POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22956, 13 May 1938, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

DIET CHANGES. It is a great mistake to adhere to a fixed scale. of rations for fowls. Not only must the quantity and variety be regulated to suit the changing needs of the birds, but general modifications become necessary as the seasons merge one into the other. This _ is. more important, perhaps, in the winter months of the year than at any other period, and ■with the coming of spring weather the whole question of diet must receive particular consideration. With the comparative heavy feeding during winter and the use of high protein concentrates it is an easy matter to overfeed, with a consequent lowenng of vitality and decrease oi production unless changing conditions are watched and the necessary modifications made. Lack of exercise and overfeeding, the too free use of rich albuminous foods, and want of sufficient green stuff are conducive to liver trouble, the symptoms of which are more generally apparent when winter rations are continued too long. Such foods as maize and inaizemeal should be _ reduced in quantity, or entirely from the rations, as the weather begins to get warmer. IMMATURE BREEDERS. Many thoughtful breeders consider that the breeding from immature cockerels is one of the causes of the high mortality among chickens. The same applies to pullets put into breeding pens in the month of May. Better results are got from matured hens, even although they have not quite recovered from the_ moult. Generous feeding will soon bring them on. PAPANUI EGG-LAYING TESTS. Entries for the thirty-fourth egg-lay-ing competition conducted by the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club at Panama, Christchurch, total 389 birds, the breeds including White Leghorns, Black Leghorns, Anconas, Australorps, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Light Sussex, Langshans, and Barnevelders. Tiree varieties of ducks are entered— Indian Runners, Khaki Campbells, and Pflkans. The competition will run for 50 weeks, ending on March 11, 1939. SOUND BREEDING STOCK. The breeding stock is the most important factor on the poultry farm. If it is not sound the chance of success on the farm is slender. The breeding stock should have outside range, or at least an outside yard or run. It should not be forced for eggs. It should be brought up hardy. INFERTILITY. Investigations into the cause of infertility in individual females demonetrate that the following conditions are mainly responsible:—(l) Too much acidity in the oviduct, which is spermicidal ; ■ (2) malformed reproductive organs; (3) too much fat in and around the reproductive organs. While we are unable to deal with the first two defects, the latter is preventive. Fitness without fatness.” WORMS DUE TO LACK OF IRON. “ The main cause of worms is a lack of food iron ” was a statement made by * Poultry, Truth, and Science ’ some years ago. It was also stated that “ sulphate of iron administered in food or water will quickly eradicate worms.” Food iron that is in organic combinations of the protein of vegetables and seeds, such as in lucerne, hay, and linseed meal, is very valuable for the purpose, also fresh blood, but not dry blood. ' BLOOD SPOTS IN EGGS. Mr Hadlington, who is the Government Poultry ■ Expert, New South Wales, says: “ One of the initial factors which has an influence upon the quality of the eggs is the feeding of the birds. Any excess of stimulating condiments or forcing foods is likely to result in blood, spots or blood streaks in the eggs which cause them to deteriorate rapidlv. Of course,” he adds, “on the other hand a ration lacking in the essentials for proper nutrition will not produce good eggs.

Contributions and questions for answering should be addressed to ” Utility-Fancy,” Poultry Editor, ‘Star* Office, and received not later than Tuesday of each week. ” UtilityFancy” will only answer communications through this •elumn. (Advertisements for this column must be handed in ta tho office before 2 p.m. on Thursday.)

By “UTILITY-FANCY”

BIG SCOTTISH FIRE. A two-story house containing 5,000 chickens, 10,000 hatching eggs, incubators, and other equipment has been destroyed by fire on Captain lan Robertson’s farm at Linkwood, Elgin. Damage is estimated at about £I,OOO. It is thought that th« outbreak started in one of the incubators. GRIT AND OYSTER SHELL. Chickens as well as laying hens require a supply of mineral matter and grit such as calcium, carbonate of lime, and oyster shell. The young chicks whilst growing require regular supplies of mineral salts to enable them to grow and build up their frames. They must, therefore, be given a regular supply of crushed oyster shell or such similar material, but it should not be mixed with the soft food. Ducklings should have it of a finer grade, given in the bottom of their pan of water. Fowls require more mineral matter than is contained in the other kinds of food served to them. This fact is made clear by observing the birds when on range! It will be noticed that, they spend much of their time scratching for stones, etc., no matter how well they are fed. , VALUE OF HOUSE’SCRAPS. Those keeping poultry in a small way should make the fullest use of household scraps. Not only are they usually of great nutritional value, but they help to keep down the “ bill of costs.” Of course, the first essential is to see that all the scraps are sound, or the poultry-keeper will soon experience trouble in the form of intestinal complaints. Scraps naturally vary considerably in composition, and they must be balanced with other meals, or egg production will suffer. To understand the substitution of meal by scraps it is necessary to study the equivalent value of each. Rice and pudding containing suet are equal to maize and oatmeal, bread to pollard, meat scraps to meatmeal, vegetables such as carrots to bran, potato peelings to maize or barley meal, and waste greenstuff to lucerne or clover meal. The water in which vegetables and potatoes have been cooked contains mineral salts and should be used, not thrown away as so often is done. • Peas, beans, and cauliflowers are full of vegetable protein, and are equal to soya bean meal, etc. The ‘ Smallholder,’ an English publication, gives the following formula for the use of average house scraps:— “Parts by weight: House scraps, 5; maizemeal, 1; lucerne meal. 1; pollard and bran, 4; and meat or fish meal, 1.” It is also pointed out that one should beware of using too many fatty scraps, without balancing them with foods of a bulky nature, pins a large proportion of bran and pollard. Much of the overfatness of “ backyard ” birds is due to the feeding of fatty scraps. PUSH, DON’T LIFT. Marry deaths will be avoided _in brooding by seeing that all the chicks go out to eat and drink three times a day. Push them gently out of the brooder, never lift them, or this will always have to be done. Then see that they go back under the brooder within a few minutes. Any chick worth'keeping will be able to find its own way out and into the run after a day or two of such teaching. COMB GUARD. The length of time a oomb guard; must be kept on depends on the comb. There are cockerels which rarely have the guard off except during a show, when their combs will remain upright for a week. The question has been asked; “Is it fair to sell a prize winner for a big price without telling the buyer that the comb is upright only because it has been artificially caused ?” The cockerel may have been bought chiefly because of its upright and nicely-serrated comb. STRENGTH OF BREEDING PEN. In the light breeds from 10 to 15 females may be mated with one male, and for heavy breeds seven to eight. This is a safe guide, but a vigorous cockerel may fertilise the eggs of twice as many bens as mentioned l .

