POULTRY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11552, 16 January 1901, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

The normal temperature of a fowl is, say, . '• about 130 degrees. • - A cross of the Brown Leghorn and Part- < - ridge Cochin permits of uniformity of colour, ' and makes a good all round fowl. The Houcian answers excellently for crossing on the largo coarse hens, the offspring usually being larger than either of - the parents. Feathers ure not healthy— least in summer. liven a goose covered with feathers will attend nil night on cue leg, rather than sleep on a bed of feathers. At a Public School: "What is tho wife of a. prince called?" " Ploaso, ma'am, a princess!" And what is tho wife of an ; emperor called'/" "Please, ma'am, an empore's!" " And what is tho wife of a duke called?" "Please, ma'am, a drake!" Early in the fall is tho best timo for beginners to commence tlio business of fowlraising. for the reason that they can at lip other time of the year so well find nearly mature young stock at moderate prices, and because the pullets that are then five or six months old will shortly begin to lay. ■ One of the first principles in fattening poultry is to avoid waste. The food should be given in small quantities at a time, at each pen, until the birds are satisfied. No more than can be eaten up at once should bo given. In commencing to feed, healthy birds should be selected, and discrimination used. After chickens are deserted by their mothers they should be allowed to remain at night in their coops for somo weeks; they huddle together and keep themselves warm, and it is better for them, while their bones aro forming; whereas, if they porch, their legs cannot support them properly, and their breasts rest' on the perch, while tho bone, being soft, takes an impress of it. Poultry-raisers and farmers often introduce a thoroughbred male into their flock of halfbieds or mongrels, and havo noticed excellent results. But the benefits of the first year ,ara not - continued. They have improved their flock in stamina and egg-production perhaps 15 to 20 per cent, and seem satisfied to let • 1 their fowls go back for another year or two, when they lift them up another 10 or 20 per . cent in egg-production. •' Crossing fowls enables tho poultry-breeder to combine the merits of tho different breeds. The Brahma has a very small comb, is heavily feathered, and grows to a large size. By crossing this breed with the Leghorn the , comb of the latter is reduced, the size of the body is increased, and heavier feathering is noticeable. ; The progeny of this cross will sit, though the propensity is not so strong as in the pure Brahma, and the good qualities of both breeds are blended. After the excessive heat of early summer , we are sure to have severe storms, and afterwards the" conditions will probably mature for gapes. Now prevention is better than cure, so give the chickens some chopped , onions or eschalots with their food, and sulphur at least once a week, keep them from damp and dirty sleeping places, as very often diseases come from overcrowding in a dirty sleeping place, where other .fowls' have slspt or crowded before. The germs are often in the old droppings, and the chickens inhale them at night. Perhaps one .of the most extensively used varieties in crossing for table uso, especially for the export trade, is the Cornish Game, but more popularly known tinder the misleading appellation of " Indian Gamo," ali though the breed never saw India or the Indians, until, perhaps, it cam® into popularity there. This variety may roughly bp | described as a short - legged, short -necked | Malay, but having a less cruel-looking head and mora pleasant form than that variety, I being caused, no doubt, by the infusion of j the _ English Game blood into tho Malay strain. The body is thickset, compact, and | broad at the shoulders, with a rather flat | back, breasts wide, deep, and plump. | It is useless to force a hen in any manner -to lay. Forcing always makes them 100 fat. The hen will lay well for a short time, but will soon cease, because too much pushing | throws thorn out of condition. There is but I one really good method of forcing a hen to | lay, and that is by forcing her to scratch and | work for her food. She should havo all she requires, but she should earn it by hard work. Let her seek every grain; keep her busy from early morn until night. By this method you will force her to havo a good appetite, force her to keep warm, force her to throw off ' disease, force her to rest well on the roost, and in that manner force her to lay.