POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 6, 6 December 1930, Page 11

POULTRY NOTES

AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS. (By “Brooder.”) Australia expects before the end of the season, to export at least to 40,000 eggs. It is expected that prices will be down, but the exporters hope to so far relieve the home market that at least a very serious glut may not eventuate. CAUSES OF DISEASE. Recent discoveries in scientific research amongst fowls inclines one to the belief that though there may be fowls known as carriers of disease it has been demonstrated in more ways than one that the chief cause of disease is when a diseased fowl is allowed to have contact with birds in a healthy condition. Two experimenters in England havo now evidence to show that fowl-pox does not penetrate an unbroken skin. Therefore it is said that a bird with torn wattles or comb or other injuries, or having bleeding, if in contact with another suffering from the disease is in grave danger of infection. Match for the sickly bird and always withdraw it from the flock, thus preventing any disease from spreading. AVartlike nodules or pox on the comb or wattles of a bird are indications that it is affected with fowl-pox. l J en such a bird separately. CHANGE OF RUNS. There is time enough yet to crop that sour, fowl-sick 1-110. Before the dry season commences prepare another run and therein place your birds. Undoubtedly the best way to purify land after it lias carried poultry is to crop it. By devoting the land to 6Uch a purpose and alternately using it as a fowl run, the fowls are kept in good condition and much benefit is derived in keeping up the supply of green stuff so very necessary to the backyard fowl. If, however, the two runs are in grass and there is no time for other planting before the rainy season is over, give a good dressing of lime; there is nothing more beneficial. Undoubtedly, having two runs for fowls is the best , way to keep birds in good, healthy condition. HANDLE YOUR BIRDS. In the case of birds which are not heavy layers, and which no amount of feeding will make heavy layers, your feeding may be too generous, and the birds get over fat and as a consequence the laying does not come up to even the moderate standard of which they are capable. On the other hand if the birds are exceptional layers it may be necessary to increase the ration in order that they may lay to the full extent of their powers. How then can be hit the proper amount of food to give ? The remedv is to frequently put your birds through the handling test to ascertain their condition. A bird in good laying condition should feel moderately plump but noways fat such as a bird ready for killing. If your birds feel fat enough to go for -the pot, reduce the ration. If, on the contrary, the bones feel too prominent, with little flesh on them, feed on a more generous scale. A little practice in handling will soon enable you to judge. The time to do it is at dusk, when they have gone to roost. There is no difficulty then in lifting them off and returning to the perch.