Notes for the Poultry Keeper

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6835, 16 April 1932, Page 9

Notes for the Poultry Keeper

Artificial Incubation. Back in. the days of Moses the Egyptians made use of huge ovens to hatch their chicks, but to-day we havo' any number of reliable makes of incubators to select from. Mostly they are heated by kerosene, and vary in size from 50 eggs to 500 eggs; in price from £3 for a small metal machine to £3O for the 500-cgg size. The golden rule in artificial incubation is to follow the directions of the maker, and not to experiment unless you find his advice is not suitablo to your conditions. With the breeders trying to breed out broodinoss from their birds, there is an increased demand for early hatched chicks. Some farmers prefer not to hatch thoir own chicks, and rely on buying day-olds from some breeder near at hand. This is not always very satisfactory, as if one has a good strain and wishes to breed from it, some means of incubation is necessary, and if you purchase a second-hand one, it is a good plan to get some experienced poultryman to overhaul it for you first. Running an incubator is very simple, provided you keep it where tho temperature airly constant, and devote the necessary time night and morning to turning and cooling the eggs. The lamp needs regular filling and trimming, and some beginners are inclined to overlook the importance of allowing for a lower lamp wick on hot sunny days and a. higher wick on vory cold frosty nights. Tho machine will look after a normal change of temperature, but. it cannot contend with a change of more than say, 25 degrees, in the outside temperature. A good incubator will hatch as many or moro chicks as will a broody hen provided the eggs are quite fresh and from strong, healthy stock. Stale eggs should never be put in an incubator. One of the bhief advantages of artificial incubation, apart from being able to hatch chicks just when you want them, is that your chicks will be free from any vermin. Most hen-hatch-chicks catch some lice from any foster

mother soon, after hatching, whilst the brooder chick is free from infection until it is several weeks old.

The importance of hatching your chickens oarly cannot be overestimated. Early chicks are always in demand, whilst late hatched chicks are unthrifty, and often unprofitable to keep. Even if the early chick does moult soon after Christmas, she will be laying again before long. The late hatched chick has the long summer to mature in, going without green stuff and animal food, and usually takes from two to three months longer to mature. The cockerels from the early batches find a ready market as prime chickens for the Christmas trade, whilst the late hatched cockerels come on the market at the glut season when there is little demand for table poultry.

General Notes. This week the Young Bird Show i caused a stir amongst local poultry keepers and proved a great success. The chief advantage of these small, almost local shows, is that the novice has a reasonable chance to be in the money. At the big shows prominent breeders make it their business to win the chief awards, but in a smaller show such as wo had this week, the local sideliner has quite a good chance of securing the coveted red tickets.

Amongst the novice exhibits we saw some good utility Black Orpingtons from the yard of Mr. Driver, and there was no doubt that the Black Minorca and the Rhode Island Red have come back as in the days of old. Tho judging contest held to promote interest in selecting the correct type, and which was judged by tho Government poultry instructors, caused a great deal of interest. Novice breeders must learn that the art of winning in the show lies as much in knowing what tho judge requires as in breeding good birds. Mr. J. N. Barrie travelled from Otanc for the show, whilst some entries came from Taranaki. Mr. Barrie showed a very nice Whito Rock, a breed once very popular, but of late days rather neglected. Tho Utility Cup was won by Mr. Ken Mouldey with a good egg producing typo of Rhode Island Red. Pigeons and. canaries provided good classes and tho competition was keen throughout. What the fancy needs now is more of those small “table one-breed shows” so very popular in the Old Country and some parts of New Zealand. It is too much to expect a novice to master tho points of several breeds at one hearing and it is far better to concentrate on ono breed at a timo and hold informal discussions on the points of that breed.

This week the first results of the new egg laying contest at Massey College are published. These show an increase of 3S birds on the last contest, with a wider range of entries. The 50 single pens provide an education for poultrymen and local breeders should lose no time in seeing tho birds and backing their choice for the premier honours.

EGG LAYING CONTEST. CONDUCTED AT MASSEY COLLEGE FIRST WEEK’S RESULTS. Single Pen Results. Section A. Light Breeds.

W. H, Barker .. ., No. .1 - W. H. Barker .. 2 3 W. H. Barker .... 5 B. M. Galvin ., ., .. 1 4 E. M. Galvin ,>. 2 5 G. H. Cross .. .: .. — 5 F. Ecob .. , .. i 6 F. Ecob 4 F. Ecob 4 A. R. Watson .. ., 1 C. Goodson .. .. .» . .. — 0 I/, B. Maunsell ... ... i 0 L. B. Maunsell 2 0 L. B. Maunsell .. «« 3 0 Mrs. D. A. Stewart .. i 3 Mrs. D. A. Stewart 2 5 Mrs. D. A. Stewart • • 3 n S. G. Batten .. .. 0 R. R. Cannon »• -«,■ . • • — 1 Miss Mitchell .. ». 5 Miss Mitchell ., .. 2 0 Miss Mitchell .. .. 3 5 Miss Mitchell .. .. 5 Miss Mitchell .. .. 5 4 Miss Mitchell .. 6 T. Bruce 5 T. Bruce .. .. .. .. i( „ 2 6 T. Bruce .. . „ . » ., • e -A 0 A. J. Shailer .. .. .. J. 6 A. .T. Shailer .. .. 2 ;; H. Rush ton .. .. 4 H. Rushton o 2 H. Rusthon . . 3 4 H. Rushton .. 4 5 S. G. Batten .. .. u 2 0 S. G. Batten .. .. ,, 3 0 S. G. Batten .. .. . . 4: 0 S. G. Batten 0 S. G. Batten .. .. 1) S. G. Batten .. .. 0 Single Pens. Section E. No. Mrs. Hellaby T 4 Mrs. Hellaby .... 2 4 Mrs. Youngson .. ., — 5 Larson Bros , 0 Larson Bros 0 I.arson Bros. .. .. 0 Larson Bros. .. .. , 7 T. Douthwaits .. • M — 0 E. M. Galvin .. , .. — 0 Teams Results Section 0. Light Breeds. M. L. Bryce .. .. 7 6 5 5 5 5—33 M. Macrae .... 5 3 4 3 6 5—26 P. B. Harrison .. 5 3 5 3 3 4—23 F. Ecob 3 2 4 4 4 3—20 Mrs. D. A. Stewart -1 T+i o o o ItJ Section D. Heavy Breeds. Mrs. Hellabv .. .. 4 G 4 3 5 —24 McLean and Whitworth 2 5 6 3 0 0—10 '.arson Bros 0 0 3 4 0 0— 7 vV. Bish 3 0 0 0 0 0— 7