Notes for the Poultry Keeper

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7191, 24 June 1933, Page 9

Notes for the Poultry Keeper

By M. Watson Stewart, Massey College, Winter Rations and Laying A correspondent and reader of this paper has written to know if her feeding would bo considered correct as she is only getting four eggs a day from 37 late September and October hatched pullets. Such results are certainly very poor and it is not, as is often the case, that insufficient protein is being fed, as the birds are having a good proportion of coolcod liver every day in their diet, which is, of course, very high in protein content. Otherwise tho birds arc getting wheat and oats at 7 a.m.; mash of pollard, bran and liver at 9.30; green feed and house-scraps at midday; a lump of liver at 3 p.m., and a further mash of pollard and bran, mixed with liver gravy at night, including spice also, and with a handful or two of wheat for scratching. This energetic poultry keeper says tho birds’ combs arc palor than they should be and that they do not tako advantage of tho free rango at their disposal. It has often been said and is, I think, perfectly true, that ono cannot oveTt'oed a laying pullet. But it is quite possiblo to feed birds into an over-fat condition so that they cannot lay, particularly heavy breeds and rather late hatched birds that are naturally slower maturing than their early hatched sisters that have had tho benefit of the spring growth. Also, there is nothing like scratching exercise, on free range or in deep litter, for bringing birds into laying condition and keeping them fit. Tho advice to this correspondent and any others who may bo similarly puzzled by lack of results, would be to bury grain in light straw litter for the birds each morning—perhaps only loz per head until they grow very hungry. This at 7 a.m.; greens in a wire-netting baskot during tho day, and a mash of soaked houso scraps, bran and pollaTd with 10 or 12 per cent livor, mixed with gravy, at 4 p.m. Of this mash the birds may have as much as they can oat in 20 minutes. Usually, tho mash is preferable in the morning and grain at night, but the other arrangement should get tho birds into tho habit of working during the day—which is so very desirable. Anyone used to the condition birds should be in can, of course, tell by handling whother a bird is too fat for laying, but many folk, even when quite interested in their fowls, never seem to think of tho useful practice of handling them and so can tell nothing by their condition, when results are not proving all they should. Further Inquiries—Lameness.

Another reader wishes to know why her young birds are going lame and then off their feet altogether, and this is an ‘‘ailment” one is often asked to diagnose. Actually, of course, it is merely a symptom of many possible ! troubles, it being impossible to decide ! which is the root cause without seeing i the management of the birds and carry- | ing out a post mortem on one or more. [lf the case is sufficiently serious, the , advice would bo to enlist the assistance : of Mr F. C. Brown, Chief Poultry Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Wellington, and to send birds for post mortem to the Laboratories, Wallaccville. If the latter is done, bo sure to sond a covering letter giving all the assistance possible for diagnosis. A fow of the things that may bo indicated when birds go lame are, tuberculosis, feeding that has caused diseased liver, rickets, indicating lack of direct sunlight, ovary trouble, infestation ot worms, and indeed almost any disease which considerably weakens tho birds before they succumb. Lameness is often attributed to rheumatism, but conditions must be very bad for this to develop in birds of the normal tw r o or three years life of the average domestic fowl and the trouble is more usually assisted by treatment from within than by rubbing with oils. If the case is an odd one, try a stiff dose of salts—a quarter of a teaspoonful divided between perhaps three mash pellets, for one bird. These, put right in the back of the bird’s mouth are the surest way of administering such physic. If tho cases of lameness are many, a post .mortem is tho only satisfactory way of diagnosing the trouble. A Mistake—Soma Feather Markings. In the notes on tho Show last week, and in mentioning tho more unusual birds represented there, the list should have read: Gold and Silver Wyandottes, etc., .instead of Spangled Wyandottes, which error has been gratefully pointed out by a reader. The latter variety are very rare and quite unknown in this country. Indeed, perfect spangling is very difficult to transmit and belongs almost entirely to the Hamburgh family. When conveyed to the Wyandottes it becomes not much moro than ticking such as tho Anoonas have, and where it appears in some Polish varieties it is mingled with, lacing , and so not at all distinctive. The spangled effect is produced by a woll-defincd circle or oval of contrasting colour at tho end

