POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 227, 23 August 1935, Page 13

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”) Rearing chickens is the easiest thing possible given healthy birds. It is true that they look frail creatures the first few days out of the shell, and so they are. Yet it is simply wonderful the progress they can make in a few days given the right treatment and sufficient warmth to protect thorn until that first coat of feathers appears. It takes anything from three to six weeks for chickens to grow their first feathers, and if is during this stage that care is required. Warmth must be provided, otherwise chills will result with the consequent ills which always follow. It is not the purpose here to say what kind of breeder should he used ; a beginner buying one should satisfy himself on this score before buying. But a warning to beginners who think that anything will do should be well received. Thousands of chickens have been lost by the use of home-made insanitary, ill-ventilated, and utterly unsuitable brooders. The common type is that of 'a box with a hole covered by an inverted tin and a lamp placed underneath. Now an arrangement like this admittedly will warm a small box and do for, saw 40 or 50 chicks, providing the ventilation can be given without unduly affecting the temperature within. Similar brooders have been used with success. However, with ail increase in the size of the box and the number of chickens far different results follow. Somehow in this typo of brooder, when beyond a certain size, the heat is all more or less concentrated just around that inverted tin. With what result? —the chicks all huddle to this centre; if they spread out they get beyond the warmth of tiro tin and it is a question of too hot or too cold. Invariably, they choose the heat and sweating follows. In the morning there is the usual rush for food, and the keen air rapidly chills the young life. Soon a change is noticed; chicks that a day or two before were sprightly and alert now huddle about in groups, chirping miserably; in many instances, death follows, and tire hatch is a failure. Too often this has been the experience of many beginners, who rushed into the business using crude methods to deal with frail life. It is in the first two or three weeks that most care is necessary. True, the first coat of feathers is only temporary, being shedded for another at about 12 weeks, during which time a certain amount of care is essential; but, generally speaking, it is that period before the first coat feathers when constant care should be given. Do not try to make up for bad brooding quarters by excessive feeding; this will only accentuate the trouble. A clean warm sanitary brooder is the chief essential for rearing healthy chicks. Have this so that it is comfortable by day or by night. If the intention is to raise a large number of chicks, then have the proper plant. The old time l>ox brooder, the cause of untold mortality in chick life, is gone for ever for the man who looks upon chick rearing as something more than a hobby.

“Throughout the growing life of a fowl, food must lie rationed or regulated. It is wrong to feed unlimited quanities of grain just because fowls are growing, and the practice of allowing immature pullets as much as they can eat of an unbalanced grain, such as maize or wheat, is definitely to be deprecated. Quite often the foundation of a future fatty degeneration of tho internal organs of a pullet is laid by, unwitting poultrymen feeding grain ad lib. Little harm, would occur if oats were used, because this grain is better balanced; in fact it is tire ideal grain from a nutritional aspect.” —Poultry. Is it really necessary in New Zealand, with wheat prices so high, to warn poultry men about excessive feeding of wheat? 11l Australia it* maybe, but surely not here. To urge, though, for ii better uso of oats is not out of place.

The packing of eggs for export to London was commenced in Dunedin last week. From the beginning of August the supply of eggs exceeds the local demand, and in order to save the price here from falling too low, tlie surplus is exported to the Home Country (says the Otago Daily Times). The first shipment of 700 crates, comprising 21,000 dozen, will leave by the New Zealand Star for London on September 4. A considerable amount of work is involved in grading and packing the eggs, and a special staff under the supervision of the Government inspector is now engaged in this task. The eggs are reported to he coming in freely, and it is anticipated that the season will last till approximately the end of October. CANARY BREEDING.

A prominent canary breeder in England says: —Novices as a rule are too keen; they mate up their birds too soon. Weather and length of day must always be taken into consideration. A hen must have enough daylight to take in the food she needs. The same writer is a staunch believer in fresh, hard boiled eggs, one to every three heaped desertspoonfuls of whatever proprietary food is used. To this he adds one teaspoonful of Rubsen rape that has been soaked not less than 24 hours and well rinsed under the tap in a sieve. He gives green food front the fourth day, preferring watercress. No liemp or other special food is offered until the young are eight or nine days old. Feeding hens should be free from interference and everything should be kept scrupulously clean. The best rearing tip than can be given is “make friends with the breeding birds —get them well used to human interference. Gain their confidence and keep strangers as far away as possible, especially during incubation, and for some days after hatching.” On the eve of hatching, says L. P. Luke, the canary lien deserves privacy. Too much intereference at any time is deprecated, but especially at hatching time disturbance of any kind is unpardonable. Birds become highly strung just about. hatching time, and one lias no patience with those ham-fisted individuals who bang doors and make sudden rough movements ill the bird-room. Such people who are so guilty should try bee-keep-ing, and they will soon get the reward a clumsy knock on the side of a hive deserves.

