Poultry Notes

Hutt News, Volume 16, Issue 39, 24 March 1943, Page 4

Poultry Notes

(By "Red Comb.")

The Pullets I'ullets hatched in September will now lie commencing to lay and they should continue to lay steadily until April of next year. Any mismanagement during this, and the following two months will cause them to moult and cease* production. However, lheir urge is definitely to lay, and no dilliculty should be experienced provided they arc liberally and regularly fed, comfortably housed and subject to 110 sudden changes .Much has been written 011 the age at which a pullet Should lay its first egg and the times given are (i months for light breeds and 7 for the heavy breeds. Commencing to lay is I lie result of sexual maturity and as this is largely hereditary, no hard and fast rules can be laid down. It can be hastened, of course by feeding an excessi of protein (meat, mealmeal and milk) but it is very doubtful if it can be retarded beyond what inheritance decrees, without injuring (lie bird. ' Hastening sexual maturity means that the pullets will be laying before their bodies are developed, resulting in small eggs and a shortened laying life. When poultry men first realised this we iind that they nwung the pendulum to the other extreme with lull force -pullets were fed sparingly, 110 animal food was given, and they were .constantly moved from house to house. But nature cannot be thus thwarted. The pullets did develop sexually, a few weeks later certainly, and laid miserably small eggs by drawing on their bodily reserve's!, thus resulting, as before, in stunted growth. Today, through careful breeding and scientific feeding, we aim at building a strong, healthy, fully-de-veloped body tirst —then, the sooner the birds, lay, the better for all concerned. Details of that can wait until the coming spring; but at present I would like to stress this fact. Once your pullets have started to lay, it. is too late for regrets regarding '.heir age. Feed them generously, and feed them the best laying mash you can provide. If they are on the young side, then (he feeding should be the more liberal still, to give the bird the necessary requirements for its eggs and to encourage its growth to continue as well. Nest I Soxes These should be placed in the darkest corner of the house—particularly for pullets commencing to lay. The natural instinct to retire from the llodk to some secret nest is very strong in poultry, and if this is respected, little difficulty will be experienced in getting the pullets to use the nests. They can, of course, be shifted - to a more convenient position by degrees, once the birds have become accustomed to them. Nests soon become a harbour for lice----treat them as previously advised for perches, and treat them just as regularly. Remove- the straw, shavings, etc., from them frequently and replace with fresh, clean material; do not simply add fresh material to the old. Grit Once the pullets are laying they will require lime for the formation of shells for their eggs. This is provided with little bother or expense in the form of shell grit, oyster and pipi being the most suitable. if is wise to attach a small box to the wall, about one foot about the litter and to keep in it a regular supply of shell grit. Ordinary stone grit should similarly be available to the birds at all times, as this serves the same purpose with fowls as teeth do with human beings, in masticating and preparing the food for digestion.