispassionate approval of scientists. Tho particular combination of ham and eggs is all right, according to Ralph Hoagland, biochemist in the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, not only because the combination tastes good, but because what the. ham lacks the eggs supply, and vice versa. Lean pork is rich in vitamin B, but low in vitamin A. Eggs are low in vitamin B, hut rich in vitamin A. “Tims,” continues Mr Hoagland, “ meals containing ham and eggs or bacon and eggs furnish a liberal supply of these two important food elements, besides fat, protein, minerals, and other desirable constituents.” To roach this conclusion and to discover, lor example, why the American people make pork about half ot their meat diet, the Federal biochemists have conducted feeding experiments with 1,000 albino rats for the past ten years. Albino rats are used because their nutritive requirements are similar to those of man. NORTH OTAGO NOTES.

Readers will no doubt welcome the following notes from an Oamaru correspondent : For many years Oamaru has Jong been noted* as the home of bantams, and it is pleasing to record a successful breeding season has been experienced. Such. well-known fanciers as Messrs Gordon, Turney, Vernor, Forrest, Wright, and Burns all report a good season, and strong competition may be looked for at coming shows. Fanciers will regret to hear of the demise of Mr J. A. Mitchell. This fancier, some weeks prior to his death, purchased Mr A. If. G. Brown’s poultry farm at Awamoa, and intended entering the poultry business on a comprehensive scale. Ho was looking forward to competing at the next Christchurch show in the bantam sections, and had bred two fine batches of Black Pekins from last year’s cup winners at the northern show. The intensive method of poultry farming is finding favor in North Otago, and this practice is in vogue in the Waitnki, Awamoa, Herbert, and Kakanni districts, where the industry is firmly established. Flocks average about 100 birds an acre.

Barebacks, or Chickens Without heathers. —Many a chicken grows to six or eight weeks old without a feather growing. The skin often gels sunburnt for want of covering. This is peculiar to certain breeds —Spanish, Malays, Langshans, Minorca*, and Cochins Buffering the most. Sometimes an odd chick in other breeds will grow the same way, but it is most peculiar to the breeds mentioned. 1 cannot explain this. 1 have weighed a chicken and found it grew in flesh, but not in feather, and 1 also found that the more naked a chicken is during its infancy the larger it grew at the finish. Sulphur and linseed meal arc the only things to give any results. Tint spice mixtures only cause a moist skin, with the result that a cold chill sets in and carries them off. It is not advisable to give anything that will produce perspiration in such cases. The Life of a lieu.—How long will a hen live and produce eggs? The question has been much discussed lately in the English papers. Several owners have stated that they have had hens np to ten and twelve years producing a fair number of eggs. The record, however, appears to have been established by a Rhode Island hen, owned by Mr G. Male, of Fordrington (Eng.). This bird lived to the age of twentyone years, and is declared to have been profitably productive almost to the time of her death.

A great loss to the fancy in North Otago during the past year has been the departure of Mr A. IT. G. Brown for Christchurch, where he’ has purchased a business at St. Albans. This enthusiast was a highly successful breeder of standard utility stock of the White Leghorn and Black Minorca strains, and during the last few seasons has disposed of thousands of day-old chickens It has been suggested that if Mr Brown is unable to continue an active interest in poultry keeping he may find an outlet for his services in the capacitv of judge of utility stock,

Moulting.—Birds follow a regular order in which they tend to moult their old plumes (says Mr E. Van Manen, in ‘Faming in South Africa’). The re-

[By UTILITY-FANCY.]

Contributions and questions for answering; should be addressed to Utility-Fancy, Poultry Edik*, ‘Star’ Office, and received not later (ban Tuesday of each week, « Utility-Fancy ” will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must be handed in to the office before 2 jun. on Friday.

in which position there is no doubt he would give satisfaction. Heavy breeds appear to be fading in popularity in thi c . district, while a growing interest is being talccn in Light Sussex. Buff Orpingtons are becoming a back number, although this season there has been a revival of interest in Rhode Island Reds. TWENTY-THIRD PAPANUI EGGLAYING COMPETITION. Leading Pens, Thirty-ninth Week, Ended December 31 (273 days). - FLOCK TEAMS CONTEST (Six birds). Light and Heavy Breeds. —Whit© Leghorns.— . Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. Ti ,T. Liggins 31 69 1 L 217 A. "Woolley 37 81 / |,2ou J. G. Vorrall ... 23 54 8 1,181 T. H. Wilee ... 32 70 11 1.1/4 F. Hawes 33 75 11 MB' Green. Bros. ... 25 55 11 Mm) 11. C. West 30 09 6 l,isb SINGLE HEN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. Light and Heavy Breeds. —Black Orpingtons.— Week’s Weight, Eggs. oz. dr. TI H. W. Beck ... 3 7 7 220 Mrs Hellaby ... 3 (14 20i A. M. Espio ... 3 6 7 145 —White Leghorns.— S. E. Davev ... 7 15 5 218 H. C. West ... 6 13 13 218 F. Hawes 0 0 0 209 J. M'lntosh ... 4 9 3 205 W. Spence ... 5 11 o 204 G. H. Chambers 5 11 13 202 W. E. Ward ... 3 11 12 200 SINGLE DUCK CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. —lndian Runners.— Week’s Eggs. TI F. R. Cotton, No. 1 ... 6 262 A. G. F. Ross, No. 2 ... 7 262 G. Voice, No. 3 7 260 Mrs Gee, No. 3 7 208 A. Adsett, No. I 6 256 Wm. Gee, No. 1 6 251 SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. —A.O.V. Heavy Breeds.— Week’s Eggs. TI P. Bailey, R.1.R., No. 1 ... 6 221 P. A. Cornish, L.S., No. 2 0 203 J. Casey, 8.R., No. 1 ... 3 192 —Black Orpingtons.— G. A. Grainger, No. 1 ... 3 221 G. A. Grainger, No. 2 ... 4 g'2l T. D. Dnlziel, No. 1 ... 5 220 T. D. Dalziel, No. 2 ... 5 220 R. M. Cookson, No. 3 ... 5 216 WHITE LEGHORN SINGLE HEN CONTEST. Owner Enters Three Birds. Week’s Eggs. TI. H. Williams, No. 3 4 235 A. C. Goodlet, No. 3 ... 7 232 A. M. Espio, No. 3 7 232 H. Harris, No. 2 6 232 G. H. Mitchell. No. 2 ... 7 231 A. R. Browne, No. 1 ... 5 225 H. Williams, No. 2 7 224