POULTRY NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 23444, 8 December 1939, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES

ABUSING THE TRAP-NEST. Where a number of layers are fed for > the sole ‘him of getting high records from them, trap-nesting them with the object of picking out the best layers to 1 use them as breeders is an abuse of the trap-nest. _ Trapnesting must bo employed with the sole object of Selecting the_ best_ fowls for breeding from, or it will fail. It must tell the facts and shortcomings of a hen as well as show her capabilities in the way of egg production. When it comes to time, it is what is left in a hen that is of value, and not the output during the laying year. THE NEW COCKEREL. When insufficient is known of a'new cockerel it should not be mated with the best hen, or, at all events, not with all of them. - More should be known about a, new cockerel than that its dam laid so many eggs. We should know if the cockerel’s full-sister pullets were good and the dam excellent for reproduction, and whether this hen’s full sisters laid well, etc. vouch information is not easy to obtain so it must; be; looked for from the cockerel’s progeny before carrying -the cockerel’s blood further into y?nr strain, ’■ , ■ - HELPING THE FOOD SUPPLY. , The British Minister of Agriculture has himself advocated poultry-keeping as a means of increasing the nation s food supply,.! and there can be, little doubt that the expansion of poultry kept in the garden and the backyard is going to ’be very considerable in Great Britain, and it should also be so in New Zealand. In the, past the value of the industry as a part of the nation’s food, supply bas not boon fully realised by the majority of the people, but, as-a matter of fact, the value of eggs and' poultry produced in Great Britain alone is almost equal to the value of their wheat, barley, and oat crops, and about 55,000,000 birds are maintained bn holdings of- any size. In addition , a large number of birds are reared for table consumption and killed at varying ages. Under these circumstances * it can be understood that the poultry industry is no mean employer of: labour, and that a .large number, of workers are dependent upon it for -their livelihood. In addition, millers, corn merchants, and transport, organisations are all vitally concerned. What applies to the industry in Great Britain... applies here also.. Everyone who. can find space for half a dozen layers should do so. CAN HUMANS CONTRACT POULTRY DISEASES? Dr H.- Pv Bayoh answers this question as follows: “ It .is nbt possible for workpeople amongst poultry to contract any_ poultry disease, i There is an exception in relation to birds in general—the piarrot. -This can he.infected with.human tuberculosis, and .ihflfcii presumably,,,,,communicaterthe disease to’human beings. Next there is psittacosis, or parrot influenza, which can affect man. “ Red mite—.dermanyssus—which are such a plague of cagebirds and poultry, may at times infest cattle and also man. The' form of avian tuberculosis which is but too common in some farms will infect pigs, but-not man. Chronic sores on the hands of stubbers may. be made worse by handling poultry; but 1 may . suggest that all foodstuff should be handled with clean and sound hands. The warts must have been accidentally contracted from human warts and not ■ connected with fowlpox. The bacteria that cause the symptoms of food poisoning do occur in poultry, but to cause

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By “UTILITY-FANCY”

