POULTRY NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 99, 8 April 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

PROFITABLE POULTRY.

(By “Cock-o'-the North.)

The time's rapidly approaching when those who p-rni-t in keeping fowls under the old style will be forced to abandon either tii“ir ideas or their poultry plan.n. simply because the man running under mo-lern conditions can afford to expect only four shillings profit, from *-jch of his b'rds and then make a yearly income five times larger than the person under the old style who makes ten shillings f-er head. Again :he p;r j on using the up-to-da e appliancewhich are new coming into general use ccukl afford if he pleases to sell his <ggs at lOd per dozen all the year round and then make treble the income yearly made by a person under -he old ityle who averaged Is 3d per dozen for the year for his eggs. Why? The reason can be lie.st explained by supposing two weavers (good ones) .-tarring i» opposition to an up-to-date cloth factory. The factory buying its raw n aterial in very large quantities would get it at a very much lower price. Die output, being sent away al-o in largo quantities, costs far lc-s for freight, while the number of yards of cloth t.irnnd out per day, week or month would be so far in advance of that manufactured by the weavers ‘;hat the cloth could be sold at a very much narrower margin per yard to that woven by the weavers with handlooms. Therefore the latier would b? hope!«s<dy * beatun in every department so far xs market is concerned. So the person under the old conditions would le hopelessly beaten in the purchase of food, earria-.ie on "ggs and pou?.*ry. and i;i the number of eggs which could be turned out without employing outside labour. 1

I do not, for a moment, intend to convey the impression ,'.hat a person under tlie old stvle will not manage to eke out a living, hut when the industry is modernised that living will no: lie one which anybody need envy. I repeat the poultry industry, so fains the producing part is concerned, is not- for the mentally weak. This niay be better under- nod u hen I say (or any ether person understanding the busincsa) that the modern poultry man must have a fair knowledge of:—

Ist. The chemical properties (roughly) of every kind of food he, (or she) contemplates using for the purpose of feeding the birds and the procable effect of these on the birds’ egg yield, or gain in weight or development as 'fit" case may be. 2nd, Mineralogy to enable the poultry culturist to properly -estimate the value of the different grits he is feeding to his birds, for. mind you readers, grit has a far more im-

portant function than the o’d twaddle abon: hens’ teeth and which will be atrp'y proved as space permits an I in its right place. 3i d, The pou’try man should have a good knowledge of the anatomy of the birds he keeps to enable him to know the position and drructure of the various egg-'producing organs of the fowl and of the various causes retarding or assisting the fast healthy developmenb or maint?naiie? of these organs.

4th, A fair knowledge of mechanics is necessary to enable tlie poultryman tn devise and construct lalioui taring devices to save time and labour and ensure uniform treatment of the flock, no matter how large it may be: and last. _but by no means least, a fair practical knowledge of car-

pentry, so that all, lhat is necessary on a poultry plant, with the possible exception of incubators and egg crates, mar Ik* built bv the potrt ry man himself instead of haring to call in carpenters to do the work. Thomdi these men may b? terv good in their own wav it muw be distinctly understood that this knowledge of building must te supnlemented by a knowledge of the ibj.vt aimed at. This is where.the tree® carpenter fails. Further. in th ; s Dominion a carpenter is r very costly apue.ndagc to a poultry farm and on? which can very easily be dispensed with if the right man is in the riglr; pla-e

The above list of qualifications need not frighten my renders, for anv person of Rood nveraßo intelligence can acquire that part of the programme and tho mm: of it is for sale at reasonable rates. Flven with all tho above qualities, rmi with .all the modern labour saving arp’i-nnos in us.?, there wi ] always be degrees of success. The very best system in tho world, wi h £2OO cash and one hundred acres of land, would not ensure stic<o<s to many who take np this truly fascinating and enticing calling for commercial purposes. I remember, sonic three years back, advising a gentleman who was "lien a.id is now .me <c our most prominent f rultrymnn to abandon the st vie of frrding then u~ed bv him in favour ot t’-at recommended by me on account of the in. .-"a-ed number of birds he r *oiiici krop. A few lionrs after leaving h*- paid me the compliment of tilling mother nerson not to adopt this system of f*rdi.i’, ns T was nothing bit: a f d. _Ree nrly I had tlio pleasure of If-toning t>» tho same gentleman statue’ to a very influential meeting of Miiltrvn n that be was now in tho - « ond voir of •. odin-r. as T h:>d rocomn .•'nded him to do previously, and that it. had more than doubled bis capacity nt fowls for -he same time and labour .s lof -re without any loss of eggs. However he wrs. I regret to sav. not hank enough to say where or hew h" had obtained th" rrouhito knowled’<> of tho sy-torn of Lding or o recadi tho compliment to myself. Had the yyn gcn’lcnmn gone further and rdortel a’ o | a h nr sarinz ."pn’bn-es and interfile methods, he could eave qnadrnp’ed .■’:e number of birds Kept with ev n Io;, labour and with a nairng in land alone of over T.KSO compared r.i‘h tho pro ent land occupied. POULTRY NOTE? Tire pu! : ■' : l- ;i - b,>.] v?ar j,hatched at -.be right time, should" bo p»«t umi'ar to lay now. Anv earlier than ’ :is ar-> j tn ~ o; ,| Ht" and I';'-’'* a -rca. Jn.nl of th" l winter egg yi< id.

, Aov is Jbo :.imn fif yon ’■.iva no» a ready done ml to cull cut tour ■casters and v •> can cn’v do t’-'s bv same ,-,.0,1 rnt-aM,. ....... nf V-l -r-ti-.n. r.n trap m-st a..-I , or) are Jl(k . p.,. the common.;,! pn .,j trvl , mn t i, t.i-oy .m-v 1 o .ab'e to afford such ateyeori- n>.ta’ farms.

Pure < : ii<d i, fi,„ nn ,| most .monor; i animal fco<| for egg rtmb'. -•. n 'i”' I: d-’velopment or rsr'v maturity in rnTrfs Ono round o d'iod moat contains tn»* •?vpinhi fl?sTi fnrmintx pvt-'r of fe-ir pounds of ordinary -> c.it. and one pound of dried th- on jvnl-nt c f | n f r ] r;rr | r "at. or s.ytern pounds of ordinary Trent One notind of dried 1 1 >o<J is sufficient for tbo a I r p bird, Cor ono day .-nd vnrie; in p irn ld to 2d per invi.