THE POULTRY YARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 3

THE POULTRY YARD.

WORK IN "THE SUMMER. ' FEEDING YOUNG STOCK. J;' [BY S.H.S.JJ ;; There are two great dangers,, daring-the; , :, np,tt few..-.months that beginners - and others, must avoid if success is desired, : with the growing stock and the ', older... ■ . , :■..' hi^sT;'With the young; stock fcliat ; should ■-■ ' v . ■be kept growing right-irom the time they ■ -.-- ' leave the shell we often see quite the; op- '..; posite on the beginner's farm. -Soma ; .poultry keepers will keep on underfeeding '■'~ both J growings females: and males.. .While:the. loss on underfeeding the male birds .may not be .as serious ■'■' as .will he young ; females yet it is bad enough es- , pccialiy if they are required for next. year's ..breeding. ,We often bear com- '~'■' plaints of ;|hd. charges v made by' breeders .-' for,., reliable" male" birds to be used. for:-/ stud- purposes. - Unless the breeder charges. a fair .price to himself he cannot do ]tiß- 7 '-." lice to his customers. To produce a" -good" . Sturdy, male bird'is not as simple as: ii,' ; looks and the breeder only feeds his ; ' male from the starts but. quite a number - V even after being kept-for six months and- .' more, are rejected and sold at killing '.'"■ •'" prices, ; It is ; no-trying to rear good ■ birds; either . male 'or female unless we feed well and wisely, "I have seen chicks 'latched .well and • : : reared well until they 1 are : a month or/■;• two; old -and then go off. colour for.no -"other reason than being fed , a 1 starving ■;■■ ration. I have heard complaints from owners that; their chickens and ducldingsV ... ~ eat them out of house and " honjei : 01 .■course, I quite . reali&s ''Trith-many that ■ ■•;;' it' is a; big-uphill-:fight to rear a flock- of ■ • : clucks 'or ducklings,' : especially ,if funds are limited. Many do the wrong thing .'■■ to make ends meet and instead of keeping '■■■'■ on with a -full 1 and plenty .ration' .for .'• ' their young;. 3tock and. cutting" down the . '/• - feed when, necessary with the older stock, ', they j.emi-starve *the growing chicks and • over feed the old hens bisides keeping alot of usless' old stock which should be . ' : disposed of to ! make ■; mote .rooin'' for- the -. V profitable young ' stock."-'Many, feed the ■ growing birds well until' they are almost.•'.-.; ready to lay and then /by. ,a cheese-paring-""' ,;.':; policy don't give them the food ;necessary ;-V.; i to ' bring them to ■ the natural result and ' "•,.;;, thus secures';>the dear- eggs that/ ruined <■, all those who do,: justice to • the growing .-■. ' '". .stock.;.'-: ..,' ; . ;,..„.• ..• >' ... '":' ■ '=■ Feeding Young- and- Old Birds; •: y..:-;* ; ''' , While adopt : : ; tho starving policy -." for the young birds and complain of the -;-" quantity they, eat; they do quite . the'op- , posite to the- old ;= birds. ' While- we must . ■ not starve the birds. that are laying eggs.-.-.•. r ~, :at : the .present ' time. : aad are- helping ,to ■-- ■'■ :. bring in. the dollars., so thai;..'.we might V.' ■ rear all our,young..stock, yet we:-over- •■ • '■■ . .do the,feeding where the old hens are concerned.. -The old birds will be'slackening ,:.;;; !off egg production during; the next few. • monthly; and while it is "njj>t. advisable to ; ,starve.: them,, yet.' in^atgre'at,.manyrcases,', - :less ..may. ( he fed. < When- our older.;-.-- ■■' , ■■■ hens go ' into a:moult it : -ii not'. advisable:: .: ■to keep' feeding a laying;ration, espeei- :• . ' ally, to those- hens that may .bo inclined ..to-.', pat ,on •condition .such, as tha,general--piir-- .-' pose breeds. j -Those birds thai ;we 'require \, j lor breeders may-bo given station of oats add :iOn,-fat;^rodueing/|op<|eij ; ••'* - qoa:--tity giyeti-is about a thirdiiess.thV.u-/or' .=.-' birds we- ( wish to. keep' : on laying. .Birds , - - to ; be reserved for next breeding wason <A '■:, ,=..;. \ . the■ general purpose breed mur-' not.ho 'alloweii to get into :an ovuvflit condition :, Of course -&> hen- that cannot lay during-, the next oior-;. two if fed for : ecg ; . ■; : .production.is , not ;-; worth ;;■■ keeping , rnn'd .: •' should. be disposed; 0f..: By ieeding.such: ib'rds,.ahd over feeding the birds -intended ' ■ ' 'forib^adjj^vpurposes ona is spending capi- ■'. ■ ■ ; I lal thai should be reserved-fco buy-proper | quantities o! food for the- growing slock. ; i With'fowls it');, the- growing female that ■■yi< [are the profit makers v .d thai,- usually pro- < duce the dear egg'while the older females.. are moulting, so if. one is being forced into... . ] a position whereby the young pullets; at© . ' ■ likaly. to%a. stunted or kept back from lay- ■ ing at "the right time tlyough fee?!. •'. ing, he had better quit a portion of old-'"' ..; . stock or ail but those ho is.