POULTRY NOTES

Northern Advocate, 18 April 1932, Page 8

POULTRY NOTES

HOW TO SUCCEED.

NON-LAYING- DUCKS.

Several complaints have reached me of late regarding Indian Eunner ducks going into a moult and not laying up to expectations. In some cases the owners have adopted the plan of changing the food, being under the that the food previously supplied was responsible for the brids moulting and their failure to lay. This, however, does not necessarily apply, as it is quite common for ducks, even when they receive proper food and management, to moult twice a year —about February and again in •Tunc or July.

Ducks that have been well fed and managed, and -which have had a good egg-yield previous to moulting, should not have their ration changed, as this would only make matters worse. A bird will always come back to laying condition much quicker when there is no alteration in its treatment. The treatment being given may not be quite right, but any sudden change will not improve matters. Any contemplated change in the ration provided should be introduced by degrees. Ducks are usually of a very nervous temperament, and any alteration in the method under which they are kept will cause them to fret, thereby intensifying any unfavourable condition to which they have been subjected. That laying ducks require frequent changes of food is one of those theories -which fail lamentably in practice. Ducks are creatures of habit, and therefore a change of quarters will have an equally bad effect on the egg yield as a change of food. Fright caused by the presence of hedgehogs, ferrets, etc., will often upset ducks, and this will be followed by a false moult and failure to lay. The lights from motor cars, etc., will also often have this undesirable effect. For this reason ducks should be kept as far away from the road as possible. Even then the house in which they are kept should be arranged in such a way that the lights from cars cannot shine brightly into it. It will usually be found that the greater the number of ducks kept in a flock the greater will be the risk of their frequently moulting and ceasing to lay when subjected to changes of food and quarters. It will thus be seen that if the laying duck is to produce eggs to its maximum capacity the matter of uniform treatment in every branch of its management is imperative.

CARE DURING THE MOULT,

Moulting is a very severe strain on the birds, and the older they are the harder it is for them. It takes a strong, healthy bird in its. first or second year from six' weeks to two months to make the complete change, that is, cast all the old feathers and have the complete new ‘ 1 suit. ” It is quite common for an old bird or one deficient in stamina to take as long as three months. With ordinary healthy birds, says “The Australasian,’ * the moulting period can be accelerated if they are shut up in close quarters, there being no need to worry about overcrowding for the short period they are kept under these conditions. Keep them enclosed like tliis till they are ragged in appearance, which means that the moult is well advanced. Feed them during this period sparingly on wheat, about half an ounce a, bird morning and evening; give green food as much as they will eat, and add a litle Epsom salts to the drinking water. When the moult is well on the way leave off the salts and increase the rations, wet mash in the morning, a little meat at noon, and a good feed of grain at night. The change in the diet should be done gradually, the birds not being on full rations till the tail feathers are well advanced, then it will be found beneficial to add maize to the grain, meat, milk, and bone meal to the mash, and as much green food as they will eat. Older birds obviously having a hard time should be supplied with a little oily food such as hemp seed and cod liver oil. In all eases a mild tonic will make a marked improvement.

GENERAL NOTES,

To keep hens laying at this time of the year see that they get any amount of succulent green food. If unable to procure this do not forget sprouted oats; also make the morning wet mash a little more moist.

Answering the question, what can the ponltryman tic about ronp, Mr E. L. Cochran, Professor of Poultry Husbandry at lowa State College, says;— The best thing is prevention—he should provide a house that is clean, dry, well ventilated, and the birds need to be kept out of draughts and away from exposures. Overcrowding, colds, and improper feeding are coworkers with poor houses and damp cool weather in bringing on roup.

Turkey hens made c-Vcellent “incubators” for ordinary bens’ eggs. They cover a great number of eggs, arc very reliable, and careful with both eggs and chickens, and can brood at lease three times as many chickens as an ordinary fowl. Consequently anyone possessing broody turkey liens that are in their first year and not old enough to breed from should avail themselves of such an opportunity of hatching - and -brooding a nice batch of chickens with very little trouble.