POULTRY NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15131, 23 October 1912, Page 12

POULTRY NOTES.

BREEDING DUCKS.

Where ducks are confined, and have- no P„ncl to exercise in, and arc the offspring of generations of birds which have been similarly treated, the conditions are unnatural." Being unnatural, the fertility suffers, and those ducklings that do hatch out are not -so strong as they should bo. On top of this big drawback—of unsuitable conditions—some people make matters worse by using, ae a breeder, a 10months' old drake, who is soft and flabby, the descendant of parents of similar environment and conditions, and a bird that probably never had a decent, honest scrap, or any "other test, to try his vigour. It is true that a young drake is good to breed from : but, with clucks, age is a relative, because they are long lived. A drake 13 months old is relatively about as old .i* a 12 months' cockerel. No breeder, unless he had extraordinary stamina in the Mood, would breed from a cockerel under 12 months of age, and he would only do it now ami again in order to fix some desired point. On the same principle duck men should use two and three-year-old ducks with an 18-months' drake. If confined, a big bath of water should be placed in the pen at least once a week, and abundance of m-een stuff supplied. Also, in the last week of hatching, it is sometimes found c.f assistance to have a wet bag in the incubator shed, in addition to full pans in the machine.

DIET AND DUCKS' EGGS. 'Die French Academy of Sciences has been (l-v'oting its attention of late to ascertain how to'obtain the biggest eggs from poultrv. A naturalist named M'ignan has tried various experiments in feeding and giving different broods of ducks, carnivorous, piscivorous, and vegetarian diet, and has found that those fed on fish laid first, those on meat eight days later, and the vegetarians two and a-half months later, at the age of ten months. Between December 17.di and May 14th the' piscivorous ducks laid fifty-four eggs, the carnivorous forty-five, and the vegetarians nineteen. The' weights of the eggs also differed, those of 'lie carnivorous birds being the heavies', those of the vegetarians came next, and the piscivorous eggs were the lightest. A curious detail was that the j piscivorous ducks laid green eggs, the carnivorous white, and the vegetarians pale pink.

FOOD FOR POULTRY. When given free range chickens pick up insects and worms, These are abundant in spring, bpt are scarce in cummer. It is during summer that the chicks require more animal food, because the natural supply is short. When only a few fowls aro kept the table scraps will provide quite Minicknt animal food all the year round. Fowls always relish the scraps from the table, chiefly because of the variety given. Although bread and potatoes, when fed .'done, are not a good egg or flesh-produc ■' lag feed, yet when mixed with meat and bran and pollard we get an ideal food. When scraps are carefully utilised a dozen fowls kept in a small run will cost a mere trifle to keep.

CHICKEN FEATHERS. Many correspondents complain that some of the chickens hatched irom biack-pium-aged breeds display, to their disappointment and chagrin, white fluff on the breast and white feathers in tho wing-flights at a litter period. Such poultry-keepers, however, need have no apprehension if the pedigree of tho parent stock will bear investigation. When chickens are hatched with the fluff entirely black it _ will be found' they rarely attain a satisfactory colour and lustre a' maturity. It is thoae with the white- breast, also a trifle white in. the outer night feathers, that ultimately , develop into this best quality birds. The breeder uses every effort to push his. birds on and improve their vigour, stamina, frame, and muscle until about 'the tenth or twelfth week, when he am generally form an 'estimate of the bird's plumage. "At this period the- chicken's' plumage will undergo a diange, and if an examination of the flight ieatners is made the colour and quality of the adult plumage will be ■ easily seen, whilst at three months old the ' chicken's flight and other feathers which gave rise to anxiety will have been cast, 'j.he same applies to buff and other breeds, and those birds which, after losing their chicken featners, continue to display white. '.■ black, oi smutty in the flight feathers, or ■ even the secondaries, can never be relied upon to make perfect specimens when matured.

DEVELOPMENT OF CHICKENS. The careful fancier examines and separ- • ates his flocks of chickens, at frequent intervals, after separating the sexes, keep- ' ing liio most promising in groups, and giving them requisite attention. It is most interesting to witch the progress of the : plumage of growing chickens, and to note the many changes and approach towards the standard of perfection which should ever be loremost in the poultry-fancier's mind. With birds required for utility purposes matters are somewhat different; .' size, shape, and vigour are the chief considerations, and whilst feather and mark- ' ings are not an absolute necessity, the pro-; gressive poultry-keeper cannot altogether disregard such points. Experience teaches . the utilitarian breeder that a flaw in the marking of a bird is often an indication ■ of vigour, and. the result of some former crass. Correspondents who have inquired .as to the best means to promote or improve chicken-feathering are advised that a little buckwheat added to the grains, and a sprinkling of. flowers of sulphur, together with the f/lditicn of linseed jelly ' (made by stewing ordinary linseed) to the morning soft food, will assist the quill.

EXHIBITION STOCK. Exhibition stock require more attention than the utility-birds. Some breeders feed for colour.- Oily foods are said to improve the sheen. We are of opinion that a bird in the best of health will always have a good sheen on his feathers. Colour-feeding may be satisfactory with canaries. We know of rio one who makes colour-feeding of poultry a success. The older birds moult slowly, the young ones get through pretty quickly. If the poultry seem to haag in the moult feed more meat and use, a tonic in the drinking water. Citrate of iron is about the best for such purpose. Iron tonics are not to bo used for white plumage. Keep every bird free from vermin by supplying a pood dust bath. The house must be draught-proof. A scratch-ing-shed with abundance of litter will keep tho birds healthy. Birds required for show purposes must be shaded well during moulting time. Any bird tliat does not moult well had better not be used for the breeding pen.

NOTES FOR THE NOVICE. If you make good hatches the chickens will be strong. Correspondingly, a poor hatch means poor vigour in the chickens that do get through. If. the chicks come on very fast and look big and strong most of them will be cockerels. A strong healthy chick will always look bright and clean like a new pin. A poor chick is always pale in feather and dingy looking. Some of the chicks will lead off and start. scratching right away, get, to the food and water at once, and go off with a. jump. Mark then;, for they will make tho beat adult birds. The droppings under the i perch are a good indication of health. If : round, firm, and white-capped the health ! is right; ii" weak and squashy the consti- j tution is feeble, or the feeding is wrong— : probably both. The lean, hollow face is ; owned by tho good layer; the coarse, fleshy head plainly tells you that the hen \ that owns it is not a good layer. The ' mule bird who is always out of his yard, ! looking for trouble, makes a good breeder, j These "rogues" almost always possess ' great stamina. The tight-feathered bird ' usually has a good constitution. Loose, j sloppy, .feathers indicate a lack of vigour, j