'of each feather, while lacing effect (and the attractive . varieties shown were originally known as Gold Laced and Silver-laced Wyandottes) is produced by a stripe of edging all round each feather, differing in colour from the ground colouring—in these cases, black on buff, and black on silver white. The Indian game have triplo-laced plumage, black on nut brown, each feather being

by itself, much prettior than the total effect of a mere network of black on brown. The Breeding Season. The older hens are getting near laying by now and arc better to be in the breeding pen in readiness, lest moving gives them a further check. It is impossible to chooso the best when they are out of lay, but sometimes useful to put more hens than will be required into the breeding pen and remove the less good birds later. There is already some demand for settings of eggs, possibly for putting under odd pullets that go broody at this time of year. It is just as well to make uso of these, for it will bo some months yet before there ■ are many broody hens about, but always set a pullet for about a week before trusting her with good eggs (and it .is no use setting poor ones) as in that time ono can usually tell whether or not she will mako a reliable mother. EGG LAYING CONTEST. 11th. WEEK’S RESULTS.

Section D (All B.O.). M. L. Boyce, 42 50 67 29 70 07 (31) 331 Mrs Hellaby 1 41 51 25 23 70 (21) 211 Larsen Bros. 30 27 27 24 2,0 28 (20) 156 Mrs Scarrott 22 9 11 13 25 IS (15) 98 Mrs Warren 0 331 27 10 1 (10) 72 Section C. F. S. Allen, W.L. 46 55 63 61 61 65 (27) 35P B. Harrison, W.L. 62 01 CS 53 32 22 (23) 295 Mrs Hillman, W.L, 48 33 39 56 50 63 (IS) 2-89 H. A, Lucas, W.L. 53 41 58 53 10 47 (24) 262 Mrs Hellaby, W.L. 30 35 39 57 56 37 (14) 254 E. B. Walnscott, W.L. 36 49 54 30 30 39 (25) 238 Miss Mitchell, W.L. 59 43 14 45 23 53 (18) 237 S D Morris, W.L. 43 42 2 53 25 57 (10) 222 F. T. Wimble, W r .L. 11 57 36 0 42 53 (17) 199 A, G. Mumby, W.L. 34 46 20 31 25 30 ( 9) IS6 J. T. Hazlcwood, W.L. 2S 38 10 25 52 27 (IS) ISO A Strawbridge, W.L. 21 31 46 16 10 46 (12) 170 J. E .Manning, W.L. 18 25 9 47 16 24 (19) 139 W. G. King, W.L. 17 31 10 21 17 .11 (10 HI W, F. Stent, Min. 10 0 0 28 10 41 ( 6) S 9

Single Pens. Section B. Mrs Diinant, B.O. — (4) 30 T DoutJnvaito, B.O., 1 (6) 54 2 (5) 62 A. G. Fran kh am, B.O. — (5) 35 Mrs Hellaby, B.O. 1 (0) 62 2 (6) 24 Larsen Bros., B.O. 1 (0 03 2 (2) 17 3 (6) 49 Mrs Scarrott, B.O. 1 (5) 33 o (5) 59 Mrs Waddell, B.O. 1 (6) 50 2 (5) 58 W. E. Watson, B.O. — (5) 43 Mrs Davoy, L.S. — (0) 30 Mrs Youngson, Bk.W. — (2) 39 K. Mouldey, E.I.E. — .(5) 24 Section A. Chas Barker, W.L. 1 (5) 60 2 (1) 46 A. Strawbridgc, W.L. 1 (0) IS Mrs Cannon, W.L. — (5) 55 G. H. Gross, W.L. — (5) 27 E. M. Galvin, W.L. 1 (3) 52 O (5) 59 3 (0) 13 J. T. Hazlewood, W.L. 1 (5) 53 2 (5) 58 Mrs Hellaby, W.L. — (5) 59 Mrs Dimant, W.L. — (2) 28

J. Ibbotson, W.L. — (2) 40 W. J. McAloon, W.L. — (2) 34 D. Kruse, Anc. 1 (5) 45 o (5) 37 Miss Mitchell, W.L. — (5) GO A. Gr. Mumby, 'W.L. 1 (5) 54 o (5) 46 Mrs Stewart, W.L. 1 (5) 52 2 (5) 62 A. Strawbridgo, W r .L. 9 (5) 30 3 (4) 35 W. H, Barker, W.L. 1 (t) 36 2 (1) 48 3 (4) 24 J. Smith, Anc. 1 (4.) 27 2 (5) 17 W. F. Stent, Min. .1 (0) 0 2 (0) 0 A. B, Watson, Br.L. 1 (5) 43 0 (5) 17 Mrs Youngson, Bk.L. Teams. ~ (3) 25