POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20374, 4 January 1930, Page 19

POULTRY NOTES

[By UTILITY-FANCY,]

“Reader.”—The trouble is known as white comb or fairis. Remove the crusts by softening with glycerine, and then paint the affected parts with tincture of iodine. Sometimes, and with good results, a mixture of equal parts of sulphur and larcl are used as a salve and rubbed on the affected parts. The disease is thought to bo due to a fungus, but when birds are cared for properly and served with a well-bal-anced ration it should not opcur. “ Why asks why he has found in succession several eggs on his breakfast table in which there was no yolk ? “Why” does not say that these eggs were very small, as yolkless eggs usually are, so small, indeed, that they seldom appear on a breakfast table, and then only to interest a child. A yolkless egg of normal size is hard to conceive. As has often be.en explained in these notes, the organ that produces the yolks and the oviduct, which clothes the same with their several coverings, are, more or less, entirely independent of each other. In the case of yolkless eggs the ovary has ceased—for the time being—to produce yolks*, but the oviduct is still in a healthy, active condition, the secreting glands of which are full of those materials for clothing the yolks. _No yolks arc, however, being placed into it to clothe, consequently it forms an egg on its own account, but, naturally, minus a yolk. Mr Win. Henderson (Dunedin) has a very fine breeding pen of modern Langshans, and some very promising young stock. Mr Henderson knows what Langshans should be, having cared for those of his father, whom old-time will remember was to tho front with this. very handsome breed of fowl when Dunedin -fanciers possessed the best stock, from the show standpoint, in New Zealand. For the.sake of the fancy it is to be hoped that the Langshan will once more graco/jour show benches, for undoubtedly they arc a handsome "fowl. Some years back they won as layers at an Australian ogglaying competition, and there is no reason if they competed in greater numbers—comparable to White Loghorns—why they should not do so again. Their eggs are a beautiful brown and of standard size, and as winter producers are hard to heat. As table birds they arrive on the dish with plenty to cut at and to cut again. It is reported that Germany imported last year £18,000,000 worth of eggs, as against England’s £17,766,532 worth, and we are told that Germany's importation is likely to increase notwithstanding that country’s efforts to increase production. On ,tho other hand England is increasing her egg production in a wonderful manner with the desire of being independent of the foreign article. Can sanitation be carried too far? In order to render tho cleaning out of poultry houses an easy job, and in order to prevent the possibility of poultry consuming grain and filth together when seeking for it (tho grain) in litter, the slotted floor or floor of wire mesh netting is now recommended, and is being adopted by some poultrymen in a big way. Whether it is really being done for the sake of sanitation or because it saves labour is' a question hard _to answer definitely. It is ’ not so difficult, however, to answer the question, “ Do fowls prefer a wire mesh floor or a slotted floor to an earthen one, or one strewn with clean or comparatively clean litter? I think if the fowl had any say in the matter the littered floor would get its vote. If the hen is to be a layinghen it must, surely, be a contented iich, and to be contented, as has often been pointed out, she must have what she wants to eat and do what she wants to do. We often lose sight of these two fundamentals in our pursuit of new theories. Tho hen craves sncclilent green feed every day of her life—and we give her hay. She likes to scratch in plenty of clean straw litter, and we give her anything else from planer shaVings to a bare floor, or the new vaunted slotted floor. Sho wnats a daily feed of moist mash, but she gets a dry mixture that she can’t swallow without a mouthful of water every little bit to wash it down. There, is no happier time in the hen’s day than just after an allowance of scratch grains has been fed and sho is kicking the litter right and ij hunting for her share; but we are told to feed the grain in a trough so the hen will not pick up any germs from the floor. It’s about time to consider the hen a little—to do some of tho things that will give her an active interest in life.”

their animals with iodine, given either alone or incorporated in a mineral mixture.

“The acquaintance of many laymen with iodine is probably limited to seeing it in a bottle labelled ‘poisbn,’ and therefore the question is often asked whether it is sale to feed iodine to farm animals. Whilst iodine, as -such, is labelled ‘ poison ’ when sold to the general public, the precaution is taken to guard against the unlikely event of anybody in ignorance taking a sufficiently large quantity of it to set up serious irritation and, perhaps, to introduce ‘iodism,’ or iodine poisoning. Potassium iodide cannot be labelled as a poison, although, of course, very heavy doses may produce iodism in the animal.

