POULTRY NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 190, 29 July 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

POULTRY NOTES

PROFITABLE POULTRY.

(By “Cock-o’-thc-North.”)

I said last week that the food we had under disci.ssion on the (supposed) relative quantites of the various elements contained therein, worked out at one part flesh formers to 4 1-5 fat formers and said it would be discussed later. k So it will, but to those anxious for immediate information, I may say that this strength for ratio) is quite sufficient for an ordinary flock of laying birds but not sufficient for highclass layers. Again, if a grain or meal worked out like this it must not be for a moment supposed that to feet] this grain or meal alone would be sufficient, as at one-fourth the total protein supplied should be derived from animal sources. Just why this is so is a matter for later discussion as now* I must continue this subject in order or I will confound my reader worse than the builders of the tower of Babel V'ere confounded. When one has mastered the constituent parts of the various foods ho (or she) will be caller! upon to handle the next question is tho best method of feeding that ration. Mind you, when I am referring to the person who simply keeps a dozen or so of fowls for their own particular use and perhaps sell the surplus of eggs not required for household use, 1 shall specially men tion it. Just now I am going into the question from the standpoint of tho man who is in the business or who is about to start in it as a business.

By such a person the foods and methods of feeding have to be handled from the standpoint of PROFIT; and the method which yields the greatest profit is the one to adopt. It is not the method of feeding which will induce the heaviest average yield of eggs pei laying bird which is necessarily the best, nor, strange as it may seem, is it the system of feeding which produces the eggs at the lowest cost for which is of necessity the best. There are six methods of feeding poultry in use at the present time and, though there is no written law to say that each method used MUST bo called by the name given to it. yet each method has bf-come known by a distinctive title to distinguish it from others, when writing or speaking of the various methods of feeding fowls.

The first of the six is known as the “Morning mash ;” this consists of feeding a moist mash in the morning composed of a mixture of different meals with (sometimes) animal or green food cooked and mixed with it. At noon (sometimes) a light green feed is given, while others feed green food, or animal food, instead as the experience, fancy or fads of the owner may direct. In the two latter ca c es the whole meal of grain is fed at night. No. 2 method is exactly the reverse and is termed tin “Evening mash” as the users of this system of feeding believe in feeding the grain in ‘he morninr' and the m.isl; at ni'dit. No. 3 method is termed the “Ah mash system” and consists of feeding the birds ad mn«b ami no grain. No. 4 is called the “Drv mash sys+em.” This consists of mixing a trash (in many case-') similar to the above mashes with the one imnortnnt exception of moisture of anv sort, the ingredients being mixed nb«oln+'*lv d*-v and *mt in hon*v*vs ‘-•ontaioii'" enffi'*i<'"t to last the liir-ds for various periods from a few days t-* a. n<"’ith or more. Some few t*o to the tpptii-elv nntin.-nr-ssi’v'l trmdpc of feeding it o*-**rv rl«v. Under this system, "reen food is sitr>nlicd in various wavs which will be dealt with late* *nd th-* mi’inal fond is usually supplied in the form of hoof st-raris. blood or meat meal, though in rare cases meat or livers, etc., are boiled and fed at noon. One point about this system is that the gram should never be fed except in deep scratching litter, straw for preference. * No. 5 method is termed the “Hopper j system” and consists of leaving each : kind of meal and grains in separate i hoppers where the birds can help tliemi selves nt will. No. (5 and last is knonn < as the “Dry feeding system” and enn- ’ {lists of feeding all grain in dcon lit.'tpr. The merits and demerit® of each ; n.cthod of feeding wdl be fully and exhaustively dealt with in succeeding a ‘Vn le cns* any "f ’’’V ’e-d.-w-* should

also bo readers of the “Australian Hen” I wish to set myself right with one of our best and most prominent breed-ws here in the Dominion. I refer to Mr. A. AV. Irvine, Pah Road, Epsom, Auckland. In the issue of May sth of tho paper referred to I called this gentleman’s ability into question and since then I have had the real phiasure of making his acquaintance. I am only too pleased to retract here what I said in the “Australian Hen” and to say that I consider Air. Irvine a poultryman not only of ability, but of exceptional ability, and who is working hard and conscientiously to raise the standard of the fowls kept in our fair Dominion. May his shadow’ never grow* less is the wish of “C’ock-o’-the-North”, and may he handle bushels of shekels this season for he deserves them if ever any man did. Now Zealand is badly in need of just such, noultrvnien, men who are bold enough and energetic enough to throw off the boiKfe-of-the old conservative ideas which do so much to restrict and even cripple an industry w'ith great future possibilities.