CAUSES FOR POOR SHELLS. Poor shells are rejected or priced ■low, consequently tho cause of them deserves attention. Eggs with poor shells are caused by a fat-choked body condition, or by wrong feeding, generally over a period of six weeks or more. Fat birds (internally fat) generally lay ridged or mis-shapen eggs, but the trouble is quickly remedied) when the body has been restored to a hard, fit, lean condition. Pimply eggs are often laid regularly by a certain bird, and the trouble is due to an upset of the shell-forming organ. There is generally no cure, but the bird should be identified, either by trap-nesting or noting in which nest she lays, and trying to find her. Having found the culprit, leg-band her so that she will never be used in a breeding pen. Foods which supply little shell-forming materials force hens to lay shell-less eggs. A check-up should be made to see that oyster or other sea shells or limestone is supplied in a clean condition in easilyreached hoppers. If this is already the case, then extra .shell-forming foods must be included in tho mash- a Th© following is recommended: — Limestone flour, 3; steamed bran flour, 6; common salt, 2, in parts by weight. Two and a-half pounds should be added to each hundredweight of mash. Each compound! flour must be very finely ground and thoroughly mixed one with another and with the mash. The salt, in particular, must not be lumpy. 1 may add that in my own experience where fowls have plenty of fresh grass and exercise and there is organic hme regularly and continuously supplied, shell-less eggs are rare. SHRUBS WHICH POISON POULTRY. When starting poultry-keeping many people wonder whether the trees and shrubs standing iu the future runs are likely to be injurious to fowls or whether they are harmless. It may be as well to give a list of the chief trees and shrubs, and particulars regarding them in connection with fowls.

It may be pointed out, however, that if the birds are given a daily allowance of fresh green food and the poultry■keeper takes the trouble to sweep up any fallen berries or leaves, there is little chance of the birds eating the shrubs or trees.

And a shrubbery or hedge is excellent in that insect life abounds, particularly near the roots, w'here they are get-at-able by the birds. Also hedges and trees provide the finest shade in summer time ai\d excellent shelter from cold winds in winter.

To deal with the various subjects alphabetically, all parts of box are poisonous, but, since the taste is very bitter, the fowls are not likely to touch it. Broom is slightly poisonous, but it is seldom that birds touch it.

Ivy, generally considered to be poisonous. is not harmful to birfls, for the berries are eaten frequently by fowls with no injurious results. The laurel contains only a little poison, and may be regarded as quite safe. The elder, both the common and dwarf varieties, possess purgative properties. We have never heard of fowls suffering after eating the berries or seeds of the latter, but there are cases on record where turkeys have died as a result of eating them. The laburnum is dangerous, because all parts are strongly poisonous, while the seeds are particularly harmful. Children, by the way, have been known to have been poisoned by them. It is believed that many wild birds, such as thrushes, eat large quantities of the berries of mountain ash, but since they contain a small amount of prussic acid and a considerable quantity of malic acid it is advisable not to keep fowls where they have access to this tree. This applies specially to chickens and growing birds. Privet hedges are quite satisfactory for the poultry tun, for, although the leaves are astringent,, there, is no record of fowls having been injured by them. In all probability they do not eat them, because they are obnoxious.. Rhododendrons are narcotic. This applies to both the leaves and the flowers. It is better for them not to he in the fowls’ run. The last subject that need be mentioned is yew. This is definitely poisonous to fowls, so should be excluded from the run.— 1 Smallholder ’ (England) .