EGG-LAYING. MASSEY COLLEGE CONTEST. Tho following arc the twenty-first week’s results for the fifth annual egg-laying contest conducted at Massey Agricultural Col lege, Palmerston North: — SINGLE PENS.

J. T. Hazelwood, W.L 2 5 105 H. Poison, W.L 1 5 103 A. J. Dodson, W.L 6 101 A. G. Mumby, W.L 2 5 101 1 6 97 .T. A. Annan, W.L 6 93 F. Lang, Anc 2 4 93 A. J. Davey. W.L 2 4 89 Miss E. Ladd, W.L 6 88r E. B. Wainscott, W.L 4 84 J. Rcillv, W.L 5 83 .1. T. Hazelwood, W.L 1 4 81 F. Lang, Anc 1 4 78 11. Poison, W.L 3 5 78 A. G. Mumby, W.L 4 4 73 Emery Bros., W.L 2 0 63 A. .7. Davey, W.L 1 5 56 A. G. Mumby, W.L 3 3 55 Emery Bros., W.L 1 4 40 TEAM RESULTS. Section D. R. 11. Morrison, 8.0. 86 91 97 31 105 71 (16)—531 Mrs R. Willers, 8.0. IC9 86 90 57 92 83 (28)—517 J. B. Duthie. R 1 R. 51 86 109 81 67 76 (24) —470 F. A. Dewhurst, R.I.R. 99 63 91 86 64 55 (20)—458 M. L. Boyce, 8.0. 103 38r 98 44 95 52 (17)—430 G. A. Edge, R.I.R. 56 42 63 94 80 67 (13)—402 W. A. Larsen. 8.0. 69 40 92 56 48 71 (24)-376 Mrs N. H. Short, 8.0. lOr 36 58 71r 94 83 (301—352 A. Wood, Lang. 63 40r 68 43 64 43 (20)—321 W. E. Jones, R.I.R. 40 66 59 19 54d 55 (23)—233 Section C. M. Stephenson, W.L. 71 90 49r 102 98 82 (27)—492 S. D. Morris. W.L. 78 63 77 108 104 61 (27)-491 A. J. Davey. W.L. 67 104 71 100 81 60 (291--483 H. A. Lucas, W.L. 87 76 82 93 66 44 (26)—448 Mrs M. L. Williams, W.L. 63 46 97 54 77 99 (7) —436 Miss H. Keddell. W.L. 54 106 46 73 51 100 (30)—430 E. B. Wainscott, W.L. 58 76 79 45 101 69 (26)—428 Miss Moreshead, W.L. 23 44 103 85 97 26 (27)—378 H. Poison, No. 2, W.L. 86 89 67 89 36 18 (24)—375 C. J. Hubbard, No. 1, W.L. 78 39 69 59 80 ’49 (29)—374 J. T. Hazelwood, W.L. 104 85 50r 26 46 33 (13)—344 C. J. Hubbard, No. 2. W.L. 71 113 47 20 46 43 (19)—340 J. Graham, W.L. 94 30 42 66 32 65 (24) —329 Mrs R. R. Cannon, W.L. 36 18 39 59 49 43r (21)—244 H. Poison, No. 1, W.L. 26 12 26 42 46 65 (22)-217 “r"’—Replacement.

Section B. T. Duwthwaito, B.O 3 6 120 1 6 113 K Ilanscn, B.O 5 98 W. A. Larsen, B.O 1 6 98 Mrs D. M. Waddell, L.S. ... 5 97 V. Billington, B.O 6 87 W. A. Larson. B.O 2 6 85 T. Dowthwaitc, B.O 2 7 80 Miss E. T. Soiner, R.I.R.'... 3 5 80 2 7 58 K. Mouldey, R.I.R Miss E. T. Somor, R.I.R. ... 1 55 1 6 55 F. Seymour, B.O 0 31 Section A. II. Poison W.L 2 7 117 II. Moreland, W.L 7 111 Whenuapai B.F., W.L 5 no