AUTUMN HATCHING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5883, 1 April 1915, Page 3

AUTUMN HATCHING.

BY 5.11.5.

DUCKLINGS AND CHICKENS. —

It is generally considered that hatching chickens and ducklings in th<» autumn months is an impossibility. This is quite ' right of those that cannot or have not the poultry that lay in the autumn. It is quite impossible to hatch chickens or ducklings if eggs are not available. Even when hatching is done in I lie month of April, May, June, it is stated that the results are generally unsatisfactory. 1 agi"e with the latter contention t<. ,i entail extent, when it refers to chi ;eiiF, hut in the case 01 hatching ducklings during til!- autumn months 1 disagiee. In my experience ol hatching and rearing chickens during the autumn iionth? 1 found it was not worm the trouble unices it was the only chance of securing Mock from special layers. As profitable eggpruducei-:-. I found the-.e out-. »f-sea soni'eai'fjj,_pullets very unsatisfactory. One year 1 reared about fifty Irom two or three special liens. 1 ieaiod about half, and I never secured a profitable layer out of the lot. but 1 was rewarded with several nice cockerels, but. to ma ! use of these cockerels for breeding pui poses. 1 had to keep them up to 15 months. 1 ha\e had more than one attempt to try and prove to rny satisfaction that chickens could be reared profitably in the autumn, but. as I nave stated, i found Hat the only advantage was in securing stock from noted layers, so that the strain would not be los'. I well remember many years ago thai I had great difficulty in securing chickens from one of my best hens, and when the season was well advanced I had secured no stock from her that, would suit me. She ww almost spoilt tor breeding bv her heavy laying propensities, and I was in despair of retaining her great egg-produc-ing powers. I oil line favoured me at Inst, as she went broody in January, and 1 jave her a lest sitting on eggs. She quickly recovered after the period of rest, from egg-product ion, and started laying again in the autumn months, so now [ saw my chance and mated her to one of the best male birds and set all the eggs. Although 1 set quite a number I only reared a. few good specimens, and selected one particular cockerel, and never used, him until he was 18 months' old. Some would say what a time to wait for results, but 1 was dillrepaid for my trouble, as tlrs male bird has produced some of the best laying bloxt 1 have ever had. T1 e production of special birds from special layers is the only use that ! would put autumn hatching to with chicken.- I would rather wait until the old birds had moulted, and if they start agair very parly in the season, say in June or Tulv, T would then use them to supply me with breeders, and when September or October come along breed all I could for egg-pro-ducing purposes.

Autumn Ducks as Layers. lion drilling with autumn hatching in reference to ducks, it is quite another matter. Ducks have two natural egg-produc-ing f'Casons. and each season can be used l\v the poultry- as hatching and lparincr masons. During March. April. Alav, and June it is natural to c x)iect eges front two breeds of ducks, viz.. Indian Runner and Buff Orpingtons. The heavy table v arieties are ti-v.ally only cheap csg-pro-dunrs. sijirtin: to lav ' about Ji.h - or August, when eggs begin t:> fall riv-i-lly in ••nine for mnrs,-t purposes. It is •,i.ito ' i? opposite with the '.i-"»ds jl h;.ve p.io'iti.) icil above if thev r.r- fro-. | aving st.ains and properly attended to. My own experience and that of others, and also the result J egg-laying co:np<'liion, have proved that they are the bf?t I autumn ami water layers, producing large fiiiantities of big wholesome <;£gs when the market is quite bare, of egg supplies from the lien*. Ducks should ho in full lay l when the millets ire only thinking a'lont. laying, and the liens an in heavy rwilf, and prices lure at the higher^ures. ; snally I have found duels no wonderfui irrti'ity during the- av.'.unni months, and as they monif, from >*' ryr. mas to alioiir. tip end of Privnaiy "thev s-cuVe a much-needed rest f: :m egg pio(luetion. so that in March uc April both the males and females are in the best condition for producing good, strong, healthy youngsters. It is generally under, stood that our autumn months "are the best months of the year, especially if thev are in good health. "Nature, at this time of the vear, lends every aid to th-pci.ltiT-keepers who desire to increase heir flocks of ducks, and many a fine flock of duck* I have hatched and reared during the full of the year. When to Hatch Ducklings. If th > ducklings are hatched before "the end of June the fiist ones that would bp hatched, say, in April, would be almost feathered by end of June, and could stay out all night if protected from stray dogs, etc., and the later ones would be out of danger before the very wet season sets in, which is usually about July and August- Another thing, ducklings hatched in the autumn months are not troubled with staggers to any great extent. The reason of this is "because the nights are cool and the ducklings do not get a great thirst on. I hare pointed out before that staggers are caused by keeping the ducklings without water during a warm night and then letting them drink before their breakfast, which causes cramps in their insid«?s. I have found during the cool nights of the autumn that they do not drink so much of the water placed ready for them during the night, which proves that their thirst is not so keen-

Seeing, that staggers causes such huge losses in ducklings each year, autumn hatching for' ducklings shoui ' be encouraged by the poultry-keepers who desire to be on the safe side. By hatching a certain percentage of his young stock in ducks from March to June he relieves the extreme pressure and worry that atends the real hatching season tor chickens, aad if he has a visit of the staggers anong his spring-hatched ducklings he has the satisfaction of knowing that a fine flock of ducks are out of danger's way. As to "the laying qualities of autumn ducklings when matured I can vouch that they will equal any spring-hatched ones, especially during the next autumn, when they will equal the very best. I have found that the most profitable layers in ducks are the birds that are entering on their second year's laying And autumnhatched ducklings. Ducks, and especially Runners, should lay when between five and six months old, no matter when they are hatched and treated aright. Of course there are exceptional cases that alter the rule, hut! you can rely on a properly treated duck to lav at under six months. Some will lay at four months, but this early eggproduction should not be encouraged; others that receive a check may not lay until they are seven months and over.

In autumn-Latched ducklings you can relv safely ou their laying at five to six months old. That would mean if they were hatched in the months I have mentioned, viz., March to June, that they would 'start to return you eggs for your trouble from September to December. They would probably all moult about February, and being good, .strong, vigorous birds they should he in full lay ~ (fain. About the end of March or the 0 beginning of April they would provide von With a big supply Of dear autumn em* and if needed could be safely used a , breeders- I have found that autumnhatched ducks are voir profitable as egg , _ producers,- and especially so it they are required as breeders. At the present time the poultry flocks of our Dominion u . have been depleted of vast numbers o£ J stock birds, and the shortage will have tr, be made up somehow, but until this shortage is made up eggs will keep high |g| in price. I consider that eggs will return a very high price for i the ! next twVljaa| or three years, and to meet the big demand that -is - sure to follow on a decreased supply I would adviaq all poultry- ' keepers ;to hatch as many, as they pos-, sibly can of autumn .ducklings; of the breeds I 1 have ''■ mentioned. I would only advise breeding from hens in j the case of special birds, but not in tjhe hope/of ° ' : securing au profit on egg g production. are totally different, and thow •who take advantagefof-I this autumn to: hatch a number will not regret taking my;* advice.^