POULTRY NOTES

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1927, Page 9

POULTRY NOTES

(BY R, J. TERRY.)

~ “■Beginner" asks for general advice in the building up of poultry plant. He does not want to keep poultry for amusement or as a hobby. Today very few poultry-keepers regard poultry-keeping as an amusement. Eggs and poultry for oneself, maybe other people as well, are the average poultry-keepers 7 objective. Moreover, the householder who keeps fowls has realised that by so doing he is preventing considerable waste of food, in the form of table scraps, which otherwise would be thrown into the dustbin. What with this utilisation of food and the production of eggs and poultry for the table, one can safely aver that very few people find poultry-keeping unrexnuncrative. To these -advantages may be added a certain amount of pleasure and healthy exorcise which persons who have a love for tending live-stock derive from observing and caring for them. When one sums up all the advantages and satisfaetion which the poultry-keeper enjoys, especially if he is able, to keep his birds under fairly natural conditions, and is really a bird lover, one must admit that the credit side of the account usually shows a big balance to the good, pecuniarily and in the matter of health and happiness. Many of our most extensive poultryfarms have had their origin in a few fowls kept as a hobby. Profits resulted fro.ni a small pen of birds, and the owner visualised the possibilities. Thus has many a ‘-‘little 77 man, realising the commercial value of, his birds, gradually built up a huge stock, and turned what w T as mice his hobby into a wholetime occupation—in fact, a good living. EGGS AND MEAT. Egg production is ijSarly always the first aim of the fowl hobbyist, no doubt because eggs are needed every day by the public. They are wanted in every household, and can be disposed of without much trouble. Egg production is an easy line to follow —much simpler than the production and marketing of table poultry, I do not suggest that complicated machinery or equipment is necessary for dealing with table poultry. The plant is a minor matter, consisting merely, of a few coops and a tub. ■ What the poultry-producer is more concerned about is that- he shall be able to, supply poultry regularly, and thus keeps his customers. Seldom, however, do amateurs restrict themselves entirely to the one line or the other; indeed, it is wise not to attempt to do so, but to combine the two. The egg productionist, when selecting .and .calling, will often find suitable candidates for fattening, coops.. To carry the meat part of the business a step further, lie .wadi probably hatch- far morev chicks than will be needed for laying, partly because he has discovered that any surplus can be profitably disposed of, and partly because he will have a larger selection from which to choose his layers and cockerels.

FATTENING AND SELLING. There is a splendid opportunity for more of our people to take up the work of providing table poultry, for which, when in season, there is always a ready demand. They are easy to market, and what appeals still more is that they provide a quick turnover. Fattening and cramming are not at all difficult to learn, but one must have had some practical experience to tell quickly what is a bird's condition, and what grade of fowl it will make when finished off. It is in the ability to decide this that the art of dealing with table birds largely lies. Of course, the fattener has to keep in touch with the markets so that h© may be fully cognisant of what is wanted, and when. , A fattener doing business in a big way may have several thousands of birds cooped at one jtime, but, of course, he never has any intention of marketing them en masse. He disposes of them in batches as they are finished, replacing them with unfinished birds. The latter are graded as well as cooped. Some may be almost ready for market right away, whilst others need building up. In the last stages of fattening, which usually lasts from a week to ten days, a cramming machine is useful. The mixture administered is Sussex ground oats mixed with milk, with the addition of 5 per cent, fat towards the end of the period. As payment for table poultry is generally made within two or three days, the fattener is able to turn his stock into cash very quickly. A little experience soon makes one familiar with the customs and requirements of the trade. Developing along lines I have suggested in this article, gradually extending a step at a time, one learns the trade as he goes, and with any luck at all is able to build up a remunerative business. Don’t be in a hurry to enter the dayold chick business. It is advisable first to build up a reputation for the possession of good constitution birds, or good layers naturally, or a combination of both if possible. If your objective is eventually to cater for the day-old chick trade, special arrangements have to be made. The ordinary commercial poultry keeper wants ns many eggs as possible dining the dear period, or, in other words, the winter months, but this does not always suit those who cater for the day-old chicle trade. They do not want their birds tired or run out in the spring through laying heavily during the winter months. The day-old chicks farmer must have a high percentage of fertility and hatetiability. The two things may, not always go together; For good

hutchability an egg .must contain all the essentials for the growth of the embryo. There is always a certain amount of advertisement and money for even the begifnner who takes up a new breed, that is, a breed which is scarce in his own particular district, but discrimination should be used in selecting the breed, as most men today are at least partly commercial poultry men, very few are real fanciers. Therefore if you take up purely fancy breeds your outlet for eggs or birds will naturally be very limited. Before launching out to any extent as regards table poultry, I should certainly advise your endeavouring to cater for some private customer say for twelve months. It is only by catering over an extended period that you really get down to bedrock as regards the cost of production. Fattening np for a couple or three weeks some surplus cockerels which you need to dispose ot in any case is often very misleading, as you have not charged up correctly the growth of the cockerels till the fattening period. . Such a catering for, say, twelve months would probably necessitate your buying some birds from outside sources, and, this would give you considerable experience.