POULTRY NOTES

Northern Advocate, 15 August 1931, Page 7

POULTRY NOTES

HOW TO SUCCEED.

INDICATIONS OF COMBS,

The comb is a very important characteristic in all varieties or poultry, and it is not until close observation is made that the 'beginner linds that there are no two combs exactly alike. Again, there are quite a number of different styles of comb, each differing very much from the other. J'he comb is also a true index to the health of the bird. When the fowl is in a sound, healthy condition, its comb will be of a vivid blood-red colour. This is very apparent when a pullet begins to lay. When the comb becomes pale or discoloured in any wny, it is an infallible sign that the bird s health is not what it should be. Indigestion or disease of the liver is the chief cause of poultry going ‘off colour/ 7 and if prompt measures are taken in the early stages of the malady it will be found that the combs soon recover their healthy appearance.

In acute eases of liver or heart disease the combs and faces may become purplish in colour, giving the bird a truly apoplectic appearance. As soon as any of these appear, the affected birds should be gijven a sharp dose of Epsom salts, and put on $ course of Glauber’s salts until an improvement is noted. Both are very safe medicines. In severe cases of apoplexy, the vein under the wing can be opened, and this slight bleeding will relieve the pressure.

Sometimes the comb will become covered with a kind of scurvy, which also indicates a low state of health, and is certainly very unsightly. Such birds want a lot of fresh green food, and the comb should be dressed with a little carbolic ointment or powdered turmeric (quarter of an ounce), mixed in an ounce of cocoanut oil.

Combs may become blgek through frostbite. Big-combed birds suffer very much from this, and it may render them useless for long terms. The best plan is to use a preventative in se, vere weather. On the first approach of frosty weather all the combs should be smeared with vaseline, to which a little glycerine has been added. This will keep away all the evil effects. Thrge Principal pprn?s.

There are three principal forms of combs —viz., the single, the rose, anfl the pen or triple. A fourth class may be added to embrace all abnormal or peculiar combs.

The single comb is perhaps the most common, and includes all the wellknown Mediterranean breeds, besides the majority of the better-known heavy breeds with, perhaps, the exception of the Wyandotte, in the male, the comb should be perfectly upright, Arm, at the base, and evenly serated. The serrations usually number seven, and should be all the same distance apart, well cut, and firmly set, the front part projecting well on, to the front of the beak. It should be perfectly straight in front, and free from indentations, or what are known as thumb-marks.

The rose comb is very effective, and has a few variations in itself. The Hamburgh has the neatest comb of the lot. It has a well-worked “rose,” not only wide and squire in front, but gradually tapering to a long spike at the back, known as the loader, and pointing slightly upwards. The body of flip comb should be perfectly flat, free from hollow's, and be full , of small points which arc known to breeders as ( ‘ work. ’ ’

The comb of the Redcap is a very exaggerated rose, sometimes measuring a$ much as six inches in length and four inches in breadth. The Wyandotte rose, comb is smaller and neater, seldom showing the same amount of work, and the leader is shorter and follows the curve of the neck.

The pen or triple comb soon in the Brahma and Indian game lias three parallel ridges (or very small single combs), the centre one being higher slightly than the other two. It fit© closely to the head, both at. the back and the front. , •

The Malay possesses a very peculiar comb, being merely a small, round eonflex lump covered with very small projections; the Houdan has a lovely leaf-shaped or butterfly comb, and the Lg. Fl.eche boasts a twp-horned or Vshsped comb. The Crevecoeur's comb is similar to the La Flee lie.

The comb, wattles, and ear lobes of a fowl enlarge or contract, depending op the ovary. If the comb, wattles and ear lobes are large, full and smooth, pr hard and waxy, the bird is laying heavily. If the comb is jimp, the bird is only laying slightly, but it is not laying at all when the comb is dried down, especially at moulting time. If the comb is .warm, it is an indication that the bird is coming back into production.

GENERAL NOTES

Eliminating the drones —in other word# culling—gives the workers more room and cuts down the feed and labour bills.

An experienced poult.yman expresses the opinion that apart from insanitary conditions, crowding is the cause of most losses in baby chicks.

\Vhen the . chicks hatch and dry off, the incubator is full of fluff. Thus io caught in the bottom, and has to be brushed away. Special care should be taken to brush it away from ventilators or the ingress of air may be intoreferd with. Where there are diaphragms covered with hessian, under

the traps, extra attention is required to free them of all fluff.

While poultrykeepers should do everything possible to osurc the comfort o'f their fowls at this time of the year, in no circumstances should comfort take the form of coddling. Cold itself is not likely to harm the birds provided they can be encouraged to take plenty of exercise, and they must have fresh air and an abundance of it if they are to do well. To put matters briefly, comfort entails keeping the birds dry underfoot and overhead, seeing that they are free from all cold, biting winds, and also draughts, feed- | ing them liberally on good nourishing * food, ensuring their having a plentiful supply of fresh dry litter on the floor for scratching purposes, as well as in the next boxes, and, finally, in the interior of the house being always scrupulously clean. With these conditions, plus ample green feed and water, j flocks should weather the winter in j the best of shape,