POULTRY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11587, 27 February 1901, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

Now that the Government poultry expert is amongst us, poultry-keepers should endeavour to learn from him the cause of such extensive mortality which has prevailed among chickens this season. " D.R." says he is troubled with lice on some parrots, and wants a remedy. Perhaps the use of Persian insect powder, which can bo bought at any of the druggists' shops, and at many of the groc3rs' establishments, is tho best. It can be applied to the feathers by a small bellows.

"Subscriber," Ohu;', Tairua, writes: — " Would you kindly give mo some information on the following subject? I have got a hen, with a brood of chickens about a month old. The hen has got some disease, like itch or scabs about the head and eyes, which are nearly closed. The chickens are getting the same disease about the eyes, which, after a few days, close altogether. The lower eyelid swells up, and semes to be without power of movement, and ends in total blindness. I have other chickens unaffected on the same run. Can you suggest any remedy? I am about to try sulphur made into an ointment, as I am afraid that within a very few days all the flock will bo blind. If you can reply in your next issue, you will greatly oblige."—You are acting wisely in trying sulphur, and if that is not effective, you should use some carbolised vaseline. '' Inquirer," Epsom, writes : — Will you advise, mo through your valuable columns with regard to a poultry foot disease? In the beginning of the season I "lent a clucking hen, and in about two months' time I got it returned one night, and did not observe till next morning that it had a swollen foot, I opened it, and squeezed out something like crushed maize, and then shut up the hen for a few days, and thinking it then to be all right let it run with the others. Now I find there are tTiree with the same trouble, and I have them shut up until I can find a remedy, if any. If there is 'no cure,' will the fowls be good to eat? or should 1 destroy them? I shall feel greatly obliged if you can give me any advice through your poultry columns. Do you know what the name of the disease is?"— is not possible to say what the complaint is without a personal examination, but the diseased foot, according to your description, is evidently contagious. In view of that fact, you should keep all the diseased birds in confinement by themselves, sprinkle lime in tho enclosure, and treat their feet for the purpose of cure, if the birds are valuable; but if they are the ordinary run of fowls perhaps they are not worth the trouble which would be necessary, and in that case killing might be the best thing to do. Geese are altogether different to ordinary fowls, or even ducks, in one respect, and a mistake is sometimes made in the final fattening off by putting each bird into a separate compartment. Geese never thrive in this way, and instead of getting fatter actually pine away. They appear to be miserable without company, and each lot should be killed together, or the one left behind rapidly loses flesh. Some birds fatten quicker than others, and as they are seen to get into ripe condition they had better be killed off. As soou as they, are as fat as they will get the desire for food begins to slacken, and then it is that they should be killed, or they will lose flesh instead of gaining it. To go 011 feeding in the expectation of increasing the weight r.fter the fowl has shown these symptoms would be found a losing game.

HOW TO MAKE POULTRY MUSH. Yes, " poultry mush." We have not yet patented this preparation, says a contemporary. so we will give it to the public at once—-not some of the mush, but instructions how to make itfor fear some enterprising man, woman, or child may patent it and start a big factory for its preparation. Cold weather is now upon us, and the fowls must depend on man for their food. No more worms or "hoppers" for them until the genial springtime, and no more choice, tender blades of grass until the sun has gained power enough to indues Mother Earth to yield up her bountiful store. To lay well and thrive correspondingly, fowls must have moat, in some form, to supply a lack of insect food, as well as to keep up the necessary amount of heat to protect the fowls from cold. The " scrap cake," mad© from tho refuse scraps from the soap boilers, answers a very good purpose when stood up in the poultry-house for the fowls to peck at. But a better way to utilise it is this. Break up a Quantity of it into small pieces, put them into a large'boiler with plenty of water and boil thoroughly; when this is done, stir in enough make meal to make a thick mush boiling it well, and then dip out into pans to cool. You can boil enough to last a week or two, and we can assure you it will be greatly relished by the fowls, giving them 111 this "mush," both grain and food diet,' And this is the "poultry mush" par excellence.