POULTRY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14867, 19 December 1911, Page 3

POULTRY NOTES.

REARING YOUNG TURKEYS.

An advantage of using the American "breed of turkeys is that, while improving the . fiizo of the progeny, they will be more robust, and therefore easier to rear, than the birds the breeder was wont to sear. They, however, re-pine care and proper feeding. The chickens, when hatched, require to be kept in well-sheltreed grounds. Dampness engenders disease.' Also, until the young ones are fairly strong on their legs, the henmother's . liberty should be somewhat restricted. If the reason is wet, both mother and chickens are to be kept up;' and also kept free from high ■winds, which, whether cold or not, arc hurtful. Given fairly comfortable circumstances, young turkeys bred from robust parents will be as easy to rear as any other class of poultry. In feeding young turkeys the befit food is dry oatmeal as a base. Damp meal is objectionable, as there is always a tendency for it to go sour. Cleau water is. indispensable, and a little fresh milk occasionally is an advantage. Meat-meal may bo given in small quantities, as may also a hard-boiled egg (crumbled up with tho shell) bo allowed them occasionally. For green food, chopped lettuce, onions, and parsley may be given. If the weather is cold, a little dry mustard rubbed into the oatmeal will bo a help. If thus cared for and fed, the chickens will thrive, and soon be over the dangerous age, which is when, they are between a fortnight and six weeks old. Should there bo insect pests upon the young brood a dusting with insecticide* or mortein on the mother and chickens is essential. The mother should bo well fed with grain. Being satisfied, she will bo more inclined to rest than to roam, which will be of groat advantage to her . progeny* SULPHUR FOR POULTRY, It is surprising hew few poultry-Keepers aro cognisant of the uses of sulphur for that prevention or cure of many of tho . disorders poultry are heir to. During dry weather it is invaluable in the soft food, both for young chickens at all backward in feathering, as it materially assists in the j growth of plumage, and for adult birds in moult, which receive considerable benefit when a little is daily sprinkled in tho morning meal. Canker in the mouth and many blood troubles aro often cured by simply giving sulphur daily. It must bo remembered that in its wild state the fowl subsists largely on insect life, which coni tains more or less quantities of sulphur, and is necessary to its healthy existence.Tho need of sulphur in the spring season for . the breeding-pen lias been amplv proved. It generally improves the strength of the germ and ensures vigorous, healthy chickens. When sulphur is properly mixed! with lard, such ointment will be found an effective cure for ecaly legs. It quickly, obliterates all signs of scurvy. Lice and other insect pests are soon got rid of where sulphur is dusted on the birds' plumage; whilst by sealing up all windows arid cracks of poultry houses and sprinkling sulphur on hot aches, allowing it to remain for in few hours, all parasites or insect pests will bo killed. Flowers of sulphur is very inexpensive, and should be kept handy by. all poultry-keepers.

EGG-TESTING.: All eggs which are set should be tested on the seventh day, and should the opera' tor be uncertain whether the germ is ab'vo or dead they should be put back and tested again "on the 14th day. In this way the operator will soon be able to test them easily, and tell at once whether, tho chickens are alive or dead. The smalL end of the egg should be held in the right/ hand, and the large end in the left, before a lamp or candle, so that only the egg can bo seen with the naked eye; this, is better than any egg-tester. If the chicken is alive in the shell the latter will look dark all over except at the large end but if dead, patches of light will be seen and the shell will look very cloudy. The eggs should be gently , turned around when being tested. Some of our readers may ask why they test tho egg at all. In the first place it is very important that eggs which have the dead chickens in should be removed, because when the hen comes off her nest- those eggs grow cold at once,- and often injure the others which have live chickens in. them. Then, again, if those eggs which , have dead chickens in them are taken away other good on«s can bo put in their ] place. If there is a chicken in the egg there will be a dark spot near the middle, about three-quarters of an inch from the large end while an unfertile egg will look , quite clear. When the eggs nave brown shells it is rather more. difficult to tell, , but if there is any doubt they should be left under the hens two or three days more, and then tried' again. ' " - Unfertile eggs should always be removed from under the hens, as this gives. the ? others a better opportunity; and where a. large number of chickens are hatched it is well to set three or four liens ,on the same day, and if many eggs are unfertile, . those found with chickens in, after, testing, may be given to two hens, while the other hen is turned off or' supplied with some fresh eggs, as it does them no harm to sit for a month or six weeks if they are fed well and taken off every day. • This should be done all through the season, and by this moans trouble is saved, and each hen will have a good brood instead of wasting time and energy with only » few chickens. *

POINTERS FROM. THE PEN, Don't, wean brooder chicks! any sooner than an old hen would. This means nearly three months in the early spring, and, from eight to ten weeks later in the season.; Don't have any sheltered or covered corner in the chick-run where the chicks will try to huddle during a rain-storm or when: they are cold. ■ : ■ ' Don't attempt to build a brooder unless you have a good design to go by, or without following the instructions of someone! who knows what he is talking about. Don't feed poor food. The best is none too good. '; • Don't crowd too many chicks into th» brooder. From 30 to 50 chicks are enough.. Don't put newly-hatched chicks in a, brooder with chicks three weeks or six weeks old. You can put a couple of threeweeks' old chicks in the bunch of newly- v hatched fellows, and they will show tin* kids the art of scratching for a: living. Sometimes one lias trouble with chick® picking one another. This habit is generally, started by. one chick, and taught tosome of the others. When you discover it,, take the leader and ,his chums md put them among. the older chick*; for a few: days.- - . ■ The singing hen usually lays liatchubla eggs; she is a busy hen, working as she sings. When first let out in the morningshe flics for the dust heap,- wallowing in it with apparently the same delight that a. duck takes to water; then up she gets, fluffing her feathers and fluttering her wings to rid herself. of the surplus.. Her toilet made, «he is ready for breakfast. The singing hen is never found on the roost in daytime. She is the first to step up in the morning and the last to bed at night. Her eggs are so- strongly vital-* ised that thiey will hatch under the most adverse conditions. Nine times out of tea infertiltiy in eggs is due to over-fat, sluggish hens, or hens so tormented with , lira and mites that there is no sing left in them. ■■ ' ■ '''

The usual cause of soft-shelled eggs is an over-fat condition. Over-stimulation of the egg organs by use of condiments or " egg foods " oftentimes causes the production ,of thin-shelled eggs. Fright may hurry the expulsion of the eggs before the shell has been added. Worms may be present in such numbers that they stimulate the egg passage, or push along the egg before the shell has had time to form. If the cause is over-fat, you can; correct this condition by feeding a diet that is low in fat-producing elements. Supply grit and oyster-shell in abundance," and make • tho; bird work for much of the grain,, which should be buried in deep : litter. Feed plenty of green stuff. Stop all forcing food.. Place the hen in a pen without ■a' mala ! bird.