POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 63, 10 February 1933, Page 9

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”)

A long dry summer has left many runs thick with the droppings of the birds and fouled to an extreme extent. Particularly, backyard poultrykeepers should realise that, unless some cleaning up is practised, the conditions in the winter will be all against maintaining healthy stock. The poultiyman with, say, an acre, more or less, of free range is more fortunately placed. Still, it is not always impossible for the backyard poultrykeeper to do something to clean up the soil before the winter comes along. More than once it has been suggested that where possible suburban poultry-keepers should so place their fowlhouses that access to one of two runs should be possible to the birds. It will be easily understood how convenient this would be, allowing as it does for one run' to. be vacant for cleaning up purposes and, if suitable, to be planted either with grass or some green feed for the birds. Only thus can a run be kept sweet and clean. A periodic sprinkling even with quicklime is not sufficient. Deep digging and burial of the top soil, followed by weeks of cultivation. alone will keep a fowl run free from disease and keep the run in a condition that is. to say the least, habitable. The double run is again recommended for it is exceedingly difficult otherwise to keep a fowl run clean.

At the Auckland Poultry, Pigeon and Canary Club's recent fixture it is stated that a judge was confronted with a male bird which obviously had been improved by the application of the surgical scissors to its comb, 'i he judge remarked: “It is no use anyone trying to put that over an old judge,” adding: “Old judges were past masters at it in their own exhibition days.” Evidently the power to discern and expose the faker is not entirely lost. But mistakes can be made and it is only fair to say that the owner denied having treated this particular bird. It is now being stated that excess of green feed and too forcing a ration will cause thin or watery whites in eggs. Some time ago, according to Smallholder, the New Zealand Poultry Association, discovering the trouble to be very prevalent in some parts of New Zealand, made enquiries in Australia and America with a view to discovering if the trouble was known in either of these countries. _ A reply received from New South' Wales is to the effect that the trouble was not prevalent to any great extent there. The poultry expert also adds that excessive feeding of green feed and over forcing rations was the chief cause of the trouble. We doubt that excessive green feed may be a factor, unless, of course, the birds are starved and have to eat green material to have something. It is thought, however, that in normal conditions a bird will only eat the green food it requires. If the green material is chopped and added to the mash, there might be a chance of the birds getting more than is good for them. But even then, it has been noticed how sometimes they pick out the other ingredients and leave the green matter in the trough. Mr F. C. Brown, the poultry exepert, is to investigate and probably we shall hear more about this.

In a spacious cage on tire nfter deck of the liner Rotorua, which arrived at Auckland from London this week, were three aristocratic birds which have been consigned to a South island poultry fancier. They were Black Hamburgs, a cockerel and two pullets, and all three were pedigree birds. In spite of the fact that the Rotorua was seven weeks at sea, and in the tropics for the greater part of that time, the birds stood the journey perfectly.

EGG-LAYING. MASSEY COLLEGE CONTEST. The following are the results of the 44th week in the Massoy College egglaying contest: — SINGLE PENS.

E. M. Galvin TEAM results. Section C. F. Ecob 244 213 179* 194 174 296 (20) 1210 M. Macrae IJ5# 21? m (24) n2 g M. L. Boyce 177 133.198* 225 186 167 (19)1086 Mrs Stewart 196 159 167 179* 148 217* (27) 1066 P. B. Harrison 200 185 134 84+ 178 157 (16) 938 Section D. Mrs Hcllaby 189 223 218* 201* 181 200 (30) 1212 W, E. .lories 194 185 207 194* 174 176* (24) 1130 McLean A- Whitworth 156 204* 99 170* 200* 232 (18) 1061 Larsen Bros. 147 183 156 139* 139* 116 (24) 880 W. Bish 228 100* 95 167 189* 60+ (25) 839 'Signifies disqualified for egg weight clause. +Bird dead.

W. H. Barker ... 1 154 2 167 3 203 E. M. Galvin ... 1 165* 2 227 G. H. Cross ... — 154 F. Ecob ... 1 197+ 2 205 3 149+ A. R. Watson ... — 248 C. Gooclson ... — 118* L. B. Maunsell ... 1 207 2 224 3 195 Mrs Stewart ... 1 163 2 184 3 228* S. G. Batten ... 1 203 Mrs Cannon Miss Mitchell ' ... .‘.V 1 2 215 194 213 211 3 4 193 5 226 6 221 T. Bruce ... 1 183 2 198 3 143 A. J. Similar ... 1 216 2 197 H. Rushton ... 1 204 2 129 3 216 4 213 S. G. Batten ... 2 224 3 248* 4 196 5 226 6 168 7 155 Section B. 232 178 Mrs Hellaby ... 1 2 Mrs Youngson 196 Larsen Bros. ... 1 2 256* 177 3 167 4 276* T. Bouthwaite ■n at r<_ ... — 152 106*