barm they must multiply , either in stale eggs or unsuitably-stored killed poultry.” POULTRY IN WAR TIME. Now that we are enduring wartime conditions we are being officially advised to keep a few fowls wherever this is possible. Fortunately poultry , are the most accommodating of all stock. They can be kept in a small shed in the backyard of a town house. Another valuable feature is that either a small or large number of fowls can be kept—six hens can be a source of profit and convenience to a backyarder, and several hundreds can be the sole livelihood of a poultry farmer. In making a start the first thing is to select a suitable breed for the purpose intended, eggs or meat, and to make sure (if going in for fowls extensively) that the climate and soil are suitable for the breed selected. Strain is even more important than breed, and this is built up only by continuous care in selection of breeders. Hence it pays to buy from those breeders who have established a reputation for egg yields. CARE OF INCUBATORS AND BROODERS. Many incubators and brooders are now stored away till next hatching and rearing season, and' it is a pertinent question to ask: “ Have they been carefully cleaned, disinfected, and carefully stacked away in a stitable place?” It is a great mistake to put off the cleaning and disinfecting of these appliances till immediately before the time comes for their use again. The possibility is that neglect now may lead to their being used again without being cleaned at all next season, with the result that there may be heavy losses at hatching and rearing times. If incubators and brooders are not stored away in some suitable place it may be necessary now and again to shift them from one place to another, or to store other. things on top of them. Sometimes they may be shifted to some outside position exposed to sun and rain, with the result that costly repairs may be. necessary. Give the necessary attention now and avoid future trouble and expense. GIVE BEGINNERS A HAND. Those of us who have been at the game for years can be very helpful just now to any neighbours who may be starting to keep poultry for the first time. ... Thdre’s. all sorts of practical assistance andl useful advice that could be forthcoming, though, of course, one has to be tactful on these occasions, and not thrust unasked opinions on strangers. Too often a new starter would welcome some such opportunity, but does not know to whom to apply. It would be an excellent scheme if those of us who have experience, offered to lend a hand at any free time to assist beginners who may be in doubt or difficulty.—‘ Feathered World.’ ■ EGG ‘PRODUCTION. < ’ 1 Poultry Science ’ prints a summary of some experiments at. Ohio. None of the management procedures employed in housing the pullets as conducted in these experiments proved more , than partially effective in reducing the rate of mortality of pullet layers. Egg production on four pens averaged higher than the pullets that were raised" on an isolated! range. In 23 of the 25 groups of pullet layers, the livability in laying batteries was consistently better than that of similar pullets in floor pens. Total egg production from the pallets in laying batteries slightly exceeded that of similar pullets in floor pens. The chicks having access to range after two weeks proved superior,

both in egg production and livability, to those confined! to a wire sun porch eight to 10 weeks before being permitted on range. This suggests that in coping with a disease, portable colony houses on a well-isolated! range make the safest and most economical means for breeding chicks and raising pullets. Pullets brooded and raised in batteries until ready to lay generally proved unsatisfactory when placed .in floor pens. They proved, howevbr, quite satisfactory when continued in batteries until the end of the first year of egg production. _ . These remarks coincide, it is reported, with others made by poultrymen in America who have tried all the above methods. FEEDING—QUANTITIES TO GIVE. When working out tUe quantity which any given number of fowls is Ukely to require over a period of weeks or months it is usual to base calculations upon a certain quantity a bird, a day. As long as the weight is used solely as a guide and not as a hard and fast rule it is all right. It varies considerably, according to- the meals used and the proportion in which they are mixed together, so exact figures are impossible. Generally speaking, however, 2oz of dry meal mixture will weigh about soz when crumbly moist. This is an increase of 150 per cent. Feed only 2oz of the prepared mash and it means that the birds will be halfstarved and that production will fall rapidly, perhaps ceasing altogether. Weigh the necessary quantity of the dry meals, allowing each bird 2ioz. Mix the wet mash in the usual manner and feed in troughs. Then wait and see what happens. All the wet mash may bo cleared up in half an hour, in which ease a little more should be" given. But there may be some left, so the next day reduce the quantity slightly, say", to 2oz a bird. Tne main thing is to see that the layers have all. the feed they require, particularly all the wet mash they will eat when this is provided as the last meal of the day. CYCLES OF EGG PRODUCTION.

Mr D. F. Lauri writes: Some American writers spend 'time in supporting the theory of egg-laying cycles. Here in Australia the average opinion is at any rate not in favour of eggcycles. A pause about November, after heavy laying, and not lasting very long, is a usual occurrence. Supporters of laying competitions believe that a bird’s first-year’s laying is a fairtrial of ability. A few have always stated that their birds lay better in the second year of laying. These opinions are founded on various flocks of birds and on certain methods of feeding. The writer told Dr Pearle that his so-called “ winter cycle ” was not a true test of breeding worth, and that our work here was before the American. An American writer evidently has his doubts, too, and says: 11 It has been the custom to divide a bird’sannual, egg-record into four rather arbitrary periods.—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—or sometimes the last two periods are taken together. These are called ‘ cycles of production,’ and for some years after the first work (American) on the inheritance of egg-production was begun it was felt that the winter cycle was the most significant in determining the inherent laying capacity of a bird. Tho average daily allowance of mash for a laying pullet is 2oz to 2Joz, weighed dry. and it is the last two words (weighed dry) which are sometimes forgotten. It is not unknown for the poultrykeeper, knowing the weight of his bucket to weigh it when full, allowing from 2oz to 2Joz a bird.”