POULTRY NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 160, 8 June 1939, Page 14

POULTRY NOTES

(By “Brooder.”) >_ Another week and the birds sent for exhibition will be in their pens. The s final touches will be given to all likely candidates in the next day or so, to prepare them lor the judge’s approval 7 or otherwise. One hopes to see very keen competition in all classes. 'With ~ the change in the weather it docs not look as if many will ho chosen straight from the runs as is sometimes - done. Most entries will have been penned for some time. Washed and spruced up every care will now be given to them. Damaged head furnishings, tail sickles in male birds, all have a habit of getting in the way of some trouble, seriously impairing the chances of a win when the time comes. We all hope for a good show. May the best win. How to get broody hens early is a question which bothers many. It is > strange how many people fight shy of i mechanical helps to early hatching, v And yet it is so simple. However, back :, to the. point. Broody hens for early hatching usually come from heavy y pullets which begin laving very early. Except in rare cases there is no other 1 way to get them. Broody birds begin early as pullets and have their fit of a fever in successive years at slightly later periods. Broody birds are therefore most in evidence on large plants where heavy birds are numerous. It is stated that broodiness can be induced - by penning in a dark situation with a temperature of 90 degrees, and with chicks to help. But where is the av5. erage person who will find this method worth the trouble ? Look for the - broody, lions in the likely places, as > suggested above. Birds that have to do a full season ( of shows impair their usefulness as breeders even though they are given r every chance to exercise between the

- different exhibitions. It is often stated , that birds which have had two to three - shows in swift succession are by then - useless for some weeks as breeders. ' There is a lot of truth in this. There - is always the. danger of over-fatness - in order to get show condition. This must he guarded against. Many times i it has been stated that a bird does not put on fat because of what it gets during the show days. Such may he ! true, but the restraint of the pen. the handling of the bird, the glaring ■ lights for long hours, also, are a • strain on a bird’s nervous system. A thoughtful exhibitor will try to minimise file effects of such ; otherwise he loses the services of wanted breeders. Once fully feathered again. the yearling lien must he urged on to take np its task of laving once more. A good iron tonic will help to drive out many impurities in the system. Not more than eight yearling hens will he required for the breeding pen in the very oarlv part of the season. These mated with a vigorous young ma'o bird will give better results than by the use of a mating of pullets. If. however, the pullets must he m-wl then secure a mating of a male bird with ago and maturity well established. Do not he temnted to use a pullet and cockerel mating. Poor fertility and weakling chickens are usually the outcome. There must he maturity in everv mating— oil one side at least for the best results.