-, reserving lox' breeding; purposci. It, is one thing.or the ; , : f -■■ other, profit or loss, and "if tone cannot feed all he has .'oh.: the lain, . piop&l^tifc 1 ; is far abetter to reduce, the Ibirds that are ~...-. Hot..likely' to continue to, produce eggs-a-- ■■"■.' tor; the next few weeks*. There -is no need . ' of failures. in -the poultry; business M one*. ■-"■'• - • will feed: his 'young• stock .properly, Hod . I then have them laying at: the right ,tiine. ;:. :. -* : > y. : y::'; : :^^-»- : :;;i;Jv:::H,,:irr;: : ■:. ■; -ii" *';v:;'i !"' 'X (-".'■:.■■■ Feeding Growing Birds. ' „\ Don't be afriad to give the- growing stock all they' v. ill eat of ..the very best... j foods procurable. -.This.does not mt;an the- ; ' .;. most e'xpensiye foods,; but it does mem to ".--...' [feed what will, make them, 'grow ii.l> " ' i':sturdy; birds fit "to lav eggs in quantities and for a long enough -period-'to pay for !their' up-bringing. Ii the pullets srs batched :|rom .good strairw' and: frpni;-re!i-'-.';.; ■ able producers then it is up to ok to - feed--them-: well, and : ok.' reward .c sure |to follow. Two meals.iis:tß>t.efto\igh;;giyo: \ I them three meals a day,, and if they can . tat more, give if them. 'Don't keep the ' i pullets in such a state that they are - a!-. | ways rushing you Tor me-.- food. G«6 j i.ito the habit of feeding a full and plenty,,. . •' meal night and morning, and then-in the:. middle of. the day" anotlier smaller mu\L By feeding lull and plenty I do not mean : .' giving them -m over-plus of moist mash > which .they cannot-eat at once and that ~-;. : will become sour. Bettor togiye a- quan-. : tity. night and morning that they clean up within, say, half an hour after feeding. Wo must remember that it pays to ,\x i •well and wisely."All growing stock chicks " ■ j and half in?tared birds arc more ea&liy : upset than fully' grown buds and once ;-- ■ : the growth of .i chick is <■*" rd there is ; likely to bo -trouble.' Keep them growing 7 . all' the time'and they "wjll be a pleasure ,_ , ; J.' to' look at it;if parebred .stock, : and pro- ; ■.'.,,' Stable "if fromfa good -laying; ; rain : and .',,.. hatched at\:the : bright: tim«» : Even -.:if' batched on ! 'the late sido it, pays' to feed . well. ■ ' \ / While advocating feeding a certain : amouqt of meat, foods while-the chick :is growings it is not wise to feed it in r ;.quah-•;. titles to • pnllels f r or .fry& month's . old. ; -That -will force them ic lay. it lb 4 age.- . ; The craze to get pulls laying so young. I i? a -wrong and barmfnl one if it is aecom- .'. - plish^drby^forcing: methods. With pullets hatched, in July and, August and even -fejl'i on '.; plain 'foods; v.«- find .them ■'- laying 'as ' early as : five months and -even ;[younger.;;-. -All :animal fo<:d m- these cases ',:': : rr^should be kept away and a^-."plain' ration •■ , of wheat and oats suplied. Wo should all ; endeavour l to,get our pnlleta to start egg production at about six 'months old. -' - ", While "we freely state- the old; proverb, -" ■ : .^l2; :—The early bird catches the worm— :, -: \ We must not encourage the-early, layer too : much. To the old-style '--.poultry keeper a . bird that lays at iris .....months' eld if- -certainly like 'the early- bird. .The old-tinier , was quite satisfied 'if his pullets .hatched ! about Xmas laid' by 'tl'e end of the r.e^t» ■■■ •year "-in time to ' batch -another clutch, - "; •'■ which, of course, would take an equal r time to come into profit-. B? breeding from ■ such slow maturing birds vre sirsi, bound to - say—like producers likO-::iTlie .->ame may ' be said of our present quick maturing -'. breeds and . strains; and' it is not difficult. v by: right - setting 'to,'get our birds t6;re- ;. •■ ; , ipbnd'irt encb a-way that they will start ... -; ; laying at such an ago th.it will enable ■ ; them to produce,: the; right number, the ■'■./ . . right size of eg:.', and if mated up during i the breeding season .to produce stock; "' equal or better than tbeiriselve*. We 1 should ;all aim at good feeding, and thus '= produce stock that will lay and pay-yifeU. •'