“Professor Weiser, of Budapest, lias fed breeding sows with potassium iodide at the rate of approximately two grains per head per day without causing the slightest inconvenience; but, on the other hand, resulting in an ‘almost perfect resistance to disease.’ amongst the litters as well as a considerably better growth rate compared with the litters of comparable sows receiving no iodide. The method of preventing joint-ill in foals which has proved,so successful in Canada consists in feeding the mare during pregnancy, with a halfteaspoonful of potassium iodide every; fortnight, approximately an amount of four and a third grains per head daily. Further, I am informed that very care- 1 ful experiments carried out at the Rowett Research'lnstitute, the results of which are shortly to be published, have demonstrated over periods of several months that calves, sheep, pigs, and poultry will tolerate without any ill-effects an amount of iodine far in excess of the amounts which are recommended generally to be added to the rations of these animals. “ I myself have for more than a year fed iodine to poultry as potassium iodide in a mineral supplement in the mash and at the same time as tincture of iodine in the drinking water with no abnormal effects, unless excellent egg production and freedom from disease can bo described as such.” The difference between a grave and a groover 1 Dr Edward Brown, who is heart and soul interested in the poultry industry, points out that the difference —as we all know—is merely a question of depth, and that past experience in the poultry industry, as in almost .every other field, has abundantly shown that in the great majority of cases “grooves .become the graves of any system which is thus" limited.” He asks poultry, keepers to take a wider view than they do and strive for more unity in the different branches essential to the advancement of the industry, for nothing can be more fatal than the restricting efforts to any one special field. He says:—“Nothing could bo more fatal than to restrict efforts to any one special field. In former days the exhibitors preened themselves all the time, and claimed to bo the backbone of poultry husbandry. Later the breeders assumed 1 that they were the dominant 'branch, and- did"not hesitate to sound the trumpet .of triumph, forgetful of the fact that their* success was based upon the creation of a great host of producers, . Then ‘ the 5 last named, though with lesser volubility', did not hesitate to inform us that they are the hub of the industry. And more recently the distributors havo not failed to state that, in their judgment, they are the top dogs and should havo the last word. All are equally lacking in humility, vSo long as it was more talk not much harm was done, except in so far as the complete unity, which is yet far. distant, was hindered. That- has been mainly by reason of the fact that each section; wanted to have its own way. and regarded those who were not in their fold as unworthy of consideration. Let it bo said that each of the sections named, even some which have made the' greatest failures, have contributed materially to tho * progress which has been made, and are necessary to further advance. One may be sorry for individuals who. have been misled by temporary success into dopendanco upon abnormal methods, and which have finally failed, as so many have done. From the national and, therefore, broader aspect, that is of less momoiit than the promotion' of systems which are founded upon a recognition of the fact that animal and plant life are in-ter-relatcd, and that, sooner or later, disregard of basal principles, will have to be paid for, and in no small measure. A further aspect is, namely, that there is a great danger of poultry husbandry becoming too too uniform, lacking that individuality which has made it what it is. Variety is the’ spice of life. Monotony is deadly. Wo should not seek to create a horde of copyists, but to stimulate tho imagination and creative spirit, to teach people to think and test for. themselves, placing before them such experience as may bo helpful. A community of copyists would become decadent sooner or later. In this connection I am sometimes reminded of the story of a boy who was taken to tho barber’s to have his hair cut. When asked how he would like it, ho said: ‘ With a hole in the middle, like father’s.’ ” Fowls, old and young, need earnest and faithful care daily, 305 days of tho year. We keep them captive, so must look afte rtheir wants accordingly. This, of. course, is especially true of baby chicks and growing stock. If given such *care and you have well-bred stock* with high egg production actually bred into them lor a term of years your, fowls especially in the case of White Leghorns—can’be brought to pay good profits after you have learned how to handle them and own a large enough flock to form the necessary foundation for a successful business enterprise.

As usual just now there are numerous complaints of leg weakness in fowls. A forcing diet is the usual cause, with 'm an t°n exercise and lack of sunlight. I i v ’ n 2 will be found very use-fnl-Phosphate of lime, ten grains; sulphate of iron, two grains; sulphate of quinine, one grain; strychnine, half a gram. Divide into twenty-four pills a i 0116 pill dailv. Where there is lack of sunlight it is said that cod liver oil in the mash will prevent weakness. "

Poultry Amongst Fruit Trees.—A year or two ago the distructiveness of insect life in an orchard was illustrated by inspecting the crop of a five-weeks-old White Leghorn chicken. The demonstration was surprising both in regard to the weight of insects picked up and the number of them. This little bird s crop contained 190 pear-midge maggots, 127 green flies. 12 red ants, 2 caterpillars of the codlin moth, and 1 beetle. The crop of a young liedj Sussex pullet contained 14- Jentherjackets, 10 lover flies, 2 wireworms, 4 cutworms, 5 beetles, 50 ants, 7 wood lice, 4 slugs, 1 millipede, and 20 caterpillars of the winter moth!

