POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 253, 20 September 1930, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”) Grading eggs for sale is alright, but do poultrymen grade their eggs for the incubator? A certain critic of methods adopted by breeders, particularly those who sell stud birds, said recently it was manifestly unfair, for dealers to sell male birds reared or hatched from eggs indiscriminately collected and placed in the incubator without any grading for size of egg. He insisted that this was unfair dealing. For instance, a breeder wishes to use a male bird known to be of a strain laying a large egg. In good faith, he asks for such a bird from a dealer who has never taken the trouble to know the birds of his breeding pens. He has birds giving a large egg, others a smaller one. Without any grading at all, the eggs are incubated and there is no means of knowing which chickens came from the small eggs or from the very much preferred larger eggs. How can he honestly say any particular cockerel is the progeny of parents known to be of a strain able to lay the much-de-sired egg of 2oz and over ? He cannot know, and in passing on any of his cockerels he may be helping a buyer to perpetuate ratlrer than remove the downward tendency in the size of eggs from has, the buyer’s, birds. Likewise is the breeder, who incubates any and every egg, increasing in his flock the number of birds which can be certified as layers of small eggs. It is well to remember that the grading days are coming soon and the poultryman with the big egg is going to reap the benefit. If it be correct, that there is to be no subsidy on eggs exported this season, it will'perhaps be safe to say that there will be no export. In place of the subsidy disallowed, we are told that the Government is advancing £SOO in furtherance of a grading scheme for the compulsory grading of eggs sold. Not a little anxiety is being displayed by poultrymen, that much time will elapse before such grading stores as it is proposed to set up, really get going. Through their representative on the newly formed provincial council of the New Zealand Poultry Association, the Manawatu Egg Producers’ Association, intend to push, matters forward. The question arises will the institution of grading stores have the desired effect of so stimulating sales, that increased consumption will more than counter-bal-ance the effect of the cutting off of the exportation of eggs during the flush season? It remains to be seen. Meanwhile there are many who wish that for this season at least the subsidy could have been continued. At the meeting of the Manawatu Egg Producers’ Association on Wednesday last, a member stated that after deduction for vailage and other charges he had received ll£d per dozen for eggs he had sent forward for export. Like sums had been received by others at the meeting. On these figures it is reasonable to assume that eggs for export will be difficult to get if it should be decided that another attempt be made. It should be remembered though, that there were circumstances which were all against high prices for the imported egg in England. The compulsory marking of all imported eggs made its first appearance and this did not help the sales of our eggs. However, the decision is that we cannot compete; we are too far away, and the cost of transit and production for us is too high. To this set-back the proposal is that every consumer is going to be induced to use two eggs where he only used one. There is no other proposal in sight from organised poultrymen, who, someone had said, are lacking in vision. But we must be patient; the new efforts at combination are only in their infancy. It is something to have, to know, that poultrymen are awaking to the fact that light is wanted on all. matters pertaining to the poultry industry, and that they are getting together for mutual help. POTASSIUM FOODS. Foods containing a mixture of potassium iodide are making their appearance as a result perhaps of the disclosure of experiments made in the administering of iodine to poultry. A local chick breeder claims that he has never had chickens make such rapid and wonderful progress, before he began using iodine in the drinking water for his birds.

GENERAL NOTES. Shell-less and very thin shelled eggs may result from the lien being frightened, or from being over-fat, or,' in the case of penned up birds, from lack of direct sunlight. A little experience in handling the birds after they have gone to roost will determine whether your birds are overfat, and attention to feeding will soon bring them into proper laying condition. Lack of sunlight can bo successfully met by the addition of from one to two per cent of cod liver oil to the mash. Cod liver oil is not easy to mix thoroughly into the mash; it is best done by mixing it with bran, and then working the oiled bran thoroughly through the mash. The cockerels after separation from the pullets are best kept in wire-netted runs, and fed on the same mash only wetted with skim milk. This should be given twice daily as much as will be cleaned up, followed by split maize as a last feed. When they have reached from 3i to four lb weight, which they should do from 12 to 14 weeks in the case of . heavy breeds, they are* ready for the market. Cockerels intended for stock purposes should be kept on free range and fed similar to the pullets, though kept separate from them. It is through having unlimited range for his young stock that the farmer scores over • the specialist poultry keeper - whose range is limited. Not only do they thrive better, keep healthier, but they eat considerably less.