POULTRY NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 160, 22 June 1935, Page 9

POULTRY NOTES

Exercise and Housing INDUCING ACTIVITY That exercise for fowls is not perhaps regarded as sufficiently important is due to the great changes which have occurred in the methods of housing. The largo intensive house has been replaced on some farms by slatted-floor laying houses; the small breeding pens by old units; the solid floored brooding house by netting rearing and by battery brooding. The poultryman who has seen these changes has lost sight of the value of exercise. However, it cannot bo disputed that the health of any flock, together with its laying ability and its breeding powers, is greatly improved by exercise. A fowl is built to lead an active life. Exercise does not cause a wastage of body material, but merely increases the efficiency of tho building-up powers of the body. An energetic fowl can certainly withstand the rigours of a cold, wet and windy winter time far better than birds that have no man-made exercise so are forced to huddle up with nothing to do. Exercise, too, is the best means of preventing such vices as cannibalism, egg-eating and feather picking.

Work makes muscles larger, hard and firn., and tones up the whole system. Thus, a more efficient protective covering is given to the body, reserves of protein are better retained, the temperature of the body is more easily manitained, and food is better utilised. When grain is fed in the litter, and tho birds have to exercise to get it, tho active heavy-laying birds obtain the most, those which are not laying at the time eat less, and so waste is reduced, but, in addition, the non-lnyers cannot gorge, and so they do not become too fat. Less failing of condition is brought about, and even feeding, with a consequent maintenance of appetite, is ensured. Increase of disease is probable because of the methods of housing which preclude scratching. Diseases of the digestive tract are far less likely to occur if tho birds work well. The litl ering of largo, solid-floored houses has fallen into disfavour, possibly because of the cost of such types of houses and the expense of littering, and too often such houses are seen with a bare scattering merely for cleanliness. Tho best way to provide exercise is l>y maintaining a supply of litter of the correct depth in all solid-floored houses, and keeping that litter in a long-lasting condition by preventing rain from blowing in on to it, and by keeping off the night excreta by the use of dropping-boards fitted eight inches below the perches. The purpose of the litter is defeated if it is not renewed when it is heavy, damp or foul. Breeders and special pens should preferably bo provided with some incans of scratching. Half an hour’s scratching is worth a whole day’s aimless walking about. The poultrykeeper in a small way has often so little ground available that exercising out of doors and foraging is difficult. These birds generally have runs providing considerably less than 100 square feet per head, and during tho winter the run then is by no means advisable. Far better results would aeerue if either the houses had a large scratching shed attached, or wire-netting ‘sun parlours” were fitted, as an adjunct to the houses. Not only would the birds have much more floor space, which would be kept cleaner, but the grass in the small runs would not bo over-eaten, trampled down and spoilt.