Is iodine safe for poultry? Soino say it is, and some say it is not. There are those who warn us that it is dangerous to use except under medical advice, and, if this is so for humans, possibly it is also dangerous for poultry. However, a writer to the ‘ Feathered World’ says:—“The importance of tlio element iodine in the nutrition of the animal is now fully established, and already many feeders of animals in this country (England) are wisely supplying

Many who ought to bo getting eggs now arc failing simply because their birds arc underfed. This condition is common in* Hocks whore hens and pullets run together and a straight grain ration is supplied. Under .such' conditions one lias to choose between underfeeding the pullets or overfeeding the hens. The right thing to do is to separate tile two classes and then feed each according to its needs. Those who are not willing to do this hre inciting trouble. 1

TWENTY-FIFTH PAPANUI EGGLAYING COMPETITION Leading Pens. Thirty-seventh Week, ended December 21 (259 days). Test I.—J. H. Shaw Memorial Challenge. Light and Heavy Breeds. Black Orpingtons. Week’s Weight. • Eggs. oz. drs. Tl. J. M. Campbell ... •'! 615 185 T. D. Dalziei ... 0 0 0 IG3

Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to Utility-Fancy, Poultry Editor, * Star 1 Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. “ Utility-Fancy ’* will only answer communications through this column. Advertisements for this column must be banded in to tba office before 2 p.m. on Friday. , ;

Test ll.—White Leghorn Single Hens. Owner Enters Three Birds. * Highest Aggregates. Week’s Ora ml

Single Hen Tests. Owner enters three birds. Highest Aggregate.

Test 111.—A.0.V. Light Breeds, Other Than White Leghorns. Anconas. Week’s Grand Total. Total. R. Pearce ... ... 43 2 167 184 149 S. H. Mitchell ... 4 4 5 162 175 129

Test V.—A.O.V. Heavjr Breeds Other' Than Black Orpingtons.

Test Vl.—Flock Teams (6 birds). Light "and Heavy Breeds. Whit© Leghorns.

Test Vll.—Single Ducks. Owner Enters Three Birds. Highest Aggregate. Pekins. Week’s Grand Total. .Total. J. W. Thomson ... 55 6 141 175 143

White Leghorns. C. A. Stratford ... 5 9 2 239 E. J. Boss ... ... 7 13 O 216 E. Dunstan ... ... 6 14 6 208 S. G. Batten ... 6 13 6 ‘203 A. M. Espie ... o 4 8 201 F. J. Hillis ... 6 12 9 191

Total. Total S. E. Davcy ... 0 7 0 196 231 212 J. E. Lignins ... Euchs ... 6 7 0 5 5 5 202 210 207 191 200 2iU T. I), ■ Dalziel 4 5 0 212 180 209 W. ; K. Hamilton 7 0 0 208 219 108 E. Dunstaii 7 4 5 239 172 165 A. M. Esnie 6 7 3 163 235 177 Miss J. Williams 7 53 202 206 105 J. Bobbitt ... ... 5 0 5 193 179 200

Test IV.—Black Orpingtons only. R. M. Cookson ... 4 2 4 146 186 185 A. R. Leckie 7 5 5 197 133 168 H. J. Ballin 5 3 1 193 135 170 L. y. Hawk© 5 6 5 161 145 160

J. R, Griffiin (L.S.) 4 b 4 183 124 195 H. Drysdale (W.R.) 5 6 4 147 86 143

Week’s Weight. Eggs. oz. drs. TJ. Green Bros. ... 29 G3 12 1,143 I. C. Craig ... 32 67 10 1,140 W. E. Ward ... 29 63 11 1,091 G. J. Verrall ... 20 41 8 1,066 F. Hanes ... ... 19 41 14 1,047 W. Turner ... ... 31 '62 15 1,027

Indian Runners, G. A. Heath 7 6 2 243 222 213 F. R, Cotton 7 5 5 234 214 217 J. W. Thomson ... 7 7 7 210 238 213 A. G. F. Ross ... 7 7 4 ,201 223 206 H. A. Daivbcr ... 2 0 6 213 197 193